TL;DR: Change is hard. Assignment completion is a concern for some if there are no grades. Numerous factors affect student motivation. Not all students are motivated by grades. The carrot-and-stick motivational technique worked for the industrial revolution. Previously, I had discussed my reasons for breaking free from grades. While there are many benefits to going gradeless, there are also some … Read More
Spice Up Your Writing Block
TL;DR: Here is an inspirational, engaging writing activity to spice up your literacy program. Provide images for students to write creative captions. Provide an image for students to craft a news story or article for the newspaper. Compose captions for short stories with photos for students to match. Provide a photo and ask your learners to compose a conversation that … Read More
Student Voice: The Power of the Experienced Curriculum
TL;DR: The written curriculum and taught curriculum are different from the experienced curriculum. Teachers should find ways to obtain feedback from students on their experienced curriculum. Hundreds of books and articles have been written addressing the curriculum in schools. Teachers and administrators have read books describing the written, taught, assessed, enriched, prioritized, or guaranteed curricula. In addition to these common … Read More
Why I Blog
TL;DR: Blogging is a way to share ideas and best practices with those who need help. Having a blog supports those who are struggling. It’s important to share failures. Why I Blog People often ask me why I blog. Of course, my instant response is to help those who may benefit from my ideas and best practices. But, reactions to … Read More
Sub Better: The Substitute’s Report
TL;DR: Teachers need to leave detailed lesson plans. Substitutes need to follow the lesson plans and leave a report. Administrators need to check in on classes to look for evidence of learning. I had been gone for the day for a planned absence. I left detailed plans with all of the materials for the day, accounting for every minute of … Read More