Viewing: Educational Policy
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,
The Courtesy Contract: Building Community ‘Til the Bitter End
As the school year comes to an end, I wanted to share one of my favorite activities: something I call, The Courtesy Contract. In my book for EyeOnEducation Publishing, due out in early 2011, called Tips for Tween teachers by
And My Job Quality is Based on These Tests?! (Updated)
So clearly we’ve all been thinking a lot about the necessity of test scores in making high stakes decisions. I mean, test scores seem to be used in everything these days: teacher evaluations, a student’s college or career readiness, merit
Act II: Hello, teachers? This is Arne Duncan.
In my last post, I wrote the following: There is definitely a common theme among them all: disappointment. But there’s another common theme as well: hope. We hope this is the start of something. We hope that the door remains
Arne Duncan call: The Final Curtain or Just Act 1 ?
Stay positive, I keep reminding myself. For if I don’t, my anger can make me unproductive to my cause. Stay positive, I keep reminding myself. For if I don’t, I stray from my general belief that politicians enter into their
How “Lost” is like Education
So here I am watching “Lost: The Final Journey,” and I heard the following exchange between the producers and cast that (as does much these days) got me thinking about education: Carlton Cruse (Producer): The first really profound moment on
More Details on My Topic for Monday’s Arne Duncan Call: Teachers at the Policy Table
So, just to continue yesterday’s post on preparing for Monday’s conference call with Arne Duncan, I wanted to cover a little of what we planned to discuss with the Secretary. Our topics, as I said before, were selected from a
Conference Call with Arne Duncan and the DOE: Teachers at the Policy Table
I’m exhausted. It’s why I’ve been a little quiet as of late on my tweenteacher scene. But I assure you, it isn’t because I’ve been up late watching TV. (Although is anyone else watching Lost? I mean, could it be
New Blogger on my Reader: Sarah Puglisi
I’ve discovered a new blogger whose lastest post, 100 Questions for Arne Duncan, is exactly what we should all be doing. Rather than always be on the defensive as a profession, we should be requiring our employees, that is, our
Anthony Cody, The Power of Facebook, and Letters to Obama
Well, I am in absolute awe of fellow Teacher Leader Network member and blogger, Anthony Cody. What began as a personal open letter to Obama on Facebook, has blossomed into a full-on social networking movement. Based on sheer eloquence, persistence,
Tweenteacher Article is lead item in the Accomplished Teacher SmartBrief
So my recent article for Teacher Magazine, “Does Last Hired, First Fired Make Sense” is the lead item in today’s Accomplished Teacher Smartbrief. You can read the article here. In it, I explore the history of the classic seniority list,
Norms for Skype and Video Conferencing in the Classroom
So recently my colleague, Kenna McRae, and I began using Skype between our two classrooms. Whenever I have a hair-brained idea, I know I can count on McRae to jump in and experiment with me. And I think the level
Metlife Survey Analysis and The New Evolution in Education: Hybrid Teachers
Lately I’ve been intrigued by recent studies on this topic of “hybrid teaching.” So when the most recent portion of The Metlife Survey of the American Teacher was released, I was eager to read its findings about “hybrid approaches to
Connect With Me
Latest Tweets
-
RT @ELmagazine: "Too many schools push reading outside the school day & then use reading logs, incentive programs, & comprehension… https://t.co/ebrj1UP35T
-
RT @edutopia: Do you have students for whom even a small setback is a catastrophe? Try these simple strategies to reduce negativi… https://t.co/oIQsl7Y7Xu
