It’s almost here! As the days grow longer, the students in your classroom get more volatile, and the smell of Summer break is in the air, I want you to STOP. Right now, as you decide not to finish that lesson plan and just play Kahoot with your students tomorrow, I want you to consider the opportunity being wasted. The opportunity to … Read More
3 Reasons Educational Initiatives Fail
Whether it’s Mastery Learning, open schedules, maker-spaces, or problem-based learning, innovative instructional methods and educational initiatives tend to work amazingly well in some cases, but fall flat in others. Regardless of the initiative we’re talking about, there is most likely robust research to back up its effectiveness and legitimacy. So why do they fail? Working with teachers, schools, and districts all over, we have found … Read More
5 Simple Classroom Management Tips
Classroom Management is something all teachers worry about. Whether I’m helping a school or district with Mastery Learning, or presenting at a conference, the topic of classroom management never seems to go away. This is for good reason, especially because if your classroom is not managed well, it’s hard to create an environment where learning can thrive. Classroom management is … Read More
3 Ways a Mentor can Save Your Teaching Career
When I first started my teaching career, I thought I knew basically everything. I rarely asked questions, and I assumed that the new theories, practices, and techniques I had completed during my master’s degree would be more than enough to keep me on the path to pure awesomeness. I actually did know a few things, but I found out very quickly that … Read More
Why Student Success Isn’t A Competition
Teaching Should not be “Survival of The Fittest” As a teacher, it can be hard to escape the political aspects of the job. As a mentor of mine once cleverly stated: “Choosing a career in education is choosing a career in politics.” These politics are not making our profession any easier, and they tend to increase pressure on teachers to produce … Read More