Note: This idea came to me upon receiving my promotion as an Instructional Coach. A close friend gave me a (Sports Coach) whistle, along with a great card and a balloon to help me celebrate. I keep my whistle hanging in my office right next to my calendar to remind me of the similarities in […]
School Improvement
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Despite the Teacher Shortage, Some Educators Need to be Coached out of the Profession
When you are a teacher, it is easy to be so consumed with your classroom that you might not notice the work of your colleagues. Â You might assume your principal did a great job of hiring your colleagues and they are all working their butts off to do what is best for our students just […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
As Ohio Goes, So Goes The Nation? An Interview with an EdChoice Parent
Since 1964, no candidate has won the White House without winning Ohio. Ohio is not just a battleground state; it is a bell weather. Therefore, Ohio’s educational policies should be spotlighted as well. Will Ohio’s voucher programs be promoted as solutions to the problems that plague public education? This recent Thanksgiving holiday brought lumpy mashed […]
Posted inSchool Improvement
Maintaining an Inclusive School Environment Through Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. -Theodore Roosevelt An inclusive and supportive school climate is an important part of education for teachers, students, administrative staff, and parents. One of the ways that we can maintain a school culture that is inclusive is by ensuring that students have […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Chromebook Conundrum: The Pros and Cons of Going Digital
This school year is the first year my school has gone one-to-one with students and electronic devices. During the first week of school, each student was given their own Chromebook to use in school and at home. A lot of exciting changes are happening, as teachers transition their classrooms from paper and pen to completely […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
Teachers Talk about RTI: The Educator’s Room Survey Results
RTI – Response to Intervention – has made its way to the top of the list of most commonly used education acronyms. Â Since changes to policy language in the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), the Response to Intervention framework has emerged as the favored way to identify students with learning disabilities. Â After a decade […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Class Meetings: A Strategy to Deal With Disruptions to Your Classroom Aura
The school year is off to a great start. You’ve spent the first few weeks building relationships with your students and creating communities where students can share and feel safe enough to be themselves. Your students are learning about you and your teaching style, while you are learning about their individual learning styles. Everything is […]
Posted inHigh School
It’s Time to Build The Case for More Vo-Tech Classes
A recent PDK poll shows that 82% of Americans support job-skills classes, even if it’s at the expense of academic classes. Additionally, 86% believe schools should offer certificate / licensing programs that lead to jobs. But they’re forgetting one very big thing: this type of education already exists. It’s just that everybody forgets vocational-technical training. And […]