Learning
Parent Involvement in the Middle School
From the desk of Carol C… Have you ever had a conversation with your teenager that went something like this? What did you do at school today? Nothing. You must have done something. We did a bunch of stuff. It was boring. I gotta big history test tomorrow. Have you studied? Yeah, some. I’ll study…
Read MoreShouldn't They Already Know How to Read This?
From the desk of Alice… I am fortunate to be able to work in middle and high school classrooms as part of my weekly work. The classes are always full of energy and there is rarely a dull moment. When I am in these classes, my role is to support the literacy development of the…
Read MoreConstruct…Discover, Try Again
From the Desk of Tina… The little girl reread her sentence and erased the words again. “That … doesn’t … sound right,” she mumbled. She flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder in frustration. Her eyes moved from her paper to the board, back to the paper. She placed the paper on her desk…
Read MoreLet Them Believe
From the desk of Kris… A picture is worth a thousand words…..well, okay, for a kindergartener maybe it’s not a thousand words…but it certainly can be worth many words. If you ask any kindergartener about his picture, he is sure to tell you a lengthy story! But does drawing a picture and telling a story…
Read MoreHere We Go Again
From the desk of Hope… I sent my son off to school recently to take yet another standardized test. This just strikes a nerve with me. Have you heard about this latest standardized test school systems are giving 8th graders? It is called the EXPLORE. From what I can gather, it is the pre ACT…
Read MoreUsing Conferencing as an Instructional Strategy
From the desk of Hope… When I was teaching, I felt like I never knew enough about my students. I took every opportunity to learn more about them as individuals and as learners. It seemed pretty simple to me — the more we knew about each other, the easier it was going to be to…
Read MoreTeacher "Must Have" Books
From the desk of Carol C… Everywhere you look on the web you can find lists of books children must read or books that bookclubs must read or books that you shouldn’t die without reading or…the list goes on. What I don’t find as much is a list of books that educators must read. I…
Read MoreIs there such a thing as Bad Praise?
From the desk of Carol C…. Have you ever caught yourself telling your child or a student “You’re so smart”? I know I have. Many times I say it almost absentmindedly. “I finished the puzzle.” “You’re so smart.” “I finished my homework.” “You’re so smart.” “I didn’t hit my brother when he stole my Legos.”…
Read MoreBelieve
From the desk of Kris… Teachers, as you get to know this year’s class I would like you to think about the power of believing in your students. We all say “I believe every child is a learner.” Do we really mean it or is it something we say because it is the ‘right thing…
Read MoreLessons Learned from Sandcastles
I have had the pleasure of vacationing over the last few weeks with my family. We have logged many hours on the sand, watching waves, and learning from each other. This morning, as I was building sandcastles with all 3 kids, I was reflecting on the lessons learned while on vacation and how they translate…
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