To dramatically improve teaching and learning nationwide, structural changes and out-of-the-box thinking are needed. The most quality solutions will involve new layers of teacher support and leadership. I think the chart below speaks for itself. I mean, if horses have
Read MoreWhat Would Your IEP Say?
So I show up for work this morning and immediately have to deal with a challenging student. This kid is the typical, “emotionally disturbed” kid who is strategically placed so that if he throws himself onto the floor in an
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Pollen Counts and The Mitchell 20
My original plan was to continue the fiery debate from my last post, but a strange thing happened last week. I shed a tear while watching a movie. No, I wasn’t crying. I’m a guy and you’ve already read about
Read MoreProtecting the Teacher AllSpark
I read Bill Ferriter’s blog this week about the story of Mitchell 20, a movie about 20 Phoenix elementary teachers who chose to pursue National Board certification as a way to take control of the one thing they could control:
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Sink or Swim?
Each year, I host teaching interns or student teachers (or both) as they move through teacher-preparation programs through local universities. During this process I am able to “pay things forward” by coaching other inspired people to be the best teachers
Read MoreWhat Parents Really Want to Tell Teachers
Personal Facebook friends of mine know that, from time to time, I post links, blogs and overall feelings about the teaching profession in addition to the usual, daily things like, “Alaina Adams is eating Frosted Flakes right now.” On September
Read MoreToo Cool for School
Maybe that’s enough. These kids that hang around are safe, they aren’t doing anything illegal, they are enjoying each others company, and they are being respectful. We can see them, and they know it. They are choosing to be cared for on some strange level, not by participating in an after-school activity, but by simply being seen.
Read MoreMy Reverse Ark
Do you have any elephants or gorillas in your ark? You might want to consider letting them out.
They’re stinking up the place.
You Want to See Me Do What?!
Some days, I feel like I have a lot in common with Justin Bieber. There are always thousands of people who want to watch me perform at my job. Well, maybe not thousands but sometimes it seems that there are too
Read MoreNCLB-Common Core-Value-Added-Limerick-of-all-Limericks
There once was a passionate teacher, Who cheered with her students in bleachers. Then bubble sheets came, "Data management” reigned, And now her students can’t reach her. *Sometimes, a seemingly-nonsensical poem just says thingsbest.
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