TL;DR: Four strategies to set better, more realistic goals that you can actually achieve. A bonus fifth step with a review of SMART goal setting. We hear a lot about setting goals. “It’s important to have goals.” “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re already lost.” And the quotes go on and on. So we set goals. Sometimes we … Read More
4 Steps to Successful Implementation of a New Idea
In This Post: Success on New Year’s resolutions rarely ever happens. But why? The “New Year’s resolution” model doesn’t work for educational ideas either. Four steps to successfully implementing the new idea you’re considering. January is often a strange time at my gym. New Year’s Resolutionists show up in droves. They pack into our small yoga studio spaces with their … Read More
4 Reasons You Should Love What You Do
In This Post: Loving what you do is important for many reasons. Four reasons why you should really love teaching and why what you do is important. Ok, let’s be honest; sometimes work can suck. Yep, I said it. Me, Mr “I love Mondays because I love what I do.” Because it’s true. Even when you love what you do, … Read More
Using Conferences for Grading Students
In This Post The struggle of quantifying mastery with a letter or percent. Grading conferences as a solution to this struggle! Steps to set up grading conferences in your classroom & communicate about them to stakeholders. Feedback from students on grading conferences. In a mastery learning classroom, determining student quarter or final grades can be difficult. How do you assign … Read More
Building Better Rubrics
In This Post: An experience with a badly created rubric. What rubrics should measure… and what they shouldn’t. Ideas to include students in rubrics and assessment. Some time ago, I sat listening to presentations from my students. I paused at a student who obviously had not understood the concepts they were presenting on. The student spoke well, included the required components in … Read More