Following an emotionally stimulating conference session presented by Dr. Rochelle Gutierrez, I was intent on waiting in a line behind dozens of people for the opportunity to sit and talk with her. She began her talk with an engaging moment where she asked audience participants to “Stand Up” for the reasons they entered the teaching […]
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Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Social Studies
My first day at the Organization of American Historians 2014 Conference in Atlanta
April 11, 2014: I am excited to be at this conference. I am a huge history nerd, so of course going to a conference that helps fulfill that love is nice. I am also an educator so I am interested in how this conference of historians could relate to my and other’s educational practices. My […]
Posted inAdult Learning, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, School Improvement
Gaming as the Future of Learning: The Truly Epic Win [Part 1]
What if the future of learning is not measuring student achievement in high stakes standardized testing? What if, instead, the future of learning is in the magic of a great game? Ever since the 1983 “A Nation at Risk” report on the American education system, policymakers have consistently insisted that more and more high stakes […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Uncategorized
Junior Year: Ruined by Testing, Testing, Testing
[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”] Not so long ago, 11th grade was a great year of high school. The pre-adolescent fog had lifted, and the label of “sophomore,” literally “wise-fool,” gave way to the less insulting “junior.” Academic challenges […]
Posted inFeatured, Interviews, Middle School
Inspirational Educators: Valerie Hegarty
In this month’s #InspirationalEducator Series, Jake Miller sat down with someone who isn’t necessarily an “educator” by trade. Ms. Valerie Hegarty is an artist who focuses in educational aspects, namely history, and her thoughtful, incredible, outside-the-box 3-D art caught the eye of this social studies teacher. He found more information about her online and decided […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Technology
How I Flipped My Classroom
It was just over a year ago when I first heard the term “flipped classroom,” and I recall wondering what part of the classroom was flipped. I saw pictures of desks and books upside down, but never thought much about the concept. I never thought this theory would lead to a new approach to the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Opinion
10 Myths and Facts about Teacher Unions
I admit that I sign up for education haters’ email lists, and one thing that seems to be trending is differentiating truths and myths. Most recently in the cross hairs are teachers’ unions. It’s time you heard from someone in the field about some honest truths. Myth 1: Teachers are forced to join unions Fact: […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Middle School, Principals' Corner
Chicago Public Schools: Going too Far
Imagine if an unknown adult came to your classroom to remove a child to question them privately. This happened last week at two Chicago Public Schools. The unknown adults were from the CPS legal department. The classrooms they visited were rooms where the teacher had refused to administer the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). Students […]