My cousin, John Michael, had the first Atari I ever saw. Not long after, my cousin Philip got one. I went to their houses every chance I got, and while I was there I hogged their video game machines as much as I could. I still remember the spongy feel and new plastic smell of […]
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Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Uncategorized
Apple Ad Shows That Students Can Surprise You…
I teach English in a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) school, and that means that there is wireless for all kinds of devices: notebooks, kindles, laptops, and phones. Internet access is open along with social media sites, except Facebook, since many teachers use them for resources or to communicate with students. There is a school […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Uncategorized
Quitting in The New Year
Ancient Babylonians celebrated the new year 4,000 years ago in late March when the day had equal amounts of daylight and darkness. The Romans celebrated the new year in January honoring , Janus (January), the Roman god of beginnings. He was represented with two faces which allowed him to look back into the past and […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Coach Files, Uncategorized
Adventures in Coaching: Sometimes You Just Have to 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”] Last week I had the humbling experience of comforting a teacher after a bad evaluation from an administrator. As the teacher cried and “defended” their actions in class, it reminded me […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Featured, Principals' Corner, Uncategorized
Five New Years Resolutions for Public Education Supporters
2013 was a pivotal year for parents, teachers and students who support a free public education for American children. In California, Governor Jerry Brown refused to over-test the state’s students to satisfy bureaucratic demands for data, even in the face of federal threats to withhold Title 1 education funding. In Seattle, Jesse Hagopian and fellow teachers at […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, School Improvement, Uncategorized
The Wizards of Ed- The Conundrum of Education
There is a conundrum facing American K-12 education. It is the same conundrum that has always faced American K-12 education. How do we educate “those” kids? “Those” refers to the kids who are dealing with any (or all) of a host of disadvantages. They are from the “wrong” side of the tracks. They are from […]
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The Exhaustion of the American Teacher
With the American school year still in its infancy, it’s worthwhile to note that the people doing the actual educating are down in the dumps. Teachers feel more beaten down this year than last. Some are walking into their classrooms unsure if this is still the job for them. Their hearts ache with quiet anguish […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Languages, Uncategorized
Push In Versus Pull Out Strategies for English Language Learners (ELL)
English language learners can be found in almost every public school across America. There are many different programs and models for these students to learn and acquire their new language of instruction. If there is a freestanding ESL (English as a second language) program at the school, then the English teacher has implemented either push-in, […]