In this post: Discover the biggest problem with most student behavior plans What is a student-led behavior plan? Steps to make a student-led behavior plan work for students and teachers Let’s get this out in the open: implementing and designing behavior plans to improve the behavior of challenging students is not an easy task. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they … Read More
3 Ways to Focus on the “Why” Instead of the “What” – Building Deeper Meaning in Learning
In this post: How to move from “What” to “Why” Dive into DoK to deepen the learning Just ask! The power of asking your students “Why” Don’t rob students of the chance to discover and go deeper Ban “What” From Your Classroom Education has long been far too focused on the acquisition of information and learning how to follow algorithms … Read More
It’s About Why, Not What – Getting Beyond the Facts and into the Meaning Behind the Learning
In this post: What really matters in learning – and why we so often miss it Please, don’t use the butterfly method or impose death-by-grammar-worksheets How to move from “What” to “Why” 3 ways you can make the shift right now Picture this – you are sitting in your next staff meeting and the district has brought in someone to … Read More
When is the Right Time in Teaching to…?
In This Post: Deciding when you should, and shouldn’t, discuss controversial topics with students. Is it ever the right time for test prep? Putting on your #GritBritches and sticking your neck out for awesomeness! When is the right time to…? Such an ever-present question, right? Have you ever found yourself wondering, “Is now a good time to discuss ____?” or … Read More
Let Spoken Word Transform Your Poetry Unit!
Don’t Fear the Poetry Unit. I don’t know about you, but the loudest collective groan to ricochet off the four walls of my classroom occurs the moment I announce the start of our poetry unit. Without fail, students go into panic mode. They offer to do double the homework for a month if we could just read another novel. I … Read More




