Teaching

I met a special education teacher who shared a story about a boy with autism who had not spoken a word all year. Then one day she gave the group a uniquely challenging math problem. This boy figured it out before all his peers; everyone saw his solution and believed […]

Into the Classroom: Mrs. Blake’s Fifth Grade Readers’ Workshop Mrs. Blake’s students have been fifth graders for seven days. This time of year is all about growing independence and learning the rituals and routines of readers’ workshop. But Mrs. Blake’s fifth graders are also knee-deep into an inquiry of how […]

“When I switched to workshop model instruction, my students’ math achievement leapt up by 50 percent in a matter of months. I am not kidding. The principal was in my room asking, ‘What is it you are doing in here?’ And I told her, ‘I read this book, and now […]

Trust, shared purpose, interdependence, mutual support, and safety in taking risks are some of the features of an effective community. Your own community might be your neighborhood, your faith group, your colleagues, or your extended family. For students, their learning community, the space in which and the people with whom […]

Believe in the children, fight foolishness, and learn who our children are and the legacies they bring, education expert Lisa Delpit (2013) implores us in “Multiplication Is for White People.” The foolishness she is referring to is wasting teachers’ time keeping track of non-instructional tasks in regimented, teacher-proof curricula. As […]

Learn More at an Upcoming PEBC Math Institute Advance your math instruction by attending a PEBC institute where you can build on your knowledge and learn new strategies to impact student learning. Find upcoming institutes here »    Wendy Ward Hoffer Every now and then, I think back to my […]

Do you remember watching a small child acquire language skills? First, they listen; then, they speak; soon, they write, and next they read, spiraling their growth in these language skills over time, ongoinging. Learners at all levels need a balance between experiences with receptive language (listening and reading) and expressive […]

Confession: I’ve never been much of a fan of the term self-care. It’s always felt a bit self-indulgent and brings up visions of the old Calgon bubble bath commercials. However, over the past few years, and particularly during the past several months of social distancing, I’ve started to see that […]