Posted inFeatured, Literacy

Car Talks & Conversational Learning

[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”] Reluctantly, summer ends, school begins and I am already wistful for the undefined pace of unhurried days. Summer offers us all our best educational experiences; learning to swim, ride bikes, plan […]

Posted inBook Review, Featured, High School

A New School Year Means Getting Your Game On – A Book Review

When Teaching Gets Tough: Smart Ways to Reclaim Your Game Author: Allen N. Mendler Publisher: ASCD, 2012 [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”] Allen Mendler, the author of Connecting with Students and co-author of Discipline with Dignity […]

Posted inFeatured, High School, Opinion

Grad School Again, or Why I am Starting Over In My Career

[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”] In July 2010, I graduated with my Master’s in Education. I was very happy. I accomplished something that I wasn’t sure that I would ever do.  And then I said, “No […]

Posted inClassroom Management, Featured

Planning for a Substitute: Five Helpful Hints

  [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”] We’ve all been there.  A few minutes before you are to leave for work, one of your children suddenly becomes ill, you receive a phone call about a family emergency, […]

Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, From the Front Lines

Building A Learning Culture Within Your School

Professionalism to educators is about creating and enhancing a culture of learning.  This culture develops out of diversity. I believe that if you visited any school in the United States you would find a very diverse staff.  Diversity can actually be something other and more than ethnicity.  Many people in today’s society tend to equate […]

Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines

Professional Development: Teacher Leadership

[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”] In my last article I discussed the first steps teachers would benefit taking when in the process of designing a professional development activity.  After those two steps, the project will take […]

Posted inCharter Schools, High School, Middle School

The Masses, the Multitude and the Disciples (Charter School Diaries #23)

Week 6/10 – 6/14 [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 things that I really enjoy about teaching is the opportunity to work with young people, specifically the 17 and 18 year old students. These […]