One of the huge benefits of social media is the opportunity it provides to form relationships with great leaders in the field of education. Shortly after I created a Twitter account, I came across a multitude of passionate, powerful tweets from Dr. Mary Howard. Dr. Howard is an outstanding educational consultant and author known for …
A few weeks ago on a Saturday morning, I got the following text message from my friend and colleague who teaches 6th grade. Four words. The same sentiment this brilliant teacher speaks into the lives of her students when they encounter challenges. Aubrey came to her understanding of the “power of YET” by reading Dr. …
I’m currently reading Candice Millard’s Destiny of the Republic, her national bestseller about the life and death of President James Garfield. In the early pages of the book, Millard recounts the accomplishments of one of Garfield’s contemporaries, Alexander Graham Bell. I was struck by a particular passage that describes Bell’s life and passionate pursuits. Although …
One of the biggest challenges teachers face today is designing instruction that allows English Language Learners to access both language and content in powerful ways. Much has been written and resources abound, but the complex task of planning and executing engaging, differentiated lessons that stick is just not that simple. This year I’ve been a …
It’s February, I know, and there are still four months until summer begins for students and their families. But this is the perfect time to be planning strategically to provide ways to gets kids to read books, lots of books, over the summer to combat the decline of reading growth. Photo Credit © Wavebreakmedia Ltd …
There’s a lot of buzz in the education world about ways to motivate students to read, but what about enticing teachers to read more children’s literature? The life of a teacher is packed with responsibilities inside and outside the classroom, but making time to read a wide variety of children’s/teen’s books is vitally important. There …
In this space I’ll be exploring everyday teachers committed wholly to student learning, tackling hard questions that beat at the heart of a classroom, analyzing the latest messages coming from educational professionals, and envisioning application for classroom use. I hope you’ll stick around and journey with me.
