In 1963, Davey Moore, an American boxer, lost a fight due to a technical knock-out. He left the ring complaining of a headache and died of inoperable brain injuries 4 days later. He was 30 years old. That same year,
Read MoreEvery Piece Fits Perfectly by Elizabeth Rushton
Elizabeth Rusthon is an instructional specialist for the Humbolt School District in Prescott, Arizona. In that role she supports all teachers in their daily planning and assessments. She also supports data dialogues and data interpretation. Every Piece Fits Perfectly I
Read MoreRaise Your Voice!
“You’re a teacher!? And you were discovered online and asked to be here?! Wow, that’s the teacher dream! How did you get people to notice you and listen to what you have to say?” One young teacher who was volunteering
Read MoreWe Need MORE Federal Oversight, Not Less
For the past couple of years, debates around the current state of education have narrowly focused on two main issues: Common Core and charter schools. Folks can argue until the cows come home over whether or not the Common Core Standards represent federal
Read MoreDoes This Impact Learning?
I have a reputation on campus as the “fun teacher” or the “loose teacher” or the rebel who doesn’t follow rules. I find this odd because my class is pretty quiet. There’s usually a gentle buzz while the students work.
Read MoreCollateral Damage: Preschool Joins the Wreckage
In the book Collateral Damage, Nichols & Berliner (2007) provide a solid argument that high-stakes testing corrupts schools, harms students, and reduces teacher instruction from dynamic, engaging content to noncomplex, basic skill drills that improve student test scores. I read
Read MoreWhat’s a Weekend For?
This weekend I drove with my kids to their cousin’s birthday party. Friday evening, my daughter’s Brownie troop had a swing dancing workshop, so we left Saturday morning, and drove the 4 ½ hours back today. We took the dog
Read MoreMy School is Special
Lately I have found it hard to put words to my emotions. I have not posted a blog the past few months. It’s been hard for me to craft a positive message, to see past the rhetoric and politics that defines the
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