As a new principal, the night before the first day with kids was just like being a new teacher all over again. I tossed and turned all night. I rehearsed the day over and over in my mind. I was
Read MoreBully: Will it Get Better? Part 2
Will bullying ever go away? Probably not. Will things get better for those being bullied? Yes, it will but it won't happen on its own. We have to empower children on how to handle bullies and be there to help
Read MoreWhere The Wild Things Are
This blog is dedicated to Maurice Sendak and teachers everywhere who are bringing their school year to a close. Where The Wild Things Are reminds me of teaching. You might be wondering, how? Every year we get students like Max
Read MoreBullying: A Life Skill?
Make no mistake, bullying is a legitimate problem, and many adults are doing their best to counter the culture I describe here, but few reading this will identify themselves as contributors to the problem. Because, roughly 80% of us believe we’re better than average.
Read MoreTeacher Eval: Hunger Games Style
Yes, the geeky-English teacher that I am has jumped all over The Hunger Games craze. Yes, I’ve coerced all of my students into buying the book to use in class, most of us have seen the movie, plan to blog
Read MoreMemo From The System
Welcome to your first day of school; it is obvious you are excited to be here and to learn about the vast world around you. I hope you revel in the wonder of this morning and enjoy meeting your well-intentioned teachers.
I want to take a moment to warn you, however, that such enthusiasm will be short-lived.
Teacher Whisperers Wanted
To dramatically improve teaching and learning nationwide, structural changes and out-of-the-box thinking are needed. The most quality solutions will involve new layers of teacher support and leadership. I think the chart below speaks for itself. I mean, if horses have
Read MoreProtecting the Teacher AllSpark
I read Bill Ferriter’s blog this week about the story of Mitchell 20, a movie about 20 Phoenix elementary teachers who chose to pursue National Board certification as a way to take control of the one thing they could control:
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