So now you’re fierce, are you? Fierce like, how? For Part II, I want to talk more about being fierce. It’s not just standing up against the onslaught of union-bashing and data mashing designed to demean teachers. It’s being unafraid to fight for what kids really need And it’s about actively pursuing greater understanding in order […]
students
Posted inHow to Fix Education
A 3M Philosophy to Be A Great Teacher: Be Meaningful, Measurable, Manageable,
Guest Writer: Archie Wortham, PhD “Never fight unless you have to. Never fight alone. And never fight for long.” This was advice Fox Connor, best remembered as the man who made Eisenhower. Having taught for most of my adult life, I wondered what makes a good teacher. Having served in the military for 20 years, […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
[Episode 53] Helping Students With Dyslexia in Schools
In this episode, Franchesca Warren interviews Mike T. Dunn, Director of College Counseling at AIM Academy, a school for students with dyslexia. In this interview Mike discusses the following: how schools can best support students they suspect may have dyslexiawhat are some of the signs that teachers miss that indicate dyslexiastrategies for schools to be […]
Posted inTeacher Burnout
A Teacher’s Power of Positivity
I’ve spent enough times surrounded by negativity. I’ve gone the other way when the “negative teacher” walks down the hallway. I’ve watched people publicly belittle my profession and union over and again. I’ve led that union and had to open far too many negative emails of plea / help / disdain. I’ve hoped for that […]
Posted inLegal, The State of Education
Sexual Violence on College Campuses and Title IX Rollbacks
On September 22nd, Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, announced new and temporary guidelines regarding how schools should be handling sexual violence on college campuses. The changes are concerned directly with how individuals are found guilty of sexual misconduct. While DeVos stated that “We can’t go back to the days when allegations were swept under the […]
Posted inFine Arts, High School, Literacy
The Novels I Use to Teach Secondary English
The Novels I Use to Teach Secondary English There are lots of wonderful things about teaching high school English. One of those is that I get to use a lot of fun novels to help my students reach the standards they need to achieve. To make it fun, I tried to pick a wide variety […]
Posted inEnglish Language Learners
Six-Word Memoirs as an Introduction to Narrative Writing
Six-word memoirs are not a new thing. A simple Google search will bring up Smith magazine and their six-word memoir site that all began in 2006. If you search Pinterest, you’ll find dozens of ways to use six-word memoirs with kids of all ages. That is all I did to piece together something that I […]
Posted inBack to School
Why I Create a Class Motto
Why do I spend several lessons during my first weeks of school creating a class motto? There’s so much to do. Students need to learn rules, routines, and procedures. There’s the beginning of the year assessments. And the curriculum isn’t waiting. Still, despite these many pressures, I find it worthwhile to take two or three […]