Why use curriculum compacting, or…why should you be like a trash compactor? If you read the first part of this series on curriculum compacting, you know that the basic premise behind the instructional practice is allowing students to skip content that they have already shown mastery of, thereby moving them further through the material in less time. So where does … Read More
The Power of Teachers Leaping Before They Look
Don’t let fear stop you from doing what’s best for your students. When my sister was in high school, she struggled with some pretty crippling anxiety. I vividly remember, however, when she decided that she was not going to let that anxiety rule her life. She made a decision that in order to conquer this fear she would do something … Read More
Meaningful Assignments and Grading (Video)
TRANSCRIPT BELOW Hey guys, it’s Chad and I want to take a minute to talk about something that’s been bothering me. It has to do with grading. I was talking to a parent the other day and they were talking about how their child brings home these stacks of homework but the teacher only gives them a participation grade. So … Read More
3 Ways to Prepare for Personalized Learning
Personalized Learning is possible. As you continue reading more research and hearing about the amazing things going on in education, I would bet you’re starting to see a lot of stories and info on personalized learning. The basic philosophy is pretty simple; give students what they need, when they need it, and allow them to explore curriculum in ways that … Read More
College Readiness is Not an Excuse for Bad Teaching.
What about college readiness? I hear this from time to time during workshops as we discuss things like lesson structure, homework, grading, student ownership, or even multiple attempts on assignments. Whenever an educator wants to continue doing something like lecturing all the time, or scold and punish a student for forgetting a pencil, they say: “we need to prepare them … Read More