Before you read this, some context: Because I spend so much extracurricular time with National Board Candidates, I use Cognitive Coaching as my communication model. During the school day I record positive evidence of student learning and strategic teacher actions;
Read MoreA Warning for Public Education Advocates
Who knew the answer to all of our challenges was so simple that it could be written in bullets on the back of a napkin? Recruit top performing students from public schools. Label non-randomly selected samples of “lowest-performing” students and
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From One Moment to the Next
Last Monday in Coolidge, I was coaching a cohort of teachers who are pursuing the National Board Certificates. Ben Barth, a massage therapy teacher at the Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology (CAVIT), was in the zone. He planned to
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Finish Strong
I have a confession to make- it’s been six months since I have been at my gym. Yes, in the past six months I have moved to a new house farther away from the facility, moderately strained my back, and
Read MoreSave Our Language: Call Them Empowerment Vouchers
Arizona gets a blue ribbon for its euphemisation of political dialogue. In order not to appear like a Common Core State Standards state, they named them the Arizona Career and College Readiness Standards. The difference between the CCSS and the
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The Slippery Slope of Teacher Certification
I swore I would never teach junior high. Junior high, two swirling years of what, as a student, I experienced as daily hell. I owe all my patient and forgiving junior high teachers a debt of gratitude. By the time
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Two-minute(ish) Challenge
We have all seen the challenges posted on social media or overheard a colleague who is on a 30-day challenge. Maybe they are changing what they eat for 30 days or doing the 30-day push-up challenge. Either way you know
Read MoreI Teach In a Traditional Public School and I Support School Choice
I’m a traditional public school teacher (and union rep), and I support school choice. As a right-leaning independent with a high concentration of libertarianism running through my veins, I default to political positions that tilt the balance of power toward
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This is Our World
This past fall our district passed an override adding 50 new teaching positions and upgrading technology. This was a great victory for our community and schools. It showed a partnership, commitment and trust had been built and a promise moving
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Saving Time in IEP Meetings
As a special education teacher, I’m constantly on the look out for time savers that help me accomplish my massive workload in less time. There are so many things to do in special education! (Regular ed teachers, I know you’ve
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