By Terri Eichholz In the maker space where I previously worked, we required students to get 100% on tool safety tests before they were allowed to use the tools. My colleague had created the tests before I arrived on the scene, but when we received a new CNC machine I volunteered. I put links in […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
School Closures Are Hitting Preschools Hard
“Ugg. I HATE coronavirus! I just want to go to school and places!” proclaimed fellow TER writer Katie Sluiter’s young daughter. For a preschooler who loves seeing her friends, being with her teachers, gymnastics, and swimming, our current situation is quite the challenge. This is a reality that countless parents of preschool kids are facing […]
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Teaching During A Pandemic: Where The Grades Don’t Count, And Everything Is Made Up
Teachers on social media are posting inspirational videos. School districts are compassionately giving students food, paper packets, Chrome Books, internet connectivity, and yard signs for seniors. Educators are doing the best they can to make a monumental shift–that may become the norm for the 2020-2021 school year. There is a critical component of school that […]
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I’m a Teacher and a Father,Here Are 10 Things My Younger Son Taught Me About Education
Isaiah, my second son, will celebrate his 2nd birthday on May 4. When he was born and I held him in my arms, I thought about all the things I had learned from his older brother. I went home a few days later and shared my thoughts with you all. Now two years later, a […]
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What I Miss Most:The Sound of Seventh Grade
Guest Writer: Tamara Sloan Ritchie–7th Grade ELA Teacher, Truman Middle School, Tacoma, WA Don’t get me wrong. I’m appreciating the quiet. Just before all this happened, I was starting to feel the crispy edges of burnout taking hold. I’d get to school and take a few deep breaths, clearing the morning fog and steeling myself […]
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For Students Who Can’t Read, Computers Won’t Help Them- But Teachers Can
Jason in my 2nd-period class can’t read. He decodes one-syllable words alright, but anything more, he won’t get. Maureen in period 10, she can read. Ask her a question about what she just read and she will stare blankly back at you. Javier is in my 5th period, I’m not sure about hi. He has […]
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Up At Night, Thinking of My Students’ Well-Being – Here’s Why, and What We Can Do About It
I have a confession to make: since school doors have closed and education has moved online, I have slept terribly. Insomnia arouses my slumber around 2 or 3 a.m., and I tend to look at the ceiling for an hour before trodding downstairs for my first cup of coffee. What’s cajoling this 8th-grade teacher into […]
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The New Normal: Teaching is as it Should Be
Here we go again. Many people are struggling with the new normal surrounding education and COVID-19. The kids have too much work. The teachers aren’t doing enough. It’s all busywork. Can you believe there are 5 live class meetings each week? Can you believe there is only 1 live meeting a week? How will students […]