So many articles out there lately talk about the downfalls of education and the humiliation of the public school teacher. The question is, do we have the resources out there to help those struggling students–the ones in urban areas living in poverty–to meet the same standards as their peers? If you ask my boss, the […]
effective teaching
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies
Advantages of Asynchronous Learning
The traditional model of classroom learning usually revolves around whole-class pacing. Asynchronous learning means students learn at their own individual pace – often in a learning for mastery model. In traditional classrooms, assignments are all due on the same day for all students, units are planned to last a set amount of days or weeks, […]
Posted inCommon Core, Educational Apps, Instruction & Curriculum, Languages, Literacy, Middle School
Four Reasons Why I'm In Love With Chromebooks In The Classroom
I cannot deny it any longer – I’m in love with Chromebooks. Chromebooks have transformed my teaching. All those times in the last 25 years when I used to say, “Well, that would be easy if I had a class set of computers” has turned into my reality. Chromebooks have become a wonderful tool for […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instructional Strategies
Six Common Sense Behavior Management Strategies That Really Work
No matter what grade level or subject you teach, you will always come into contact with students who either challenge your authority or disrupt the class in some way. Whether you have the student that constantly makes weird noises, the student constantly gets out of his or her seat, or the student who wants to argue […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Common Core, Educational Apps, English Language Learners, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Inquiry Based Research For John Steinbeck's Novel 'The Pearl'
I want my 8th-grade students to learn more than just the standards – I want them to learn strategies to learn, and how to utilize the best tools to show their learning. I remind them that in high school, college and careers they will be responsible for making decisions about how they create projects, and […]
Posted inESOL, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies
The Four Benefits of Bilingual Education
Language is a subject matter of much controversy in our country. Are you “American” if you speak another language? Well, many of our students come from homes where the parents do not speak English, so regardless of whether or not you think all Americans should speak English, the fact remains that we are a country […]
Posted inFeatured, Teacher Burnout
Smothering Burnout: Tips for Teachers On the Edge of Teacher Burnout
I am in my twentieth year of teaching. I know I am doing what I was created to do. I know I am teaching where I need to be teaching. But after two decades of teaching, the ‘B’ word has begun to haunt me: I am burning out. My dad used to always say if […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Using Learning Theories as a Framework for Teaching
According to Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs, “curriculum making is choice making” and a person who designs curriculum well not only has a variety of styles, but responds well to the environment, stays up-to-date on research, and makes choices based on good information (Laureate Education, 2010.). As the field of education changes so frequently with regards […]