Sometimes as teachers, factors in our lives converge to provide a valuable epiphany about what we really need.
Read More
For all of our conversation about critical thinking and higher level skills, we certainly spend much of our time preparing students for lower level skill assessments. If this is the case, just how low is the bar for those top performers?
Read MoreOn an edgy Friday night, as I prepared to plan lessons and update my data, I created an e-card stating, "I became a teacher so that kids can pass standardized tests," said no teacher ever. I tweeted it out with
Read MoreThe reality of day ten leaves a heavy weight. A feeling I have not felt before. To help you better understand let me take you back to that day. Driving home from work, I received a phone call from the
Read MoreI'm not exactly sure when it happens, but at some point in many of our educational journeys we lose the ability to judge our own work. We can no longer look at what we've produced and decide whether it's good
Read More
“Mr. Spencer, what is a common assessment?” a student asks. “It’s a test that every student on the grade level has to take,” I explain. The student furrows his eyebrows and continues, “So, why are we going to put our
Read More
School improvement. School transformation. School reform. Call me old fashioned, but I believe in the antiquated notion that if you ground your teachers in a collaborative culture with leadership that is focused on the specific needs of a school- teaching
Read More