Archive

Not all of our students will go on to be entrepreneurs.  But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t learn to think like them… *winks* We live in an entrepreneurially-minded world, where skills such as problem-solving, creativity, grit, and teamwork are the backbone of innovation and progress.   In having these skills, our learners will better understand themselves […]

Teaching argument in the high school classroom is pretty much a ‘must,’ right?   Somewhere between core learning standards in academics and an increasing need for critical thinking and problem-solving in the real world, the-art-of-argumentation-as-unit continues to gain its momentum (and rightfully so!) In my own classroom, just before my students launch into arguments of their […]

As a writing teacher, I’m sure your students write a lot, right? But how often do you give them time to ‘make’ their writing? How often do you let them get lost in the ‘parts’ of writing instead of merely plugging out draft after draft? How often do you let them create? In this Facebook […]

According to Holly Clark and Tanya Avrith, who offer up 10 characteristics of today’s learners in their text, The Google-Infused Classroom, it’s pretty standard practice for our students to speak in images these days. From emojis as a frequent replacement for text, to snapshots and video ‘stories’, images are the Gold standard for teen communication […]

It’s been roughly 30 years since Stephen Covey wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and it’s still, hands down, one of the most relevant reads of our time. Why? Because it offers gems like this: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Stephen Covey, Habit #5 Amidst the noise of political polarization […]

In a recent post, I talked about why our students are learning without us these days, and how it has a lot to do with an imbalanced emphasis of cognitive work over building those tangible (AKA, ‘soft’) skills which are just as necessary in doing the real work of the world. Now don’t get it […]

So there I was, thirty sets of eyes on me, fumbling awkwardly at my computer, trying desperately to get the school’s video announcements going before my class went into technological mutiny. The Wifi appears to be working…that’s not it. I tried refreshing the page…that’s not it. I even pasted the link into the browser myself…no such […]

Quarter 1 has a lot to do with getting your students acquainted with global issues, filling the “blank slate”–so to speak—with those basics that’ll lay the groundwork for deeper research later. While it’s true you simply can’t cover every contemporary and/or controversial issue out there, you do have the Quarter 1 obligation of helping students feel […]

When they first arrive on our doorstep, our students are convinced that they’re masters of argumentation: So confident they are (I say this in love), that when we tell them we’re going to write argumentative essays this year, they challenge our very intelligence and purpose altogether: “‘Persuasive,’ Miss, you mean persuasive essays.  We learned those in middle school.” …to which […]

August finishes out a season of rest and respite for the teachers of the world and invites a period of rejuvenation to follow.  It’s a time when spirits are high, and a fresh white board is waiting for us to color it with our trade.  It’s also the time we begin our ceaseless search for new ideas […]