I chose this African proverb as the title for this article because I believe it represents the missing link in improving our schools. Much is said these days about what teachers need to do to improve test scores. Suggestions include a longer day, a longer school year, and elimination of all subjects that are not […]
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Posted inFeatured, How to Fix Education, Uncategorized
Politicized Purpose: A Reassessment of Teacher Unions Today
In February 2011, about 1,000 Wisconsin teachers protested Gov. Scott Walker’s attempt to hinder union bargaining rights. Ripple effects were felt throughout the nation: political leaders sought to reform unions in each New Jersey, Nevada, Indiana, and Florida, to name a few. In her report on these stories, Jennifer Epstein of Politico writes, “Teachers unions, […]
Posted inOpinion, School Improvement, Uncategorized
Why Smaller is Better: Class Sizes Matter
When I was in first grade, way back in the early 1960’s, there were 52 students in my class. It was the baby boom. It was a Catholic school. It still was an astonishing number of children. There were three reading groups named Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Those poor Joseph’s! How can you learn to […]
Posted inCommon Core, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Uncategorized
Perplexed in CT by Recommendations for EngageNY Curriculum
Perplexed: adj. 1. bewildered; puzzled. 2. complicated; involved; entangled. (o _ 0 ) ? I am perplexed as to why this word is on the EngageNY first grade vocabulary list, and again perplexed when I review the first grade units for English Language Arts (ELA) on this website. I am perplexed because I can see that several units in our […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, How to Fix Education, Uncategorized
The Experiential Illiterates
I try very hard–and often unsuccessfully–to avoid hyperbole and straw men in my argumentation on behalf of the American institution of public education. My bias is clear, and there is no preventing it from seeping into my writing and speaking and thinking. There’s no getting around it. I have friends both in real life and […]
Posted inOpinion
What are the 7 Goals of Education?
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! I was flipping channels on television the other evening when I came across an interviewer discussing education with two women. I stopped to listen. Two things struck me. The first was that the women she was interviewing were not educators at […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Uncategorized
Myths About Snow Days
The recent Polar Vortex has caused snow days and cold days along with delays and early dismissals across the country. Georgia was recently hit with snow causing delays on major highways to the point where people were abandoning cars. Students and and teachers were even forced to spend the night in school because they were […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Middle School, Social Studies, Uncategorized
Week 2- Rollout 1:1 iPads- Introducing Aggregators
Last week’s article, “Teaching in the 1:1 Digital Classroom”, focused on accommodating Luddites and iPad enthusiasts and this week is dedicated to keeping routines. I need transitions towards technology to be smooth or learning will be set aside for entertainment value only. Notability is my go to workflow application for editing and downloading class notes. […]