The topic of teacher evaluations often stirs a mix of anxiety and debate among educators. I feel the stress and anxiety in classrooms all around the country. While these assessments aim to measure teaching effectiveness, they tend to (more often than we’d all like to admit) promote a culture of “performance” lessons—special classes designed to impress school leaders. This raises … Read More
Do Kindergarten Crafts Really Make a Difference?
Traditional, copycat crafts have long been the norm in most early childhood classrooms and kindergarten classrooms, despite not having any educational or developmental theories to support them. What can be wrong with these adorable, sometimes intricate projects that have have been sent home from preschool and kindergarten classrooms for as long as any of us can remember? Meeting students where … Read More
5 Benefits of Progressive Instruction for Modern Classrooms
TL;DR: Progressive instruction fosters student-centered learning, critical thinking, and adaptability. Key benefits include active learning, personalized approaches, collaboration, lifelong habits, and dynamic classrooms. Using frameworks like The Grid Method can make implementing these strategies manageable and effective. Education is evolving, and so are the methods we use to teach and engage students. One of the most impactful approaches that is … Read More
Celebrate and Support Bilingual Students
TL;DR: Bilingualism enhances cognitive skills, academic performance, and cultural understanding. Schools can foster multilingual environments through culturally responsive teaching, resources, and family support. Supporting bilingual students builds global competency and celebrates linguistic diversity. Bilingualism is much more than just being able to speak two languages. It is a powerful asset that shapes cognitive development and enhances academic achievement. As classrooms … Read More
Why Personalized Professional Development Is a Game-Changer for Teachers
TL;DR: Personalized professional development tailors growth opportunities to individual educators’ needs, improving engagement, practicality, and flexibility. This approach fosters meaningful classroom impact through coaching, self-directed learning, and actionable feedback. Personalized professional development is exactly what it sounds like—tailoring growth opportunities to fit the unique needs of each individual educator. In today’s ever-changing classroom environments, the old “one-size-fits-all” approach to professional … Read More