Each September we begin the process of writing the rules. I ask, “What rules do you think we need for our class?” (While my class is full of second graders this process works for any primary grade.) The hands are popcorn. Everyone is bouncing up and down with an idea. The blurters start shouting out […]
Tips for Student Success
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Middle School
Say No to Boredom! Dynamic Incorporation of Nonfiction Into the Classroom
You learn on your feet Not in your seat! ~Dr. Jean Feldman Although Dr. Jean is a well-known preschool and kindergarten teacher, author, researcher, and presenter, most often her advice can be modified and applied to older students as well. Whether you are teaching to the Common Core State Standards or not, there […]
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 […]
Posted inBook Review, Elementary School, Featured, Kindergarten, Literacy
Just Let Them Read! A Book Review – Part 2
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about the highlights from my reading of the beginning of Donalyn Miller’s The Book Whisperer. It has been many years since I have been so touched and so inspired by my professional reading. Throughout the book, two themes emerge: as literacy teachers, we must promote, model, […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Kindergarten, Literacy
Multilingualism and Language Acquisition in the US
[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”] It is very difficult to learn a second language. Part of this difficulty is that in America we begin learning that second language later in life. Language learning is not typically […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Well, They Are Just 17…You Know What I Mean? The NAEP in Perspective
The “Nation’s Report Card” is released by The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) every year where students are tested at ages 9, 13, and 17. In 2012, the testing results for readers at age 17 were abysmal, demonstrating only a 2% growth in reading scores over the past 41 years. I was bemoaning this statistic to a friend who […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Featured, High School, Middle School
Graduation! (Charter School Diaries #25)
Week 6/24 – 6/28 When I think about the process of schooling in America, the ultimate culminating event for any and every student participating in that process is graduation. I can remember just about every graduation I’ve been a part of and as I contemplate reentry in graduate school, I fanaticize about a potential walk […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, Middle School, Parents, Special Education
Misunderstood: A Mother’s Plea to Educators About Asperger’s (Part III)
In parts one and two of this series, I shared the story of my almost twenty-year-old son and his struggles and successes as a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome. In addition, I offered teaching tips for educators from a parent’s point of view. In this final installment, I will share more suggestions of how to […]