This upcoming week of May 4-8 is Teacher Appreciation Week, with Teacher Appreciation Day being May 5th. According to the nonprofit TCEA, Teacher Appreciation Week originated in the early 1940s, when Mattye Whyte Woodridge, a teacher from Arkansas, lobbied political and educational leaders to advocate for a day honoring teachers. Scroll down for the businesses (both […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Gratitude Tour: Chuck Roser
I visited Chuck Roser, his husband Tom, and their sweet rescue dog Patsy in their Pittsboro, NC, home on Friday, September 12, 2025. As a gesture of my gratitude, I took Chuck and Tom a six pack of 12-ounce bottles of Kona Big Wave Liquid Aloha. I gave Patsy dog treats and gentle pats on […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Learning Insights; A Nerdy Take on the Judgment of Learning
I am, unapologetically, a nerdy educator. I enjoy exploring research from other disciplines and examining its potential value in the classroom. I do so with skepticism. What holds up in a carefully controlled, research-driven lab environment does not always survive the unpredictability of a classroom. Still, fields such as behavioral psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive psychology […]
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Ronie L. Mataquel: Leading Through Service, Faith, and Innovation
“To lead is to serve—faith gives the courage to do both.” This guiding principle has shaped the remarkable career of Dr. Ronie L. Mataquel, a visionary educator, scholar, and community leader whose impact stretches from classrooms in Queens, New York, to Filipino communities worldwide, to being named a Top 50 Educator for The Educator’s Room. […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Instructional Coaching That Actually Works
It all started in a classroom that looked like everything was going as planned. The students seemed to be engaged. The lesson was moving along. Nothing appeared to be off-track. But when the teacher and I sat down afterward, she paused and said, “I think they’re doing the work, but, honestly, I don’t think they […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
ALA Reports Surge in Book Challenges and Bans During National Library Week 2026
During National Library Week (April 19–25, 2026), the American Library Association (ALA) released new data highlighting a continued rise in attempts to censor books and library materials across the United States in 2025. According to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), 4,235 unique titles were challenged in public, school, and academic libraries last year—the second-highest […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
An Ode to Pissed-Off Parents
When I was young in my career, I once apologized to a parent because her 16-year-old daughter was walking into walls. Mad Mom entered my classroom after school, fuming. Her eyes were wide, an almost predatory look on her face as she locked eyes with me and advanced. “Do you have any idea how much […]
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Los Angeles Unified to limit screen time for all students, prohibit use among youngest students
This story was originally published by EdSource. Sign up for their daily newsletter. The Los Angeles Unified School District unanimously voted to curb classroom screen time, directing staff to develop a policy by June ahead of the upcoming school year. The resolution aims to set clear limits on how screens are used in classrooms across grade […]