When I was pursuing my master’s in education, I spent a great deal of time examining the philosophies of various critical theorists. Vygotsky, Piaget, Freire, Montessori, Gardner, Pestalozzi and a whole host of other big educational names became part of my courses of study. Knowing these philosophers and their perspectives even helped me pass Florida’s […]
student engagement
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum
The Benefits of an Individualized Approach
I’ll never forget the first year I started teaching. I was slightly skeptical of the whole process, although I believed in it (because I am the product of the Montessori school I now direct) millions of thoughts swarmed my head. “Teachers are ‘guides’ in the classroom and educational process,” “How am I going to keep 40 […]
Posted inHigh School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Middle School
Literature Circles: Empowering Students
Ideally, by the fourth quarter, I want to be unnecessary in my classroom; I hope that my students are so self-sufficient that I can partner with them instead of lead and coach. To me, this idea is the mark of true learning; the control baton has passed from me to them. I need three-quarters to […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Instructional Strategies, Social Justice
Teaching Our Students to Live Well Together in Acrimonious Times
[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 write this, there has been yet another terrible attack in a European city. Bombs in Brussels, Belgium have killed over 30 people and injured almost 200 (at this writing). […]
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Social Justice
Challenging Your Students on Assessments
In a few weeks, students in public schools and charter schools across New York State will take hours of state assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Teachers are nervous, parents are frustrated, and students are indifferent. The students’ indifference is what scares the teachers and administrators of charter schools because our very survival depends […]
Posted inFeatured, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Mathematics
What is Complex Math Instruction?
I teach 5th grade Math at an elementary school, and I have noticed that many elementary teachers and instructional support personnel have not yet made the shift to more complex math instruction. The school in which I work is still trying to push small group instruction, where the teacher teaches a small group and the other […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Instructional Strategies, Opinion
The Counter-Productivity of the Testing Mentality
The other day, I came to team planning with some really great exploration activities and math tasks for students to use to deepen their understanding of the concepts we were learning in class. As the person who writes the formal lesson plans for our department and a graduate student, I take my job seriously, and […]
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, […]