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The Ten Commandments of a Pink Slipped Teacher
I recently wrote an article for The Huffington Post that highlighted the history, pros and cons of education’s seniority list. However, little did I know that as I submitted my piece, my own pink slip was in the mail. The
Should tenure function like a drivers license?
Surely we all understand the controversy with the existence of tenure. Currently, it is seen as a near-impenetrable armor which protects the supposed hoards of ineffective teachers which abound in our system. But to really talk about tenure, one needs
Tweenteacher Update
I owe my readers a mea culpa for the last month or so, and I wanted to let you in on a little of what’s been going on with me both personally and professionally. No worries, however, I’ll be back
The Equation of Student Success Webquest: Top 10 Responsibilities of Teachers to Avoid Student Failure
I have written before in the past on various blog sites and networks about the vital equation that must exist in order for a student not to fail in our schools: Family + Student + School + Policymakers/Voters = Student
Cybersafety and the Home/School Connection: Parent Tech Institute
I recently had our middle school Parent/Teacher conferences, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that 99% of my students (most of whom are Title I) have a computer in the home. However, there was absolutely no oversight of what
Tweenteacher at Edutopia and The Huffington Post
I have two new posts up this week to tell you about, each very different in their own ways. The first can be read at Edutopia and is called “My Love Affair with TED (.com). It’s about the miracle of
Tweenteacher is live at The Huffington Post
Hey all! My first post is up at The Huffington Post. I now find myself wondering where my-little-website-that-could really stands in this edublogosphere. I mean, I post a lot about practice on Edutopia. Now, I’m posting for HP. Where does
Tweenteacher Article on 21st Century Assessments
How do we teach and assess the skills for a 21st Century world and still cater to 20th Century assessments if testing dictates curriculum? This is the topic I tackle in this month’s edition of Education Week’s Teacher Professional Sourcebook.
What is a Teacher’s Shelf Life?
My OBGYN was running about 45 minutes late. I had no cell phone reception at the hospital and I had already read through the latest Entertainment Weekly, so I got out some paper and pen and started planning out my
Teachers Under Quarantine
I have deep sadness sometimes when I think about the frenzy surrounding so-called education reform. This should be a time of unity, where all those involved are called upon to solve the multitude of problems that plague our system and
Blogging with Middle Schoolers: Frontloading and First Steps
So I just finished introducing blogging to my middle school classes. They are hooked, as each year before them was hooked. I use it as a substitute for Reading Logs, that dreaded love-of-reading killer which causes eye rolls in many
Google’s Top Ten Golden Rules and Education
There are so many policy makers that want to see education run like a business. Now, before I came to education, I was in the private sector. And as much as schools would like to think there’s nothing to be
Middle School Nuts and Bolts: Intro to Time Management
A tween is all about distraction. Their brain is just going through so many changes that focus can be an issue under the best of circumstances. They are trying to settle on an identity, their cast of friends changes from
How to Battle Epic Paragraphing – updated
I originally wrote this post some time ago, but because it is such a problem that a teacher can detect so early on, I thought I would repost it for those who may have missed it on the last go-round.
Middle School Nuts and Bolts: Start of the Year Routine and Handouts
I’m asked frequently about the nuts and bolts of middle school: classroom management, paperwork, first day rituals, etc…So I wanted to do a series of posts that addresses what I’m doing right now, real time. The start of the year
Are we being set up for mediocrity?
I can’t get into my room at my own convenience. It’s less than two weeks to launch and I can’t even get into Mission Control when I need to. They aren’t handing out keys yet, so I can go during
Tweenteacher Book Title Contest
Hey readers! I am hoping that the power of social media can help a gal out. I’m in the need of a catchy title for my new book that is due out in early 2011. The working title is Tips
Picking a Start of the Year Project for PBL
So just as school started to wrap up, I decided that at the start of next year, we would be picking a local cause and trying to solve it. Now, I was entertaining the thought that the kids would pick
Curriculum Segregation and Teacher Turfiness
High school teachers can be so turfy. Which was one of the reasons why I received an email earlier today concerned about my curriculum for the class I’m teaching at summer school camp. In a nutshell, I’ve been given leave
Pen Tricks and Differentiation
OK, for those of you not in the pen spinning loop, I’m talking about a craze that’s preoccupying tween fingers all over the known universe, or at least in my district. Of pen spinning, or object manipulation, as a sport,
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