Literacy: The Shifts Imagine this scenario: You are a 6th grade social studies teacher. Your principal visits your classroom and asks you how you are meeting the new literacy standards promoted by Common Core. Perhaps your jaw drops, and then you stumble out a few words about helping them read and write. “Well, check it…
One of the most important things I have done in teaching was to give tips to the students that would help them learn better. These tips are called cognitive strategies. Now, in this post, I will discuss a wide range of “rehearsal” cognitive strategies that you can use in the classroom to help your students learn…
Where did they go wrong? When consulting with a high school in Southern California recently, I taught a lesson on euphemisms and oxymorons in an English Language Arts classroom. While I was teaching the lesson, I saw some clear examples of why it is vitally important to continuously Check for Understanding and to provide effective…
The Well-Crafted, Well-Taught Lesson gets even better! So what’s new? Explicit Direct Instruction: The Power of the Well-Crafted, Well-Taught Lesson was published in 2009, and since then authors John Hollingsworth and Dr. Silvia Ybarra have forged a path through the Common Core State Standards, visited hundreds more classrooms, and fine-tuned their EDI strategies. Now they are…
In my many years teaching in the classroom, I always felt that one of the most important things I did was to give tips to the students that would help them learn better. They really appreciated it, and they often had ahas! when they realized there was an easier way to study, memorize, etc. I…
What Makes a Good Principal? After many years of teaching at all levels of education, I distinctly remember the principals I served under. My first principal was a nice guy but very defensive. Another was very supportive of me, but never came into my classroom. Another liked to discuss educational problems and issues with me.…
Wow! I had no idea. My son will be attending kindergarten for the first time next year. Last year he took a kindergarten readiness test at his preschool. As I looked through his test, I found myself thinking about what he needs to know before he starts kindergarten. I was not aware of the…
The maker movement is a relatively recent development in the world. It is a unique combination of DIY building, traditional crafting hobbies, device hacking, and other digital skills. It focuses on the creation of novel items instead of buying what is commercially available. There is also an emphasis on creativity, modification, and applied cutting-edge science.…
Next year I will be the parent of a school-age child. Wow that makes me feel old! From my son’s experiences in pre-school I can already tell that his education is going to be vastly different from my own. But how different? I imagine that I will be uttering statements like, “I don’t remember learning…
Hundreds of Resources, Just a Click Away We Want to Help You Let’s be honest. Teaching is not what it used to be. With the adoption of Common Core State Standards, teachers are now required to do more than ever before. Teachers, did you know Common Core meant you would be sitting on planning committees,…