Viewing: Educational Policy
What Kind of Relationship Will I Have With My Child’s School?
This year is unlike any other in that for the first time, I am on the other side of the desk. My 3 year-old started pre-school this year and it has become a lesson in parenting and teaching like no
Teaching From Afar: Using Twitter While Absent
I’ve always been a multi-tasker. It frustrated my own teachers at times in that I always needed to be doing two things at once in order to be fully alert. My brain worked like riding a bicycle: if I only
Teacher by Day, WOW Warrior by Night
My name is Morigold. I am a dwarf paladin from Ironforge. My traveling companion, Balrong, is a night elf who hails from Darnaccus. Now let me translate: My name is Heather Wolpert-Gawron. I am a teacher and blogger who, once
My Struggles with Tenure
I’m really struggling with my feelings about tenure. Currently, the conversation goes as follows: “Hey, I got tenure.” “Cool, pass the mustard.” When, in fact, it should be: “Hey, I got tenure!” “Are you kidding? That’s fantastic! Holy %^$#@, you
The Inconsistency of School Administrations
There are just so many elements that contribute to education’s struggles, much of which many civilians never even think about. I write a lot about these elements to try to give insight from a teacher’s point of view, and to
The Neglected Field Trip & and Bridging the Achievement Gap
When I think of my advanced students, a key element that sets them apart from their lesser-achieving peers are their life experiences, the education that they are getting in their off-time outside of school.
Imagine Magazine: Your Slice of the Multiple Intelligences Pie
I’m a semi-regular contributor to Imagine Magazine, a print periodical published by Johns Hopkins University and marketed to Gifted Middle Schoolers. The beauty of this magazine is in how it talks to kids. It takes high-level concepts and delivers them
Why I’m Jealous of Teach For America or Collaboration on the Can
I don’t mean to whine, but I’m feeling neglected. For all my questions about the eventual impact on education with TFA, I find myself a little pouty that they get all this professional development and I don’t.
Costa’s Levels of Questioning and Student-Designed Assessments
So this week I introduced Costa’s Levels of Questioning to my students. We have some teachers on my site talking about these triggers of metacognition so it compliments everyone’s efforts to enter this discussion in the classroom. Costa’s is, in
When you Can’t Talk, You Can Still Teach
So in my semi-annual tradition, I’ve already lost my voice. Now, I’m not talking about still whispering here. I’m talking about a totally stripped, honk-when-I-try-to-produce-sound lost voice. It happens to me 2-3 times a year and I’m starting to think
Literacy, A Print-Rich Environment, and No Reading Logs Allowed
I think that so much about encouraging literacy is about making it sexy. Make reading attractive and make it unavoidable to enjoy. I’ve written about my classroom library in the past, but I also wanted to let you know about
Obama’s Speech Update: As it turns out…
…nobody needed to worry about the contents of the speech, because our limited technology couldn’t stream the darn thing anyway! I just wish it hadn’t happened in front of the press. Yes, it’s true. 5 minutes before the start of
Obama’s Speech to the Schools (UPDATED)
As we’ve all heard, President Obama is addressing the children of our schools on Tuesday, speaking about the value of education, and encouraging students to work hard. The White House has also included lesson plans that focus on listening comprehension
What Every 5th Grader REALLY Needs to Know
So I’ve become a Guy Kawasaki fan. It all started when I was searching for commencement day speeches for my Speech and Debate team to compete with. I found his “Hindsight”.
First 3 Days of School: Tips, Lessons, and Reflection for the Start of the Year
So the first three days flew by, and on the justice scale of what went right vs. what went wrong, laughter and learning won out. So I thought I’d share with you a brief run-down of the highlights in a
Arne Duncan and His Distance Learning Missive
I read this article on August 8th with no real plans to write a post about it, but sometimes the content just sticks with a gal, you know? In The LA Times, “Swine Flue Won’t Mean School’s Out,” Education Secretary
Peter Walsh, OfficeMax, and me, Oh My!
So earlier this week, I was flown to Chicago to participate in a Webcast helping parents to organize their students for back to school. Sponsored by OfficeMax and hosted by Peter Walsh (of TLC’s Clean Sweep and Oprah fame), the
Dear Parents: What happens in the testing room?
Dear Parents, I’m going to walk you through what happens in a testing room to help demystify your child’s test taking experience. First off, I’m told to take down anything from my walls that might help kids out. That
Advice for a Future Department Head
So generally I write a post giving advice to all you new educators out there, but this time I need the advice. I’m the new English Department Chair for my middle school, and I’ve been set to lead a group
Help! Save schools from Massive Ed Tech Budget Cuts!
As a teacher concerned about the future of education, and as a blogger who has jumped whole-heartedly into an online collaborative existence as a means to help teach her students, I am astonished at the oxymoronic message coming for our
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