teaching Archives - Page 11 of 12 - STORIES FROM SCHOOL AZ

If We are Interchangeable, are We Invisible?

October 25, 2012Amethyst Hinton Sainz Education, Life in the Classroom

I share the exciting drama of leaving lesson plans with a substitute. What will await the absent teacher upon her return? All will be reavealed…

Invisible Data

October 5, 2012Amethyst Hinton Sainz Assessment, Education, Education Policy, Life in the Classroom, National Board Certification

I indulge my yearning to simply immerse myself in teaching and with my students without having to collect easily-reportable data for folks not involved in my classroom. One solution is to provide funding or change the school day to allow teachers more time to gather data for public consumption and for use in the classroom.

Hoarders

August 29, 2012Amethyst Hinton Sainz Education, Education Policy, Life in the Classroom, Professional Development, Teacher Leadership

Supply hoarding becomes a metaphor for something else stashed in our classrooms.

Who are We Protecting?

August 10, 2012Amethyst Hinton Sainz Education, Education Policy, Life in the Classroom, Professional Development, Social Issues

I explore what happens to individual teachers and students when even the best policies are not given the resources they need to function as intended, using the example of mandatory reporting laws.

Groundhog Day? Try Platoon.

January 2, 2012Mike Lee Current Affairs, Education

Those same critics will tell us to downsize and run our schools like a business. But businesses recoup their losses to stay viable and profitable. Perhaps we should be allowed to charge baggage fees? One backpack? Free. A backpack and a lunch box? I’ll need your credit card number.

Riddle Me This…

September 22, 2011Mike Lee Current Affairs

Is there another industry where decision-making is dominated by so many without any experience or advanced training in the field?

We’ll Get What We Get, and We Should Throw A Fit

April 17, 2011Mike Lee Education, Education Policy

If we do go down this path, there has to be an increase in up-front compensation for teachers. Who is going to invest $30,000 or more into the rising cost of a university education to go after a job that will leave them in debt and incapable of raising a family on its income? We’ll get what we pay for: a lack of talent and major shortages of quality instruction.

The Damning of Intellectualism

February 13, 2011Mike Lee Current Affairs, Education, Education Policy, Social Issues

Can we continue to hear the voices of our Founding Fathers, or will they forever be drowned out by the clang and clamor of the Damnation of Intellectualism?

The Heart of Teaching

February 7, 2011Alaina Adams Assessment, Current Affairs, Education, Life in the Classroom, Parent Involvment, Professional Development, Social Issues, Teacher Leadership

February brings many flutters and shudders for teachers. The flutters are connected to the chocolate, Sweetheart candy, and wonderfully-sappy cards that tell us how we’re the best teachers ever. The shudders come from a month full of test-prep and the emergence of

Accomplished Teaching?

December 15, 2010Alaina Adams Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom, Mentoring, National Board Certification, Professional Development, Teacher Leadership

by Alaina As 2010 comes to a close, many of us are reflecting on our accomplishments – and things we’d like to do better in 2011. In education, teachers are doing this same kind of reflection. What is it, though, that