Accountability in Education Student outcomes involve far more than proficient standardized test scores, and accountability for outcomes is a shared burden that extends outside the school. Families, communities, businesses and policymakers- these parties and more are all stakeholders in student outcomes and need to meet the challenge of empowering learners in a collaborative way, with […]
Opinion
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Are Schools Perpetuating America’s Problems?
Nancy Easton, my pastor, began this week’s sermon (words / audio) with a clip from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. The man who graced public television from the late ’60s through the early millennium drew full attention from an equally diverse audience that was, at the least, aware of the impact of Fred Rogers, and, at most, daily childhood […]
Posted inClassroom Management
Using Essential Oils in the Classroom
Holistic therapies and homeopathic remedies have been gaining in popularity and use in recent years. I will reach for essential oils as an alternative before taking over-the-counter medicines. Even some hospitals have started to diffuse essential oils to reduce workplace stress and promote natural pain relief. Teachers can use essential oils in the classroom to help […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Race-Based Silence is Violence
Look around your school. Who would be the person to talk to your students about race and how it affects minorities? Who would start the conversation about Alton Sterling or Philando Castille? If you cannot think of anyone, there is an issue. If you don’t think children need to discuss racially charged incidents, there is an […]
Posted inOpinion
My AP Scores Were Disappointing. Now What?
I awoke at 5 AM on Tuesday morning to log into the College Board’s website and obtain this year’s AP results for my AP Government and Macroeconomics courses. I spied the remains of a patriotic-looking Americana chocolate cake sitting on my kitchen counter, safely wrapped in aluminum foil. I grabbed a fork and took a […]
Posted inSpecial Education
How Far is Too Far to Save a Life?
The phone rings at midnight. That’s never a good sign, right? We imagine our relatives in a terrible accident, something gone wrong for our parents, or our children in trouble. But when you are a school administrator, you have to figure there is a chance the school caught fire, got burgled, or generally something went […]
Posted inProfessional Development
Travel for the Teacher: Better than Professional Development
As I write this, my family and I are preparing for a long voyage overseas. A few months ago, I learned that I had been accepted to the Disquiet International Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal. This series of workshops with famous writers is held in one of Europe’s most historic and beautiful cities. Perhaps even […]
Posted inFeatured
Summer Vacation Memes For Teachers
Summer vacation is here and teachers should be relaxing away from the craziness of school. As you relax and “rest up” for the 2016-2017 school year, look at these summer vacation memes and laugh. How many of us are unsure of the days of the week this summer vacation? Pinterest will be the death of […]