“I mean even though I taught all of the standards last semester, but I don’t feel like my kids learned anything!” These were the words one of the teachers who I support as an Instructional Coach said to me as we sat in her classroom after school discussed all things teaching and learning. This wasn’t […]
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Top five reasons to go to the 2015 NCTM Annual Conference
I have attended the past eight NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) conferences. The event has become an annual highlight in both my academic and professional careers. For me, the conference has always been about learning. There were some years when I savored a walk through the exhibit hall to discover the newest software […]
The Truth Behind the Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Scandal
By now the headlines have screamed about how teachers and administrators cheated in Atlanta Public Schools (APS) to falsify results from the CRCT exams in elementary and middle schools. As a teacher who worked in APS for several years, these headlines literally make my stomach turn. Despite the claims about answer changing parties, administrators who […]
Active Learning: Nothing Can Stop The Flow!
We’ve all been there. That moment when you’re completely absorbed in the experience. You’re in active learning- the zone. You’re somehow calm, focused, and intense all at the same time. You’re like Scrooge at the end of A Christmas Carol, “I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I […]
How Principals Should Model NCAA Women’s Basketball Post Conferences to Cultivate Effective, Culturally Intelligent Teachers
Every March, the NCAA March Madness showcases the best and brightest in women’s basketball to millions of viewers. And every year, principals and administrators observe teachers for at least 45 minutes to grade their effectiveness as teachers. This is such a high-stakes procedure, as anything can happen that would make the most effective teacher, look […]
One Size Fits All Been Trash: Curating and cultivating mastery is the new drip
Curating and cultivating mastery is like planting seeds in a garden; it requires patience, care, and a keen eye for nurturing potential. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires special education services to support learners in three specific areas: advanced educational opportunities, employment, and increased independence. As a special education teacher, As a Teacher of […]
A Lesson in Block Building Left Me Asking: How Might We Support a Paraprofessional Today?
Transitioning majors in college led me to embrace a role as a floater paraprofessional, eager to explore and support in the realm of education. “Rutledge, room 32”- Walking down the hallway you see art on the walls and shiny floors glimpses into other classrooms and you arrive at room 32. Open the door and you […]
Teach with humility; Achieve the impossible in teaching expectations
It seems to me that being a modern-day teacher is more challenging than ever before. On average, 15% of students nationwide receive IDEA services for individualized education plans (NCES, 2023). In addition, national movements to improve outcomes for struggling learners (eg. multi-tiered systems of support) have vastly shifted the roles and responsibilities of the traditional […]