Heather Wolpert-Gawron

What do Jeff Wilhelm and Ashton Kutcher Have in Common? : Teaching for Character

By heather on December 23, 2013

Earlier this December, I attended the UCI Writing Project annual conference. Every year, this conference douses a teacher in strategies to teach writing and literacy, and every year I come away with valuable methods and implementation goals. This year, the

What’s In a Name? – The Questionable Branding of the “Common” Core

By heather on July 14, 2012

Every staff meeting, in every school, is the same. OK, so maybe that’s hyperbolic, but I’m sure we’ve all been there at one time or another: an administrator comes in and declares the new instructional practice du jour. There are

Movie Trailer Review: Where the Wild Things Are

By heather on March 27, 2009

Yes, it’s true. I’m reviewing a movie review. But when you watch it, you’ll understand why. Spike Jonze of “Being John Malkovich” fame (amongst other image-rich movies and videos) is directing a movie version of the Maurice Sendak classic, Where

Teaching Secrets: Finding a Job That You Love

By heather on March 25, 2009

Know a teacher who got a pink slip? Maybe my newest post at Teacher Magazine can help. Click here for the article. It’s Step 1 of my Top Secret New Teacher Handbook. Hope it creates some shortcuts, a machete even,

Starting from scratch in teacher training

By heather on February 18, 2009

I recently heard Judy Willis (of “syn-naps” fame) speak at a conference. In her pre-teaching life, she was a neurologist and she brings her knowledge to the classroom and to her lectures. (See my recently published article in Teacher Magazine, “My

Is EdTech changing how students think or is it addressing the changes in student thinking?

By heather on January 29, 2009

Science Daily is reporting that there has been a shift in how students are thinking as a result of their use of technology. They believe it possibly lowers critical thinking skills and analysis. Additionally, they wonder just how much schools

My New Interactive Whiteboard…an update

By heather on January 28, 2009

OK, you know when you get a new puppy and you love it and you couldn’t live without it and then you find out it has hip dysplasia? That’s a little of what my relationship is like with my

Marketing Metacognition

By heather on January 25, 2009

So I just got the January MindWare catalogue and I realize that here we have a toy catalogue that is solely for metacognitive purchases. So this got me thinking: how can schools market metacognition? I realized, of course, that until

Asking for Student Opinions Isn’t Risky, It’s Rewarding

By heather on January 24, 2009

I was reading this great article from Slate Magazine about the cheese that is Billy Joel. And I thought back to many a car trip singing his “Themes from an Italian Restaurant.” I also remembered just how many times I’d

Metacognitive Poetry: Writing About Thinking While Writing Lesson

By heather on January 23, 2009

Here’s a great metacognitive lesson that integrates poetry. Or is it a poetry lesson that is metacognitive? (Shrug) I believe that good writing and great structure can be taught through mimicking great authors. Using this philosophy as my guide, my

Recalling your own Metacognition

By heather on January 20, 2009

I’ve been working on metacognitive lessons with my middle schoolers in an attempt to teach reflection and the act of thinking about thinking. Anyway, one of the most important elements in teaching about thinking is in your own remembering of

“Hit a Jew” Day. Um, er…

By heather on October 26, 2008

I’m not sure what one can say about this latest story. AP reports that a number of students at a St Louis middle school are facing suspension for a spirit day gone awry. But how “Hug a Friend Day” de-evolved

The Excitement Graph: Plot and Word Choice

By heather on October 2, 2008

Every year, I do this activity when teaching Narrative Plot. I’ve used it from 3rd grade to 12th grade. I learned a version of it first in 1993 at a UCLA Extension class on “Teaching Reading to Secondary Students” and

Oh, the Wells Fargo Wagon is a’comin…

By heather on August 30, 2008

So, in a move reminiscent of a 12-year old girl caught up in the riot mentality of rumors, I believed the whisper I heard about not getting my Whiteboard for 2 months. But I tell you now: it was false,

Hurry up & Wait – My New Interactive Whiteboard: Part II

By heather on August 24, 2008

So, I had my online training. I met the Whiteboard sales guy in my classroom to discuss where the board is to be mounted. I talked with my principal to develop an interactive whiteboard presentation during our first staff development

My new Interactive Whiteboard: Part I

By heather on August 11, 2008

Is the tale of the recent surge of Interactive Whiteboards a grade-B horror flick or a Cinderella story? Are they the villain or the belle of the ball? They’ve begun creeping into trendsetting classrooms, taking over precious wall space and

Sheridan Blau at the UCIWP

By heather on July 14, 2008

OK, normally, I would reflect on one of the presenters at the UCIWP with my own spin-off thoughts and musings. Not so today. Here are some Golden Lines from today’s presentation with Sheridan Blau, award-winning educator, past president of NCTE,

Kelly Gallagher’s Golden Line

By heather on July 12, 2008

Kelly Gallagher on the simple concept: "Everyone improves."

Joanne Jacobs comment:”Stop facilitating and start teaching”

By heather on July 6, 2008

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer posts a not-so-intelligent take on teacher vs. student-directed classrooms.

Collaboration…Blocked by a Firewall Near You

By heather on July 2, 2008

I just saw Doug Fisher's presentation on ELL students in the Language Arts classroom. I got me reflective on tech's role in collaboration in the classroom.