The 1 Million Pennies Project: A K-12 Classroom Project
“I hate math.” How many times have you heard this statement from adults and students alike? As someone whose job is centered on math and math education, it hurts every time I hear it; and like most math teachers, I’ve heard it a lot. I’ve recently switched roles from a high school math teacher to…
Ten Tiny Teaching Tips To Try Today
This blog was originally posted at Common Core Connection USA. From the minute the kids arrive, to the time you get home at night, we’ve got some Tiny Teaching Tips That Can Make a BIG Difference! Help your kids feel seen, from the moment they enter the classroom in the morning! 1. Use Photos and Binder Clips…
Arizona NBCTs Granted Policy Win
The Arizona Board of Education recently announced that educators in the state who are applying for state certification renewal may now use National Board Certification in lieu of clock hours of professional development. This comes after Arizona made a $15,000,000 investment in the Teachers Academy in 2019. Learn more. State Superintendent Kathy Hoffman tweeted her…
The Need for a Discipline Change in K-12 Public Schools
Think about it. How has the approach to discipline in K-12 public schools changed? Not much. If you had knowledge of another person’s experiences — what they see, what they hear, and/or what they feel, would it change the way you would respond to this individual? If I had to guess, it would. Behaviors are…
Logical Steps Through Darkness: The Path Toward #NBCT
This blog originally appeared online in Stories From School, Arizona Are you working on National Board Certification or coaching NB candidates? I have this little mantra that’s become a good friend over the years. I want to share it with you and tell you what it means to me: Logical steps forward through darkness This…
Sometimes life gets in the way, but that doesn’t mean give up
On August 13, 2016 I began my National Board journey. Little did I know at this time I would also embark on another journey. Because my school district and teacher’s union supports National Board, I was able to encourage 10 teachers at my school to join me in this work. The local union arranged for…
We need to change our high-school students’ expectations about teacher feedback
At the beginning of the year, my Chicago Public Schools high-school students expressed lots of frustration because I didn’t write any comments on their first major essay. “You need to give us feedback,” they demanded. Some doubted I read their essays because I didn’t make a mark. I explained that one of my goals as…
National Board Recognizes 11 Districts for Commitment to Accomplished Teaching
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced today that 11 school districts have been named National Board Accomplished Districts for their investment of resources to support advancing quality teaching through National Board Certification. These districts join 81 accomplished districts designated earlier this year in their efforts to encourage teachers to be their best and…
Asset-Based Grading to Reward Students for What They Know
Teachers can adopt better grading strategies to reward students for the knowledge they’ve gained, instead of penalizing them for what they haven’t yet mastered My son’s first grade teacher told me that he was lucky to have a younger sister. Six-year-olds are not known for their empathy, and part of Mrs. Seabolt’s job was to…
Racism, Privilege and Implicit Bias: One Teacher’s Journey, Part 2
Last week I wrote about my personal journey to a better understanding of my own white privilege and implicit biases. This week, I would like to suggest three concrete steps white teachers like me can take to acknowledge and address issues of systemic racism in our schools. We can actively decide to set aside our…
