I have an absolutely amazing older son. When my ex-husband left, Eli was there to help pick up the pieces. When I had my emotional collapse, again Eli came to the hospital everyday and even now continues to keep a close eye on me. He and I are never far from one another, with healthy […]
How to Fix Education
Posted inAsk a Teacher, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Principals' Corner, Teacher Leaders
Teacher Resignation Accepted
Guest Post: By Patricia Wood August 2004- Jan 2016 Resigned. My teaching career is over. “Hey Mr. S, can I talk to you for a minute?” I poked my head into my principal’s office, hoping I could ask his advice. I wanted to know how to proceed on taking advantage of the unpaid family leave […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education, Uncategorized
Race and Racisim in the Classroom: 3 Ways to Start a Difficult Conversation
Recently I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, writing and talking about how to discuss race and racism in a classroom setting. As an elementary school teacher, one of the first challenges I have to overcome is convincing people that we should even try to do this. Understandably, a lot of people worry about “exposing” […]
Posted inUncategorized
Nine Tips for Education Majors and New Teachers
Dear new teacher, first-year teacher, education major, and everyone in between, Welcome to the world of teaching. We are excited you have chosen our profession. You must have had an amazing or several amazing teachers that inspired you to join our world. Make sure you tell them. We all need to hear that we made […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education, Uncategorized
Special Needs but No Special Resources
In Taiwanese society, the “group” is more important than the individual. This is very salient in the classroom. At my school, students are given IQ tests to measure their academic abilities against their fellow peers (because here, everyone needs to be on the same level) and when students perform subpar they are often classified, quite […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Technology
Skype Connections to Learning
One of our fourth grade standards in Kansas is US states. Students learn about the regions including their geography, climate, economy and cultures. We spend time researching and learning about the various states while comparing them to Kansas. Students become travel agents to different places. While it would be wonderful to have the funds to fly […]
Posted inFeatured, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Mathematics
What is Complex Math Instruction?
I teach 5th grade Math at an elementary school, and I have noticed that many elementary teachers and instructional support personnel have not yet made the shift to more complex math instruction. The school in which I work is still trying to push small group instruction, where the teacher teaches a small group and the other […]
Posted inElementary School, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Mathematics
Teaching Fractions, Piece By Piece
Ugh. Fractions. I love to teach math, but fractions-blah. So like with any challenging unit, I like to bring in something tangible. Remember, kids were designed to manipulate items and are tactile learners, some on into ten and eleven years of age. This activity is great for all ages and will teach several different concepts […]