By Guest Writer: Jill Jackson Imagine this: You are a teacher who shows up to professional development at the beginning of the school year and are told that the district has chosen the new English Language Arts/Math/Science/Art/P.E. program after a year-long pilot. (I use the word “pilot” very loosely because typically the curriculum pilots have […]
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Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
EARTH DAY: Free Download and Resources
Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22nd, emerged as a global environmental movement in response to growing concerns about pollution, environmental degradation, and the need for conservation efforts. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin conceived the idea for Earth Day, inspired by anti-war protests, and sought to harness the energy of grassroots activism to raise awareness […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Scaffold and The Lift: Differentiation to support every student
In a single school day, teachers make approximately 1,500 decisions. If, in one 45-minute class period, a high school teacher makes roughly 218 decisions as they teach, then they have only a short window of time to create lesson plans, update grades, upload assignments, write emails, and perform other tasks that can distract attention from […]
Posted inPedagogy
The Building Blocks for Strong Middle and High School Writers
It was year five in my teaching career, and our principal called us in to bemoan our writing scores from the previous year. It was all the same buzzwords (fidelity, accountability, etc.), and I remember asking a question that changed my teaching beliefs. “If we want kids to be better writers, why aren’t we making […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
Equity In TAG Implementation: Pull-Out Services Vs. Differentiated Instruction
My son, Atticus, was nominated to be tested for the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program in first grade. He got on a school bus for the very first time and spent 4 hours taking tests at a nearby school. A few months later, we were shocked to learn that his scores officially placed him into […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Beyond the Test: LeBron James I Promise School is Transforming Lives…and Being Scrutinized for It.
I Promise School: In the most disadvantaged neighborhoods of Akron, Ohio, students can’t seem to pass the state standardized math test. They also struggle to get three meals daily, adult supervision, or a physically and emotionally safe place to live. Children living in poverty suffer from chronic stress and poor nutrition. They rarely visit a […]
Posted inOpinion
Why I’m Running for School Board (And You Should Too!)
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! In March of 2020, when the pandemic hit, I had already been contemplating retiring. I had been teaching English at a Northern California high school for 31 years, and it seemed like the end of the 2020 school year […]
Posted inOpinion
Children Don’t Avoid “Divisive” Topics, And Neither Can We
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! As a primary teacher, I had interesting and sometimes challenging conversations on a regular basis. Young children do not limit their comments and questions to what’s “age-appropriate” or what is or isn’t “divisive.” They are trying to figure out […]