Offline & Unplugged Joy
This weekend something magical happened, I opened a box.
Enjoy a moment of peace and reflection- the moment a keynote speaker and writer unplugged from Pandemic fears, to reconnect with what has always brought her joy.
Observe with an Asset Orientation
We have high expectations. We actively engage students. We observe to take notes on what they say and do. We are feeling on top of our formative data-gathering game!
Then, brain science enters the equation with humbling news: We don’t always see what’s right in front of us. This is especially true when we have implicit biases—which, as humans, we always do. We have all been conditioned by false narratives about racial difference, language hierarchies, and gender differences—whether we believe them or not.
How Do You Want to Feel?
How do you want to feel in school? How do your colleagues and students want to feel? Are their inequities in whose feelings take center stage?
Politics Aside, Speak for Tolerance
With respect for all political opinions, let’s agree that kids must feel safe to learn. Election rhetoric provoked fear. How do schools address it?
Courageous Learning with Comics
Problem I don’t draw. Seriously, this is what I’ve told myself for most of my life. Yes, this was the humbling realization I had when reading Carol Dweck’s book Mindset years ago, as in other parts of my life I feel like a walking example of someone with a growth mindset. I thrive on challenges, on learning from failure, and all that. I take risks daily to push myself beyond what…
Albuquerque Teacher Leaders Open Doors to Observation Inquiry
“Instead of brushfires for excellence, we need infernos of excellence. Our project will do this.” In a packed hotel conference room in Albuquerque, New Mexico, teacher leader Maureen Torrez, NBCT, describes the observation inquiry pilot project she and her team of National Board Certified Teachers are leading to deepen how teachers and students learn in Albuquerque public schools.
7 Ways to Build Trust for Peer Observation
“There is no more powerful way of improving on the job than by observing others and having others observe us.” —Roland Barth (2006) The challenge is opening doors. Use these seven strategies for building trust and buy-in to begin deep professional learning.
Schools Must Foster Risk-Taking
It’s easy to forget the dynamic of risk-taking in the world of K-12 education, where success is mapped in a staircase of standards and academic achievement is key to opening doors. This video poem and reflective blog dare educators to stretch the boundaries of what is possible, and inspire students to do the same.
Gratitude: The Antidote to Teacher Burnout
Little slips of paper saved me, my first year in the classroom. I was ambitious, fresh out of college, and humbled by a restless class of 5th graders. They taught me what I didn’t know about classroom management, and what I needed to learn about teaching. I worked dawn to dusk, and took kids on field trips on weekends. There were days I went home and cried. Creating change in…
4 Ways to Bring Audience into the Writing Classroom
Engaging students in writing for a real audience and purpose is motivating, AND it enhances the QUALITY of student writing. Busy educators want easy ways to make it happen.
Here are four powerful ways to engage students in writing to CCSS expectations for a real audience and purpose.
