How your teaching philosophy can guide inspiration and creativity in the classroom One of my first mini-lessons in my fifth-grade language arts and social studies class is to have my students write a six-word memoir. For this assignment, students have only six words to share the most important thing about themselves. I write my own
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Opportunities abound for teachers to make connections with diverse families. As we welcome students into our classrooms each year, we are reminded of the important role families play in our students’ education. We listen as administrators discuss the importance of community and parental involvement. We attend workshops that share strategies for engaging families and absorbing
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One student’s enthusiasm can open new doors to teaching and learning. My son’s birthday party this year was at one of those bounce house places with children hopped up on orange soda and birthday cake. In the midst of the chaos, one of the workers approached me—not with the news of some disaster, as I
Read More… from Show What You Know: From PBL to Digital Portfolios
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Weaving the fun of cosplaying with social studies gives history a life of its own. Every summer, thousands of comic book fans make the trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, for HeroesCon. During this three-day convention, hundreds of fans dress up like Batman, Stormtroopers, Spiderman, Iron Man, taking on the persona of their favorite superheroes. The
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A student assistant program opens up opportunities for students and teachers. “So, you’re saying you think the length of the pendulum is the most important variable affecting its frequency. Do you have data you can show me that supports this?” A question like that is common in sixth grade science classrooms across the country, but
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Make introductory lessons opportunities for higher-level critical thinking. One of my favorite administrative responsibilities is visiting classrooms and observing lessons. I view those visits and the follow-up conversations with teachers as opportunities to share ideas and expand our thinking about what good teaching entails. Recent conversations with teachers got me thinking about introductory lessons—the lessons
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