TL;DR: Character and SEL are not an extra. They are the foundation that all other academic content rests on. Include targets for SEL in lessons. CASEL has an interactive framework wheel to use. When creating expectations for your students, you have to intentionally teach the concept of SEL and re-teach it. Include SEL in daily practice, lessons, and activities throughout … Read More
3 Steps to Close the Math Gap, NOW!
TL;DR: We must meet students where they are. There is not a math gap, only a distance you must travel to meet your students. First, determine where the students are. Then plan, implement, reflect, adapt, and repeat. Be sure to advocate for your students, your method, and your plan. For many of us, this past calendar year has felt a … Read More
Educators Are Hybrid Heroes: Learn to Trust Your Instincts
TL;DR: Educators are hybrid heroes. Hybrid heroes are educators who will forever be ingrained in history as those front-line workers who changed the face of teaching and learning. Connections, customization, and configurations are what will matter the most when working to achieve balance in this new adaptation in education. Whether you have just welcomed students back into the building or … Read More
Assessing Student Needs: Remediate or Promote?
TL;DR: There are a number of reasons why parents may consider remediation for their child. Recently, the governor of Kentucky signed a “redo bill” into law that would allow students to repeat this past year’s grade level if the student’s school district permits. As you assess student needs, be sure to consider both the consequences and benefits of remediation. The … Read More
5 Tips to Reimagine School as a Verb
TL;DR: Reimagine school as a verb with these five tips. Start with defining the problem. We need to focus on more than preparing students for the next grade; we need to focus on the necessary human skills of success. Reflection: The pandemic has forced us to relook at the whole learner through a metacognitive lens. Establish a growth mindset to … Read More