The education world is all about buzzwords. From early classes in all disciplines to graduate level courses in specialized topics, practitioners are constantly throwing around terms like “differentiation”, “STEM” (now STEAM), “flipped classrooms”, “high-stakes testing”, “collaborative learning”, and “MOOCs”. These catchphrases live in the hearts and minds of professionals from first-grade math and high school […]
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Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Special Education, Uncategorized
5 Easy Ways to Celebrate Exceptional Children’s Week
[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”] It’s that time of year again. All across our nation, including the great state of Georgia, teachers, students and parents alike will be celebrating Exceptional Children’s Week March 6-10, 2017. This […]
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, School Improvement, Uncategorized
Why the Business Model Is Not the Education Model
[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”] Educational reform is on the minds of many business leaders and several leaders have weighed in with their concerns: “We know we are facing a transition, and we must take this […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Conundrum of Extra Credit
Every classroom teacher has encountered the inevitable question from a student or parent, “Do you offer extra credit?” The reasons can be myriad: the student was out of school due to illness, and his/her grades suffered from it. The parents may want the student to gain additional mastery of the material. More often than not, […]
Posted inFeatured
Twitter PLNs -Because Solutions in Education Must Include Teachers
I recently read a tweet by the National Education Association’s (NEA) president, Dennis Van Roekel, which brought me to this quote: “I’m so tired of OTHERS defining the solutions….without even asking those who do the work every day of their professional life.” Consider how solutions determined by others have determined the profound changes in education […]
Posted inLegal, Principals' Corner, Uncategorized
Protecting the Protectors: Limited Liability from Students’ Lawsuits
Teachers have responsibilities beyond the act of just teaching. They must participate in professional development sessions, instruct students using a variety of research-based strategies, and maintain up-to-date student records. One of the most important teacher responsibilities is to maintain a welcoming and safe learning environment. In many teacher evaluation instruments, a teacher is assessed on […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Kindergarten, Literacy, Uncategorized
ESL Students in the General Education Classroom
Help! I have a new student in the middle of February who doesn’t speak any English! What should I do? Sound familiar? This often happens at my school. English Language Learners (ELL), or English as a Second Language (ESL) students, are part of a very transient population. Sometimes students will even leave mid-year for a month […]
Posted inCharter Schools, From the Front Lines, Uncategorized
Charter School Diaries #4 – Order in the Court
Working in a school, I’ve learned that there is so much more that happens during the day time than just actual instruction. The instruction of children in the center of what we do as educators, yet everything else going on that surrounds instruction sometimes gains more attention than it should. More often than not, the budget gains […]