We are always challenging students to think differently: branch out, think outside the box, get out of their comfort zone. As a social studies teacher, I’m often trying to incorporate issues and ideas into our study or conversations that are relevant to students’ lives; things they may be facing now or will likely deal with [...]
Even elementary students are talking about the Nike deciding to sponsor former Quarterback Colin Kaepernick. So, how do you respond as an educator and model of critical thinking? It’s no easy task when you are likely to hold a strong opinion of your own. Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) is an option when faced with the [...]
In the wee hours of this morning, another of my 24-year-old son’s friends killed himself. I say another because the first one was about a year ago. Two close friends in two years. Here at The Educator’s Room, we constantly talk about self-care. We constantly are saying how important it is to take care of ourselves [...]
Volume is its own goal. The more we read and write, the better we read and write. That doesn't mean volume alone leads to excellence. It doesn't. But progress without volume is almost impossible. Last winter, I was privileged to attend the regional ELA teacher's conference in Missouri called Write to Learn. Two of the [...]
I am a huge advocate for early intervention. Unfortunately, my district doesn’t always share the same philosophy. In my experience, students who are having difficulty in first and second grade (even some students in kindergarten) can be identified and remediated with the right supports. We are doing a huge disservice to children and families by [...]