A common theme I get asked about during my workshops is student motivation, or student effort. No matter what management techniques or systems you have in your classroom to maintain behavior, instilling a culture of working hard, or “grit” as some like to call it, is probably one of the most difficult things you can accomplish as a teacher. A … Read More
Chad featured in Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Newsletter
Founded in 1945, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation identifies and develops leaders and institutions to meet the nation’s critical challenges. The Woodrow Wilson Fellowships responded to a shortage of college faculty at the conclusion of World War II by offering talented students the opportunity to attend doctoral programs and begin college teaching careers. As college enrollments swelled in the … Read More
Getting the Next Unit Started in Your Classroom
While speaking at professional development seminars and workshops I often get asked the question… “Ok, I get what good instructional units look like but what do I do between them?” This question is very common and for good reason. It wouldn’t make sense to just go from unit to unit with no transition. In all honesty, your students would probably … Read More
Shut Up, And Let Them Speak!
Never say ANYTHING in your classroom that a student can say themselves. Whoa, don’t get too mad. I was just trying to get your attention. I wanted to take a few minutes and talk about something that changed my classroom forever. I stopped answering my students’ questions and started responding with more questions. This seems a bit backwards at first … Read More
Our Top 5 Formative Assessment Tools
Formative assessment is probably one of the most important pieces of good instruction. It allows you to know where you’re students are, which ones need extra help and which ones can work ahead or need an extension. Without formative assessment you are instructing for yourself and not the learners, because if you don’t know where they are, you can’t possibly get … Read More
