One of the driving forces behind the advancement of bubble-test tyranny in our school systems today is the concept of data-driven decision-making. Back before we tested every student in every subject on almost every day of the year, cigar-chomping school administrators just pulled decisions out of their backsides and hoped they worked. They threw the […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inAsk a Teacher, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Uncategorized
{Ask a Teacher} Help! I Need Materials for My Classroom!
Question #3 What’s a good way to find materials for my classroom? I teach high school social studies but the problem is that there are not enough books in the school for every student so I have to supplement. I mainly teach Government/American Civics. Can you find me some good sites to get activities, tests, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Mathematics
First in Math and Reflex Math: A Program Comparison
There are many mathematical software programs available to schools and students. I have been lucky enough this year to initiate some action research in my classrooms of two different software programs: First in Math and Reflex Math. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â First in Math (www.firstinmath.com) was developed by Robert Sun, an entrepreneur born in Shanghai and […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Social Studies
{Conference Recap} Georgia Council for the Social Studies Statewide Conference
On October 25 and 26, I had the opportunity to participate in the Georgia Council for the Social Studies statewide conference in Athens, GA. It was my first time attending a major conference like this, and I am glad I did. Not only did I get to attend various subjects on teaching methods, where social […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Grade Book: Online, Hardcopy or Both?
I started teaching at a time when it was normal for teachers to carry around a hard copy grade book everywhere they went. If we went to the copier, we took our grade book. If we went to a parent conference, we took our grade book. That grade book was our bible, our connection to which student […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Technology
Distance Learning, IPads and E-Literacy
My husband is separated from me and my daughter by 2,000 miles during my sabbatical here in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We are determined to continue our traditional family time despite the distances. Â How we engage in meaningful dialogues leads to less loneliness and motivation to appreciate all that we can from life in a […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Opinion, The Unemployed Teacher
Teachable Moments During Teacher Unemployment
As teachers, we instinctively look for those teachable moments in the classroom. You know them – those moments when suddenly space and time open up to reveal an opportunity to take what is at hand and turn it into a way to delve more deeply into whatever subject we are teaching. Exercising this habit outside […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Creating Lovers of Reading: Tips for Using a Self-Selected Reading System in Your Classroom
Students come to us with reading levels all over the spectrum. As a new teacher, one of the biggest challenges in my heterogeneous classes was assigning and monitoring their reading. While challenging students with complex texts is not only important but required, it is still essential that our students read and read and read even […]