It’s that time again when teachers across America take out their MLA Handbooks, their endless supplies of index cards and sources and assign the infamous research paper. In response, students groan and complain and many try to get out of the assignment but in the end the research paper “stands” and the student is the […]
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Politics As Usual – Pt.1 (Charter School Diaries #12)
Week 3/25-3/29 [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”] In any job, there is always office politicking going on. In public education, district-wide politicking is the norm. The cycle is never ending. Policymakers are pressured by parents who […]
Did You Lose More Than Daylight Savings Time?
Daylight Savings Time is a practice I don’t understand. In the spring it costs an hour. Time is precious and something I hate to waste. Every year I dread the clocks springing forward and watching precious time being taken away. I read an article recently published on Edutopia about “Beating the Clock in the Classroom” […]
Congratulations Matt M. – Our Stellar Educator of the Week!
Name: Matthew M. School: Kalamazoo Public Schools Years Teaching: 10+ years Specialty: Social Studies Congratulations to Matthew M., our Stellar Educator of the Week! Matt was nominated by one of his colleagues, who reveals some of the amazing ways he connects with his students: I first met Matt when he was helping the whole […]
Listening with Empathy—Can You Hear the Growth?
“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” –Ernest Hemingway. [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”] Spring is here; too bad Mother Nature has not listened to that […]
Ready or Not? (Charter School Diaries #8)
Week – 2/25 – 3/1 What do you do when you’re a teacher and there is poor instructional leadership capability amongst the administrators within your building or within your district? Usually, if you are in a school and/or district where there is a lack of instructional leaders, there is an overabundance of procedural leaders – […]
In Texas, Progress; But the Fight Continues
This is a cross-post from EdGator.com. [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”] I got involved in the scrap over education two years ago when I wrote an epistle known as “The Alamo Letter” to my state legislators. […]
I Don’t Teach for Summer Vacation
I have encountered many a person who believes that all teachers teach for summer vacation. Or fall break. Or spring break. Or Christmas break. Or snow days. Sadly, it is true that some choose to teach for that two-month hiatus, usually because they mistakenly think teaching is easy and summers are completely free. They soon […]