Co-Teaching Is Tough

Meghan PahlkeBlog, Classroom Management, Leadership, Reflect Better

TL;DR: A strong co-teaching relationship involves both teachers using their expertise to co-plan, co-teach, and co-assess as equals. Make sure to consistently reflect on your co-teaching relationships and practices. Give both your co-teacher and yourself grace. Co-teaching is tough, whether you have been co-teaching for one semester, one year, or years. Yes, the cliche sayings that a co-teaching relationship is … Read More

Think Better: Redefining Self-Care

Lindsay TitusBlog, Reflect Better, Self-Care, Teach Happier

TL;DR: Flip the script so self-care can be a lifestyle rather than a single, isolated act. Be proactive rather than reactive. Keep data in a journal or the notes app on your phone to monitor how what you’re doing is impacting you.  Self-care is one of those topics people either love or hate. While I’m sure there are some people … Read More

Eat Better – Grilled Cheese vs. Standards and Rubrics

Alex T. ValencicBlog, Differentiation, Grading & Assessment, Reflect Better, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Grilled cheese has many variations. Consider standards-based grading in education and the use of rubrics in assessment, grading, and reporting. When designing a rubric, be sure to stay focused on what you want students to know or be able to do. Resist the urge to add criteria that do not relate to the task. Grilled Cheese vs. Standards and … Read More

Learnability: Consumption, Creation, and Contribution

Steven WeberBlog, Classroom Management, Differentiation, Innovation, Lesson Planning, Reflect Better, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Learnability may be at the top of the list of skills high school graduates need. Consider what every student should know and be able to do when developing curriculum and standards. Be careful not to just cover the unit plan or standards without considering the student evidence that demonstrates learning. It is important that students are provided opportunities to … Read More

Special Education Support in a Grid Classroom

Meghan PahlkeBlog, Classroom Management, Differentiation, Innovation, Leadership, Lesson Planning, Mastery Learning, Reflect Better

TL:DR: The Grid Method can be effective with all students, including those with IEPs. When building a Grid, be proactive in making accommodations ahead of time. Both the general education teacher and the special education teacher have an equal role in the classroom. At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, my general education co-teacher and I were ready to … Read More