Award Winning Teacher – International Speaker – Author
In the past two years I have changed my thinking on test taking and retakes. I used to give kids one shot on a test and they better not blow it. If they could not demonstrate their comprehension on the day I delegated as “test day” they were out of luck. It was a one […]
Continue ReadingRecently, my students took a test in our Social Science class. The assessment was a few short answer questions about a variety of topics in Ancient India. As my students turn them in, I typically have a follow up activity for them to be working on while other students are finishing up. Then I will […]
Continue ReadingI am a big fan of allowing students the ability to choose how they want to show me evidence of their learning. Yes, most students prefer to do this in written form because that is what they are used to. However, every once in a while a student will produce something that really blows me […]
Continue ReadingThis is a post I was asked to write many weeks ago and have finally gotten around to doing it. In a prior #sschat on Twitter there was a conversation about groups and how to organize groups in classes. I shared a way in which I do a “creative” grouping activity in conjunction with introducing […]
Continue ReadingThis is a recent interview I did for the Illinois Education Association in response to my Illinois Teacher of the Year Award. I wanted to get across some key ideas and I feel that they did a nice job with the video. However, I have to admit an error in my statements in regards to […]
Continue ReadingThe other day I took my son to his swim lesson. This is something I have done numerous times with both of my boys and they really love being in the water. Their lessons are thirty minutes long and I normally bring a book, the iPad, or laptop to get some work or reading done […]
Continue ReadingI have decided not to make New Year’s Resolutions this year…no lists of fluffy feel good things that I will more than likely fail to live up to. Instead, I am going streaking. Yes, you heard that correct. I am going streaking for the first time in my life. I just hope I can do […]
Continue ReadingTwas the day before testing, when all through the school Not a student was learning, not even the fool. The pencils were sharpened and laid out with care, In hopes that learning soon would be shown there. The children were crowded all cramped in their seats, While visions of bubbled answers danced on the sheets. […]
Continue ReadingChristmas Break. Holiday Break. Winter Break. In the immortal words of New Kids on the Block, “call it what you want”. Bottom line is many of us look forward to the time of year when we get a bit of time off to relax, recharge and spend time with loved ones. However, it is at […]
Continue ReadingI have often been accused of over-simplifying things or making things more black and white than they should be. When it comes to the increasing number of standards being imposed on our students, I am beginning to feel rather frustrated. As a country we are concerned that our students are falling behind in the sacred […]
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