Blog

One struggle for many teachers, especially ones new to the profession, is classroom management. In college, preservice teachers are taught content and pedagogy, but many teacher preparation programs do not have a solid foundation for instruction in classroom management techniques. A 2008 study by Michele Deats cites “A lack of adequate classroom management preparation and… Continue reading Classroom Management

This question came up during an online book study I participated in, and then professional development session I lead. There is no easy answer for the question as reading encompasses multitude of behaviors. Thinking about a toddler, it is when they flip through the pages of a favorite book and “read” the story from the… Continue reading What is Reading?

The picture for today’s post is of my desk chair. A few months back, I noticed about an inch-long tear in it. Then, a couple of months ago I purchased a repair kit to fix it. Well, here we are today, the tear is still there, without any patch, but now it is about four… Continue reading Early Intervention

Change is inevitable. How we react to change is what forms us. Over the course of our nation’s history our education system has changed. Formal education began as being limited to a few participants growing into being available to all. Curriculum has evolved from the reading, writing, and arithmetic to preparing students for a future… Continue reading What is Education?

This is news worth repeating. There is so much negative in our culture, especially in what is reported in the news, that how good we are as people is often overlooked. As November is a time of thankfulness, I thought I would share this news clip. These students are a perfect example of who we… Continue reading Class Act

Education is full of acronyms—ESSA, AYP, CCS, TEA, TEKS, IEP. It leaves you thinking IDK because TMI. However, SEL, the newest acronym on the block, is one which deserves a lot of attention and respect. Social-Emotional Learning, SEL, is forefront in educational conversations given the events (at schools and other public venues) the past couple… Continue reading SEL, Not Just Another Acronym

How many of you have ever asked your child, “What did you do at school today?” to hear, “Nothing” or complete silence as a reply? This is the scenario for one of my children, whereas the other can’t wait to share. Both of my children love going to school and learning, it’s just that one… Continue reading Scaffolded Questioning

Recently I have been reading the book From Striving to Thriving by Stephanie Harvey and Annie Ward. One major idea presented in the book is “Table the Labels.” What this means is we need to stop assigning labels to students. In the context of their book, it refers to student’s ability to read. Thus, instead… Continue reading Table the Labels

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” -Henry David Thoreau With the new school year in full swing, many districts, schools, teachers, and students have begun creating goals. Personally, I have created business goals and my son has created a reading goal. I… Continue reading Goal Focused

Shiny, freshly waxed floors are my favorite part of back to school. Usually, this is the last task for the custodial crew when preparing the building for the new academic year. If the walls could talk, I am sure they would be screaming, “Welcome students! We missed you so much and have anxiously awaited your… Continue reading Back to School