From the time a student enters the classroom, they are assessed and graded on content knowledge and level of understanding. Throughout their time in the education system, they receive report cards with grades for all subjects they have studied. Grades are used to tell students, especially those who do poorly in school, to work and … More What’s In A Grade?
Dear New Teacher, Congratulations for making a step into being a positive influence in the lives of young people. The teaching profession is an honorable profession, but is often a very thankless job. There will be times where you will feel overwhelmed, tired, and think you are not making a difference. Let me encourage you … More A Letter to a New Teacher
There used to be a methodology in education, specifically in mathematics, that was called “Drill and Kill.” This was usually used in the early years of education – elementary years. “Drill and Kill” was a way to get students familiar with fact operations. Students were given a worksheet with 20, 40, or even 100 fact … More “How” Then “Why”
In my last post, I stated that teachers shouldn’t waste precious energy and time on students who don’t care and choose not to put any effort into their learning. This is a very controversial statement, as all students should be supported and encouraged. This is why I followed up my statements with the understanding that … More Can’t Win Them All – Follow Up
Education is an ever changing system. The problem is that it changes for all the wrong reasons. For decades education was focused on preparing students to enter factory work. This is why students sit in rows, work according to a bell schedule, and do monotonous assignments. A shift then occurred after World War II. The … More There Needs To Be A Shift
Why are your students struggling to meet academic goals? Why is your class struggling to follow the expectations? Why is the school culture struggling? How can you be more intentional in the classroom? How can you help your students better understand the content? How can you help your teachers be great at what they do? … More Reflection Is Key
I write this post in honor of Dr. Nina, who provided a wonderful comment on one of my previous posts. She brought up a topic that is very important to talk about for the classroom. Every year, teachers serve numerous students. Some students are tough and difficult, while others are hard working and respectful. It … More The Power of Relationship
At the beginning of every year, teachers go through content standards and lesson plans and figure out how they are going to get through all the required content standards for that school year. Elementary teachers who teach all subjects have hundreds of content standards to get through throughout the year. High school teachers who teach … More CONTENT
“There is no easy way. There is only hard work, late nights, early mornings, practice, rehearsal, repetition, study, sweat, blood, toil, frustration, and discipline” (Jocko Willink). In my last post, I stated that very little has changed in the public school system since its establishment 100+ years ago. When it comes to how a classroom … More Let This Be The Foundation
Welcome To The Classroom 