[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”] One of the best professional development (PD) opportunities I’ve been to was at an NCTM conference in St. Louis. I walked into a lecture hall and instead of rows upon rows […]
professional development
Posted inFeatured, Interviews, Middle School
Inspirational Educators: Valerie Hegarty
In this month’s #InspirationalEducator Series, Jake Miller sat down with someone who isn’t necessarily an “educator” by trade. Ms. Valerie Hegarty is an artist who focuses in educational aspects, namely history, and her thoughtful, incredible, outside-the-box 3-D art caught the eye of this social studies teacher. He found more information about her online and decided […]
Posted inChild Development, Featured, Middle School, Opinion
What 'The LEGO Movie' Can Teach Kids of All Ages
Spoiler Alert – If you haven’t seen The LEGO Movie, plot lines will be shared in this article! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but as my wife and I left the theater after watching The LEGO Movie, we were jaws agape. What The LEGO Movie Can Teach Kids of All Ages As self-proclaimed LEGOphiles, we […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Opinion
Teachers on Trial: Vergara v. CA
On Monday of this week (January 27, 2014), the twenty-day trial began in the case Vergara v. California. This lawsuit not only takes on some of the longest protected education policy in California, it pits the very stakeholders who truly matter in education against each other: the students and the teachers. Education watchers will pay […]
Posted inFeatured
Keeping Your Teaching Credentials Fresh and Current
Have you left the teaching or education world, either by resigning or by taking a leave of absence? Are you looking for flexible and creative ways to grow as an educator? As a professional in the field of education, I have taken a leave of absence three times and resigned from two positions over the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Special Education
Special Education Assistants: 5 Steps to Getting Assessment Support Just Right (Part 2)
[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”] Part 1 of this series offered 5 areas of ongoing professional development for Education Assistants. In this installment, I provide EA’s with 5 steps to help determine what level of […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Middle School
How to Write a Reader's Theater Play
[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”] The most valuable class I have ever attended was at first a mistake. My enrollment in “Reading 101: Strategies for Middle School Students,” offered at our local intermediate unit, was a […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Common Core, From the Front Lines, Social Studies
What Does a Quality Social Studies Assessment Look Like?
Recently a reader emailed us this question: What Does a Quality Social Studies Assessment Look Like? Well, reader, I’ll be the first to admit – my instruction tactics have evolved much over the years, but nothing has changed more in the way in which I test students. What once began as fill-in questions with some true/false […]