Teaching

While doing errands this weekend, I noticed many shopping carts filled with with pencils, glue and markers. This got me thinking about the start of the coming school year and all the feelings and expectations that accompany this new beginning. What other profession allows one the opportunity to start over […]

Before reading this entry, be sure to check out Part One for additional reminders when planning professional learning, as well as Creating a Predictable Structure for Professional Learning. Michelle Morris Jones In addition to establishing clear standards for both agendas and routines—it is important to create an environment throughout all […]

Be sure to read Creating a Predictable Structure for Professional Learning by Michelle Morris Jones as a precursor to this blog entry. By 4:05 in the afternoon, everyone had formed groups and started to respond to the question, “How are you feeling about being here today?” Within minutes, the groups […]

Fueled with coffee and the remaining adrenaline from wrapping up the academic year, I gathered with a partner school’s Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) for an annual end of school year reflection and planning retreat. A fourth-grade teacher started things off by asking, “So what went well this year—and where are […]

I often think back to the Great American Eclipse of 2017—what an exciting event! This was the first time in 99 years that a total solar eclipse crossed the contiguous United States. Most of us adults realize the significance of this scientific phenomenon—however, to elementary students this was not only […]

Three teachers. Three stories. Many invitations. In the heart of the San Luis Valley, Center School District teachers—Jan, Linda, and Kindra—discussed moving from a teacher-centered to a student-centered classroom in hopes of achieving a higher level of student engagement. Their stories captured my heart throughout the year as we explored […]

You’ve decided this is the year to create a readers’ workshop where all learners can flourish and develop into their truest reading selves.  You’ve studied the research about providing long blocks of time to read.  You’ve filled your classroom library with texts that reflects who your students are and what […]

“Remember, when you treat others with love and kindness, you are doing the right thing.” Courage, kindness, empathy, problem solving, risk taking—the list goes on of all the characteristics we want our students to embrace through the school year. So how do we build a culture that fosters these characteristics? […]

New school year, new student mindset School wasn’t Carlos’ thing but he promised himself that this year he’d do better: he’d really listen, get his work done on time, stop ditching. As he walked into first period of his 9th grade year, he looked for a seat near the back […]

Moments that change your thinking I was sitting on a cold aluminum bleacher watching a tied third quarter high school football game where both teams seemed to be running full throttle and creating sounds like cans being crushed. I turned my gaze, from the action-packed game to see my youngest […]

How will we treat each other, ourselves, our equipment, our time as learners? Shared agreements build community. We can intentionally create a classroom culture of mutual respect and collaboration by establishing, modeling, and holding all participants accountable to supportive agreements about how we learn together. You may already have such […]

Distinguish Productive Struggle from Despair When we raise the bar and ask learners to rise up with greater effort, we need to remain vigilant to their levels of frustration: productive struggle is one thing, but despair is entirely another. They look different: learners engaged in productive struggle are leaning in, […]