I’ve often heard that education is a right that should be free and accessible to all, and I agree with this. Knowledge and learning should be available to everyone. However, not everyone has the right to be in the learning environment. A classroom must be respected by all, and students who choose to be disrespectful, … More School Is A Right, The Classroom Is A Privilege
How many times have you sat through a lesson or speech and noticed someone setting expectations for you, only to realize they don’t meet those expectations themselves? Did you lose respect for that person? Did it make you want to keep listening? I’ve noticed that many of us in education do this with our students. … More Be The Example
I have been in education for over 15 years, with 14 of those years spent teaching in the classroom. When I first began teaching, I saw a sense of pride and determination in my students. Most were focused on doing well, pushing themselves to improve, and caring deeply about their progress. Now, in my 14th … More Let’s Build A Thriving Society
The other day, I heard someone claim, “There is an all-out war on public education.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but smile and shake my head. This statement not only reflects ignorance but also reveals how out of touch the speaker is. There isn’t an all-out war on public education; rather, people are frustrated with … More ALL OUT WAR
It has been a while since I last posted. This year has been challenging but promising. I have learned a lot about myself; better yet, I have been reminded of things I already know but weren’t putting into action. When the school year started, I was not in a good place. I had a lot … More You’re Contagious
The classroom is meant to be a safe place for students to learn, fail, make mistakes, and be loved and encouraged throughout this process. However, we have made the classroom so padded and soft-shelled that students cannot take honest, brutal criticism and feedback. They don’t know what to do when someone who wants results gets … More The Realities of the Real World
What is the level of expectation in your classroom? The expectations we set will determine the overall success of our students. If we set the bar too low, then there is nothing for students to work for. On the other hand, if we set the bar too high, students become discouraged, and they will stop … More Setting Expectations
A new school year is dawning, and we need to begin to refocus the purpose of education. For the past 5 or 6 years, education has switched to focusing on emotional and mental health. How this is a good thing, this isn’t and shouldn’t be the main focus of education. The classroom is not a … More The Purpose of the Classroom
Reading, language arts, and math are the focus in lower and upper elementary grades. This doesn’t mean history and science are not taught but are not considered core subject matter. State and national assessments focus on the three core subjects. Science starts being assessed in fifth grade and then again every two years. Schools put … More The Key To Academic Success
We tell our students that failure is a step in learning, but how often do we explain to them the value of failure, or more importantly, the importance of making mistakes? We train our students to get problems right, rather than to learn from their mistakes. We give students assignments and mark off what is … More Mistakes Are A Necessity
Welcome To The Classroom 