Standardized testing: just the thought of these assessments strikes terror in the hearts of teachers. If only our students cared as much about how they score on state-mandated tests. Most of the educational literature reflects a negative view of standardized testing, but they serve an important purpose in American education: to indicate teacher effectiveness through […]
No Child Left Behind
Posted inAsk a Teacher
TEACHING RESPECT: Removing Creativity Hinders Respect for Teachers
Lack of respect is something that I’ve discussed with many of my fellow educators, as it has seemingly run rampant in recent years. The product of our discussions usually center around our love for teaching, but also, we discuss how difficult it has become to maintain in an environment where we do not feel respected […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Special Education
Under the Guise of Inclusion
I remember the days in the 1960’s and 70’s when Special Education was not even a word, and anyone that had disabilities was rarely seen or heard. I’m so thankful today that we have so many programs that help students with disabilities, but as state budgets get tighter, the push for more special support staff reduction […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, Uncategorized
The Tyranny of the Datum
Data is a big deal. A great deal of innovation is happening right now in the field of data collection, storage, and management in the field of education. There are some well-documented fears among parents and teachers regarding these trends. Who will control the data? How will the data be used? Will my child’s data […]