Math teachers, I have a warning for you. (Cue ominous music.) There’s a trap that’s lurking around the corner—one that many of us fall into at some point. (Cue increasingly ominous music.) And once you’re in, it’s hard to escape.
Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Larry Jacobs on Education Talk Radio, this time about effective and respectful discipline practices in schools. Here are a few topics we touched on:
Why is it important to think about teaching
There are so many routines to teach early in the school year–it can be a bit overwhelming. Where do you begin?
Of course, there is no one right answer–no definitive list. One way to start is to think about ones
It’s now widely recognized that teachers must teach students the routines of the classroom. This is actually a shift. Years ago, it was often just assumed that kids should know how to walk respectfully in the halls, get supplies and
Teachers are burning out at an alarming rate. Overworked and saddled with increasingly complex and overwhelming responsibilities, not to mention more challenging students and families, many teachers are suffering from exhaustion and chronic stress. Not surprisingly, this has a profound
Setting up classroom spaces has always been one of my favorite things to do as a teacher. Now, as a consultant, I love helping other teachers think of fun and practical ideas for designing great learning spaces. Last year, a
I had the privilege of joining Justin Baeder, Director of the Principal Center, for a fun conversation about my newest book, Learning to Choose, Choosing to Learn: The Key to Motivation and Achievement. In this interview, we discuss many interesting
I was thrilled to once again join Larry Jacobs on EduTalk Radio, this time to talk about how and why to offer students more choices about their learning, the subject of my recent book: Learning to Choose, Choosing to Learn:
Within three full days of work with Mike, my staff was energized and excited to incorporate choice into their classrooms. –Jeanine Heil, Principal, Deerfield, MA
I’ve had the honor and privilege to work with Mike Anderson as a consultant at
In the final weeks of school, teachers can feel even more insane than usual. Paperwork and meetings pile up. As the weather warms, students itch to be outside and start to anticipate summer, for better or worse, leading to more
In May of 2016 I was interviewed on ASCD’s Learn. Teach. Lead. Radio program on the BAM! Radio Network to discuss a few ideas from my newest book, Learning to Choose, Choosing to Learn: The Key to Student Motivation and
One of the most devastating effects of the standardization movement—with its pressures to conform and emphasis on accountability through high-stakes testing—has been the stripping of teacher autonomy—our power to make informed decisions about how best to meet the needs of
Note: This article first appeared on Learning Personalized in April, 2016: http://www.learningpersonalized.com/students-learn-choose-choose-learn/. Thanks go out to my friend and colleague, Allison Zmuda, who originally published the post!
I was recently working with a group of high school teachers, and they
Rod Berger and I had a chance to catch up at the ASCD Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA (April, 2016). Dr. Rod Berger is a global education media personality who has interviewed Ministers of Education, leading voices like Sir Ken Robinson, U.S.
This session summary appeared in the Conference Daily, the daily newspaper for the ASCD Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA, April 2-4, 2016. The original link is: http://annualconference.ascd.org/attendee/conference-daily/2016/choose-to-learn.aspx.
April Bailey
Too often, students figure out what they’re supposed to do based
Many schools are working hard to help promote a growth mindset in their students. I recently facilitated a learning session with a group of teachers that I’d like to pass along. It is a simple activity that yielded some powerful
Dear Kennari-
Greetings once again from Sweet Meadow Acres for Retired Teachers. I only have a few minutes to write today, so let’s get right to it, shall we?
In your last letter, you mentioned that you’re overwhelmed with everything
We all know the power of positive community in the classroom. When students feel valued, are known for their strengths, enjoy coming to school, and feel safe and supported, they are more ready to engage in great learning. Not surprisingly,
You have just finished teaching a lesson, and as you direct students to get started on their work, a familiar chorus echoes across the room, causing your heart to sink.
What do we get for doing this?
Do we have
We all know how important a good breakfast is. When our students have a big day coming up (a research project presentation, a debate, a field trip, etc.), it’s one of the things we encourage them to do to be
Original article: http://www.cfchildren.org/about-us/blogs/self-esteem-can-we-hand-it-to-our-kids-on-a-silver-platter
Published on Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Happy National Boost-Your-Self-Esteem Month! How are you celebrating? I’ve decided to mark the occasion by exploring where the self-esteem “movement” is today. First, though, some thoughts on self-esteem boosting in my
Learning to Choose, Choosing to Learn: The Key to Student Motivation and Achievement (ASCD, 2016) is all about how we can help students become more energized, independent, and self-motivated. Written for a K-12 audience across all content areas, any
Every now and then, I come across a letter from Uncle Curmudgeon, an old retired teacher, to his niece, Kennari, an aspiring new one. I’m happy to pass another along!
Dear Kennari-
So! You’ve signed up for your first committee!
How successful are you at keeping New Year’s resolutions? If you’re like most, you’re not so good at it. In fact, as a general rule, we teachers often struggle with goal-setting in general. This was something that I emerged from
Every now and then, I come across a letter from Uncle Curmudgeon, an old retired teacher, to his niece, Kennari, an aspiring new one. I’m happy to pass another along!
Dear Kennari-
It was another interesting week here at Sweet