[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”] As I get older, I see the value in the adage, “There is wisdom in numbers.” I catch myself more often than not running ideas and proposals by colleagues and friends […]
classroom
Posted inBook Review, Opinion
"The Well-Balanced Teacher" – A Book Review
The Well-Balanced Teacher: How to Work Smarter and Stay Sane Inside the Classroom and OutBy Mike Anderson Publisher: ASCD, 2010 I was raised on the basis of ‘work smarter, not harder.’ This adage rings in my ears for just about everything I try to accomplish. However, we all know about the road of good […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Fine Arts, Literacy
Shakespeare and Americans: The Relationship Starts in the Classroom
“Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania,” reads Karl off the script. He looks confused, “I’m ill?” he looks puzzled. “Am I sick?” “You’re not sick…We are having a fight!” responds an irritated Nicole, who is playing the fairy queen. She continues to read: “What, jealous Oberon! Fairies, skip hence:/I have forsworn his bed and company.” […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, From the Front Lines, Principals' Corner
Hold that Intercom! Interruptions are Educationally Costly
The crackle of the speaker..and then the voice. Twenty-six ninth grade brains stop working on the task at hand. They wait for the name. “Jane Doe report to the office.” The 26 ninth grade students either: A. dismiss the announcement entirely and try to get back to work; B. snicker quietly to themselves because they […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum
Fighting the Fear of Failure
[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”] This past week, the Smithsonian Education Lab’s #mpossible Twitter chat focused on how we as educators can get students to follow their passions. While the conversation hovered around having strong educators […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Uncategorized
Kill Your Idols: A Case for Contemporary Literature
When I go out to eat, I often eavesdrop on the conversations of my fellow diners. Not long ago, I listened in on a particularly interesting discussion that involved two teachers. They were discussing a familiar quandary among English teachers: What are the virtues of teaching classical literature to a generation who just doesn’t get […]
Posted inParents
Getting Started Home Schooling Your Child
by: Sam Wilkerson At some point in time I think many parents wonder or at least give fleeting consideration to the notion of homeschooling their children. However only an exceptional few have the direction and confidence to move forward along the path with clear goals and a plan of action for enriching their children’s education. […]
Posted inElementary School, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Kindergarten, New Teacher Bootcamp
Assessments—Using Incentives to Change the Image
Assessments…it’s almost become a dirty word in education. Those of us in the trenches know assessments are necessary and have a purpose. We understand there are different types of assessments that guide our instruction, help us focus students on their learning objectives, and show us where re-teaching and extension need to take place. Everyone has […]