Whys and Whats… it’s all about the whys and the whats. For years, decades, centuries even, teachers have regularly engaged in dishing out the whats… giving fact after fact. My question is, does it really matter? Continue reading
Category Archives: Education
Writing… as punishment… really?
In all my years of teaching, I have seen a wide variety of disciplinary strategies. I have even been a part of some that, looking back, were probably not the best way to deal with things. As one grows as an educator, one learns. We can only hope that what we learn is what is best for kids. Continue reading
Are You a Poster Child?
Posters. Everyone has created these at some point during their time spent in school. Some of us recall these times fondly, (not me) and some think of the posters as a waste of time. If you stop and think about it, what academic purpose did these posters serve? Continue reading
The Importance of an Audience
Can I get your attention please. Please… everyone… attention please. If you find yourself repeating something along these lines often, then odds are, your audience isn’t all that into you, or more accurately, what you have to say.
Students, believe it or not, have the same issue. I truly believe that students want to write. The problem, they don’t always want to write about what you want them to write about. How can we really know what level our students are writing on if they don’t really care about what they are writing?
When Growth is not Enough
Growth. It’s what it’s all about. Our job, as educators, is to ensure that students grow. Let me rephrase that a bit. Our job, as educators, is to ensure that ALL students grow. See what I did there? Yes, there is a difference.
Why YES, We Can Write About Science
So, I was sitting around pondering some literature to read with my kids after spring break. I was texting back and forth with one of my colleagues who teaches world history about where, or when they are going next when my attention wandered a bit to Twitter. I saw a reference to Sick Science, and of course, clicked it out of curiosity. Oh, what a treat we have been gifted with. Continue reading
Teacher Observations
The dreaded formal observation window has arrived for many of us. I say “dreaded” somewhat tongue in cheek. I have worked in a few different schools in my career, and have seen a variety in methods for administrators to evaluate teachers. This is a time where teachers will often get themselves all worked up, and prepare the proverbial dog and pony show. Continue reading
What is Rigor, and What is NOT
Call this a vent session. Call it a soapbox moment. Call it whatever you wish, but this needs saying, if for no other reason than to get it off my chest. Rigor, the buzzword being tossed around like cheap candy at a parade. Everyone claims they want to increase the rigor in their classrooms. Principals tell us to do it. Professors tell education students to increase it. Teachers claim they are doing it. But, are they? Continue reading
Choral Reading for Poetry in Middle Grades
I teach 7th grade English. Let’s be honest for a moment about 7th graders. They can be a persnickety bunch. They are starting to develop personalities, or changing I should say. They think they are grown up, but don’t yet want to be grown up all the time. Continue reading
The FAILure movement…
FAIL. It’s a word that among most of the population has a very negative connotation. People get defensive when the word is used, and often, rightfully so.
Now, there is a movement about FAIL. Many say that FAIL stands for First Attempt in Learning. I take issue with this in some ways. Continue reading