At a time when what it means to be a teacher is being defined by everyone except teachers, we need to remind ourselves of these two undeniable words: Teachers matter. After the tragedy in Newtown, CT, I published what became my most-read blog post ever; it generated so much traffic that my blog server crashed… Continue Reading
Category Archives: TEACHING AND LEARNING
Tools I’m Lovin’: LineTimeApp
When we teach history, it usually focuses on a geographical area; students learn US History, European History, Russian History, Canadian History, etc. Most schools offer World History as well, but tend to skim through major events around the world over the course of several centuries. Thus, students of US History study the Roaring 20s, the… Continue Reading
The Courage to Teach
The heart of education is an education of the heart. The root of the word “courage” is the Latin word “cor,” meaning “heart.” The English word “core” comes from the same Latin root. So at its core, effective teaching is about developing courage. As the world changes at an ever-accelerating pace, leaving some of us… Continue Reading
Words Matter: What Values Do Your Words Convey?
Words matter. I encourage people to choose their words wisely, because the words we choose have a powerful effect on other people. As this post showed, the words we choose matter not only for teachers, but for anyone else who plays an important role in someone’s life. Some decry “political correctness” when a class of people… Continue Reading
How the Online Education System Helps the Students
Much of president’s Obama’s past and present election platform has been based on the importance of the importance of the education system and how it was the key for the US to rise as the undisputed world leader that it was. And you may or may not have rooted for him but the importance of… Continue Reading
Promoting Student Engagement ~ Make Your Mark
This is a guest post by Eric Williams, Superintendent York County School Division. Follow Eric on Twitter. Too often educators adopt a content coverage mentality to prepare students for high-stakes tests. They try to cram a ton of facts into students’ heads without engaging students in deeper, longer-lasting learning. International Dot Day and the Choose2Matter movement are… Continue Reading
12 Most Genius Questions in the World
One of the things I love most about being around young children, is their passionate and fierce sense of curiosity. It defines their genius. Why is the sky blue? Who discovered the world? How did the sun get so hot? Where did toothpaste come from? And my favorite: Are we there yet? I’m not sure… Continue Reading
Permission to Play, Please?
When we treat play as seriously as it deserves, we feel the joy that’s in the creative spirit. It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a difference in our lives. -Fred Rogers- This week, I had the honor of opening the K12 Online Conference on Purposeful Play with the following question: WHEN IS… Continue Reading
#YOU MATTER: Two World-Changing Words
Many thanks to my brilliant friend, Chad Lilly for helping me capture the stories you have been sharing with me these past weeks. I am so humbled and honored that the message of YOU MATTER is resonating. I am even more inspired by all you are doing to spread this message to those that matter… Continue Reading
Guest Post: Invigorating Literature Circles
Jennifer Bloomingdale’s take on how to help children in the classroom read! ___________________________________________________________________________ “How can I create a reading program within my classroom that creates excitement around reading?” This question was on my mind a lot throughout my first two years of teaching. I knew something wasn’t working and I wanted a change. Most of… Continue Reading
Learning Success: A Model for Effective Instruction
It seems redundant, even awkward to discuss the idea of “learner- centered” curriculum and instruction. We know we have different kinds of learners, who need different things, who advance towards independence at different paces. We proclaim a no “one-size fits all” approach, yet traditional school structures and mindsets drive our instruction towards that. The following… Continue Reading
Listening to Writing
I spent last week talking with teachers and leaders about writing; and even more specifically writing assessments. Here were some of the questions posed: What is the best assessment tool? What are the essential elements of writing to report? How do we grade writing? What should we “Expect” from K-3 writers vs. older students? What… Continue Reading
