“The printers have been ordered. Fingers crossed. Here we go…..” This was the email I received two weeks ago from my principal who is working with me to develop a whole new kind of Language Arts class. The plan
As we journey deeper into the world of Common Core, the need for factual evidence rather than emotional opinion becomes more and more vital. So that got me thinking in a more targeted way: as an ELA teacher, what are
I was reading through my Digg headlines this weekend, and I happened on this article of the top 10 most extraordinary Twitter updates. I also did some digging (no pun intended) and found articles that range in claiming that there
I have an article in the new March/April issue of Imagine Magazine, put out by Johns Hopkins. It’s a beautiful magazine, whose audience is gifted middle schoolers. It’s always a pleasure to write for a middle school audience. I can
So by now I assume we’ve all heard of the sanctioned “cage fighting” in a Dallas, TX school. As AP reports, school officials apparently condoned the use of a steel cage in which students could bare-knuckle fight their way towards
There’s been so much talk lately of deep-needed reforms for education, but we neglect just how powerful a simple makeover can be. I’m lucky to currently work at a school that has a patch of green, which fixes the broken
So here’s my Keynote presentation for all of you who wanted to flip through it for some reminders. To open up my handouts, click here. Hope you all enjoyed the session, and feel free to drop me a line
OK, guys. So I got it from the horse’s mouth at CUE. According to the ISTE Director of Governmental Affairs, No Child Left Behind is not going away. In the weeks leading up to the election, the Obama administration
I believe a classroom library is the heartbeat of a teacher’s environment. It is the window into their own personality, and it reflects the importance of literacy in the classroom. I believe every teacher, no matter the subject taught, should
Somehow, and maybe I’m reading into it here, I feel a little written off already. Education Week is reporting that some districts are pondering the possibility of “front-loading” new teacher salaries, increasing their compensation earlier in their career to aid
So I looked at my 8th grade students’ scores after they took the MMA and sighed. Their scores sucked.
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
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
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