PEBC BLOG
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Why General Literacy Matters: Part One
The following is an adapted excerpt from the book Developing Literate Mathematicians: A Guide for Integrating Language and Literacy Instruction into Secondary Mathematics, written by PEBC’s Wendy Ward Hoffer. **Click here to read part two of this series.** As a mathematician, let the following statistics propel you to take up […]
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Encourage and Promote Student Thinking
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 […]
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An Interview with Katy Anderson, Colorado Teacher of the Year Finalist
This year, Katy Anderson, a Stanley Teacher Prep alumna, was a finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year. Below we catch up with Katy and talk about her teaching experience to date. Name: Katy Anderson Residency Year: 2012-2013 Residency Year School/District: Fall 2012 Eagleton Elementary (Mentor: Emily Fenske); Spring 2013 Stanley […]
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Tips for Connecting with Families
When I look back on all of my years in the classroom the thing I remember most is to never underestimate the power of pizza. I had been teaching for six years and was feeling more comfortable with classroom management and teaching content—thus, I was looking for a new way […]
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On Becoming a Coach
Like many before me, I was a lead teacher who said goodbye to the classroom and hello to the front of a staff room. We traded our well-oiled systems for scaffolding student growth and were asked to differentiate learning for a community of adults. Any given year, this group could […]
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Sustaining Student Engagement: Moving from Teacher-Centered to Student-Centered Classrooms
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 […]
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Launching Readers’ Workshop
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 […]
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Setting the Stage for Successful Group Work
How do we set the stage for group work? Too often, we assume that our students come to us knowing how to work in groups, so we simply place them into groups and provide them with an assignment to complete together. And then we wonder why it doesn’t work. Collaborative […]
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Using Children’s Books to Build Classroom Community
“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? […]
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Boettcher Teacher Residency: Resident and Alumni Spotlight
In order to showcase the diverse talent and experiences of Boettcher Teacher Residents and Alumni statewide and provide a glimpse into the residency experience, we are proud to start a new monthly series spotlighting an alumni and resident each month. Resident: Autumn Wright Mentor: Danielle Gibbs School: Monte Vista Middle […]
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Engaging Secondary Students through Community
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 […]
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Classroom Norms Synergized through Awareness as Learners
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 […]
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