What Does Your Assessment Assess?
I tweeted something the other day after having a conversation about testing via devices. There was concern by a few teachers that there wasn't anything stopping students from simply Googling answers to the test questions. This was my thought regarding that concern:...
Education’s New Lingo
I went to my children’s curriculum night last week. Throughout the twenty-minute presentation, their teachers made mention of so many of the key topics in education: PBIS, flexible seating, growth mindset, data/benchmark testing, technology, Common Core, no-homework...
Stop Teaching Today’s Students with Yesterday’s Strategies
It's lunch time and you're sitting in the lounge observing a casual discussion among a few veteran teachers. As it does every so often, the conversation comes up about how much kids have changed since they started teaching and how students "aren't like they used to...
A Few Simple Words
“Make today so awesome that yesterday is jealous.” I saw this in a classroom today. And, it made me smile. I love phrases that this. A few simple words can completely shift your mindset. Our words-whether they are said or written somewhere for all to see-have a...
Accepting the Reality of Your Dream
Today, I felt like an administrator. I spent the majority of the day doing paperwork, working on observation feedback, changing schedules, calling back parents, watching bus video and sitting in meetings. I had very little contact with kids. I hate that. A lot. I...
Are Accelerated Classes Full of Just The Good Kids?
We have had a lot of discussion lately about accelerated courses (we offer accelerated math and English courses in our middle school). In our district we have established a litany of data points that help us make the decision of whether or not to enroll students into...
Time is the Nemesis of Everything Awesome, Part II
Ok, so I’m struggling to keep up with my goal. Last night, I sat at my computer for three hours post kid bedtime. I responded to emails, packed lunches, made schedule changes, scribbled a grocery list, worked on a coding evidence from a teacher’s observation and...
Failure’s Not Only An Option, It’s Preferred
I was having a conversation with a teacher today regarding quiz/test retakes; a topic on which many people have varying opinions. In our discussion, she referenced a video that another colleague had shared with her on the subject, which I asked her to forward to me as...
Making Positive Contact With 900 Kids
There are two types of kids that educators will generally communicate home about. The most common: those exhibiting behavioral problems. The runner up: those demonstrating exemplary skill in the classroom or extra-curricular activities. The former is almost always...
Lust for Learning
Today is a special day at our house. My kids celebrated their 8th birthday. Already, at such a young age, so many educators have been a part of their journey. And, for that, I am grateful. They LOVE school. Never do they complain about going to school or doing...
The Perception of Being Told What To Do
The second day of school I came across a student that was shuffling down the hallway at a seemingly glacial pace. His demeanor suggested that he wasn't super thrilled to be doing whatever he was about to do. So, naturally, I asked him what was up. He said, "Ah,...
How are you planning to celebrate learning?
One of the reasons I love Twitter is that it is entirely on your own terms. Sometimes I have more time than others - and that determines how much time gets dedicated to perusing the latest tweets of those I follow and posting tweets of my own. After work tonight was...
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