Search results for: planning
Preparing for Back-to-School in Your Classroom
As a teacher, the #1 priority during the Back-to-School season is preparing your classroom. The tricky part comes when district/state requirements leave you in professional development [PD] sessions during your contracted hours, meaning you have little to no time left in the day to work in your classroom to prepare it for students. Administrators are…
Read Full PostThe First Week of School: What Do I Do?
Happy Back-to-School season! One question newer teachers always ask their colleagues is: “What do I do the first week of school?” My answer is always the same: “Routines and procedures sprinkled in with content.” [See a list of popular routines and procedures here.] What I mean by this is as educators we have to prepare…
Read Full Post112: The Dysfunction of Grading
Grading is only as good as the effectiveness of instruction leading up to it. A grade on an assessment that doesn’t match the learning leading up to it is worthless, demeaning and dysfunctional. Tune in to hear three steps you can take now to ensure you teach hard enough, long enough and deep enough for…
Listen to EpisodeHELP! I’m Changing Grade Levels, What Do I Do First?
As another school year comes to a close, many administrative teams are making teacher assignment changes. Teachers are receiving the news that they will be moving to a new grade level team for the upcoming school year. Although this announcement can be devastating to some, the timing in hearing the news prior to summer break…
Read Full PostHow to Successfully Engage with Parents in the Classroom
In working with hundreds of new teachers as a mentor and instructional coach, the one topic that comes up every time is communication and collaboration with parents. Funny enough, when talking to my friends and family who are parents, the hot topic of discussion in regards to school and their kids is communication and collaboration with…
Read Full Post100: Think Outside the Box with Dr. Steven Fredericks
Dr. Fredericks is an educator and international business professional with more than 30 years of management experience and academic achievements in the United States, Europe and China. His professional education career began as an elementary school teacher in the Fort Apache section of the South Bronx, New York. In addition to his teaching duties during regular…
Listen to Episode“Great Teaching Happens on Purpose”
I am currently reading “Never Underestimate your Teachers” by Robyn Jackson. I was hooked on her approach to education after reading her book “Never Work Harder than your Students.” Her perspective reminds us all just how brilliant students and teachers are if we adjust our approach in relating to them so that their strengths are…
Read Full PostLearning Walks: The Secret to The Most Effective PD
Professional development [PD] is often an experience where novices learn from experts. In education, this generally means bringing in a consultant of some kind to lead a very dry, boring information session. There is little practical application and no time to practice. During my career, I have endured many ineffective PD sessions. However, a principal…
Read Full PostBooks Don’t Make Literate Citizens
It’s no secret that I love books. As a teacher, whenever someone offered to donate items to my classroom I almost always said books. As a mother, the first items I purchased for my baby girl were cute clothes and of course books. She was going to be stylish and smart, even though she didn’t…
Read Full PostWhy ‘College and Career Ready’ isn’t Working
It’s no longer enough to just go to school. Kids have to have goals, dreams and ambitions for what comes after their schooling ends. The phrase ‘college and career ready’ encourages schools to revamp their systems and culture to support the idea that students are preparing to take one of two courses: college or career…
Read Full Post