Our schools are breaking. Not that I would personally attribute state budgets to solely breaking US schools, but it’s becoming more and more difficult to deny that we’re not facing a huge problem. Mr. Bill Gates, although not necessarily proposing a solution beyond gold standard accounting (*note – he also slips in the need for technology…), does […]
As I sit quietly in my living room with my feet crossed on the table, a cup of tea warm and steamy beside me, I’m finally able to exhale and reflect on how these days seem to pass so very quickly. Two years ago, I became a mother to the most beautiful little girl, and […]
“Being optimistic doesn’t mean you don’t get upset when bad things happen—it’s normal to get upset! But the optimist recognizes that most bad things are temporary and looks for opportunities to change circumstances for the better through new efforts or strategies.” The words above come from characterlab.org, a “nonprofit on a mission to develop, disseminate, […]
“SAT scores for the Class of 2015 were the lowest since the test was revised and re-normed in 2005.” “This year’s reading score is the lowest average score ever published. Math scores have not been this low since 1999.” “Education reform isn’t hitting a wall. It is the wall.” This is not a clean bill […]
Story about Pat. Pat slowly got up from the mat, planning the escape. Pat hesitated a moment and thought. Things were not going well. What was most bothersome was being held, especially since the charge had been weak. Pat considered the present situation. Pat was aware that it was because of the early roughness that […]
“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all-time thing…” I write these words of Vince Lombardi after just watching Matt Cassel, playing with his fifth NFL team, throw a terrible floater towards the end zone, resulting in his second interception of the game. So how does Matt Cassel, branded with a losing record, and the Dallas […]
Scaffolding learning for each different layer of understanding in my elementary classroom is one of the hardest things I professionally do. There, I said it. Maybe you can sympathize with me more completely if I tell you about a recent math lesson. By the beginning of 4th grade, students should know all of their basic facts, and we […]
This past week was the Week of Respect. Respect. That word gets thrown around a lot. Rodney Dangerfield. Aretha Franklin. Respect is important. A community, a home, a school, a classroom – all need a culture of respect in order to succeed. I teach twenty-two fifth graders, so I find myself using the word a lot. […]
I can’t believe I have to have this conversation with these kids again. For the fourth time. Yes, I am serious when I say to work on the assignment without talking. No, it certainly shouldn’t take 10 minutes to find your books. Yes, I meant that it was due today. No, please don’t dance on […]
The Common Core Standards are heavily immersed in what is known as “Close Reading.” What is close reading? This publication in Educational Leadership gives a good overview. After reading this, here are three “big ideas” of my own: I agree that getting students to self-question is crucial, and if we want students to independently ask questions that lead […]
