Teacher tenure is a part of the educational fabric of every state in the United States. It is a form of job security that prevents teachers from being terminated without “just cause.” Despite having noble beginnings, teacher tenure has come under increasing scrutiny from educational reformists and politicians. The main argument against statutory job security […]
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Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Art of the Question
In an ever changing educational field, we have one tool in our belts that spans all geography, all ages, all subjects and all children-questioning. There is a dice game called Petals around a Rose. It is a simple game in which players roll any number of dice and the objective of the game is to […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Uncategorized
Raising Boys' Achievement Involves More Male Teachers
It’s no shock to any reader – teacher or parent – to learn that boys are not just falling behind, they’re sinking. In the middle school where I teach, of our nearly 1,100 students, roughly 80% of the special education students are male. More than 2/3 of the students failing classes are male. More than […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Stellar Educator of the Week, Uncategorized
Our Stellar Educator for the Holidays: YOU!
Name: You! Years Teaching: Plenty of Years! Specialty: Every specialty under the sun! Congratulations to YOU, our Stellar Educator for the Holidays! This has been a particularly challenging school year so far for teachers around the country. The year started with more murmurings and condemnations of teachers as educators in Chicago and other districts tried […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Middle School, New Teacher Bootcamp
Crazy Things I've Done–Creative Classroom Management
Some days it feels like we are running a zoo. I find myself saying things like, “Well, you can tell the weather is going to change. The kids sure were off the wall today.” Sometimes sentences escape my mouth that I never imagined would be created. Every teacher, from novice to seasoned, needs a little creative […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education, Uncategorized
Gaming Dialogues Serve a Vital Purpose
The majority of homework in elementary schools and high schools tends to be practice or preparation, leaving less than 30% for integration, interpretation opportunities (Brozo, 2010). The Common Core is shifting assessment from a focus on skills and gains of knowledge to information analysis, critical evaluation, and expression of new understanding (CCSSI; www.corestandards.org). This means our […]
Posted inElementary School, Instruction & Curriculum, New Teacher Bootcamp
Where Should I Sit? Flexible Grouping in the Classroom
I remember the old cartoons and movies that depicted classrooms. The students were all sitting in rows of desks, and the teacher’s desk was front and center in front of the chalkboard. My, how times have changed. Today, our classrooms look different, and students learn differently. There are many ways to arrange classrooms and group […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, School Improvement, Social Studies
Civic Education: A Forgotten Subject in the World of High Stakes Testing
In this installment of the Civic Education Series, we look at the impact of standardized testing on social studies and civics curriculum. How Did We Get Here? (or, “Yay, History!”) The first half of the 20th century saw several major education “reform” efforts. The federal government inserted itself several times with major legislation, including Eisenhower’s […]