On Monday of this week (January 27, 2014), the twenty-day trial began in the case Vergara v. California. This lawsuit not only takes on some of the longest protected education policy in California, it pits the very stakeholders who truly matter in education against each other: the students and the teachers. Education watchers will pay […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
He Said What?! Funny things our kids say…
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] While the holidays are my favorite time of year, sometimes they can be a bit stressful. As the winter wears on, you maybe looking for a bit of relief. Â With that […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Opinion, Uncategorized
5 Lessons We All Need to Know in Education
This morning as I was embarking on my morning run/walk, I encountered a hill that was in my way to becoming a more confident runner.  The sheer enormity of knowing that I would have to run the entire hill was enough to mentally take me  out, but something in me kept telling me to “keep […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
What is "Social Justice Education"?
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Like it or not, teaching is a political act. We influence developing minds daily, aiding in their structure of morality and empowerment; and we are embedded in a highly politicized arena […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Current Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Opinion, Parents
Tried and True Resources for Curriculum Reinforcement
Over the course of my 18 years of teaching, I’ve seen many trends in skills that aren’t mastered before kids move into the next grade level. I’ve also been in schools where funding is not adequate for curriculum and supplies that are needed. Most of my teaching experience has been with early childhood, Pre-K through […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion, Uncategorized
Fordham and Hess Temporarily Acknowledge that Reformers Can't Have it Both Ways
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Voucher advocates are in an absolute tizzy over a recent paper from the pro-education-reform Thomas B. Fordham Institute. It is truly a thing of beauty. Jay P. Greene is not amused. He is […]
Posted inBook Review, Featured, Opinion
ELL Classroom Instruction that Works – a Book Review
by: Jennifer Healey Book: Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners 2nd Edition By: Jane D. Hill and Kirsten B. Miller Published: ASCD, 2013 [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Most K-12 classroom teachers are […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
Reflections on a Student's Death: A Painful Reminder of Why We Teach
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Everyone knows that magic is an illusion. And yet, from time to time, I am quite certain that it is magic—not chance or merely good fortune—making an appearance in my classroom. […]