The new school year is here. School leaders, you are tasked with creating an environment that fosters growth, collaboration, and success for both staff and students. Effective leadership goes beyond mandates and directives; it requires a deep connection with those you lead. How do we, as school leaders, prioritize meaningful interactions and build strong relationships […]
Leadership is About People, Not Position Read More »
We recently celebrated the 4th of July, our nation’s Independence Day. Behind all the picnics and parties, the fireworks and frankfurters, lies the historial the journey of the early American colonies. The founders realized that compliant and passive obedience to the crown was not working. The country needed the ability to make decisions on its
It’s Time for a 4th of July in the Classroom Read More »
Looking over my 25 years in education, I find we’ve made what we do far more complicated than it has to be. It can be so easy to get lost in the myriad of interventions and support strategies designed to help struggling learners. However, before we dive into specialized tiers of support, we must first
Solid Gold Tier 1: The Way We Improve Read More »
I remember visiting my grandparents every summer growing up. The one nightly ritual my grandmother and I had was a shared game of Uno. It was the first card game I ever learned to play as a kid. Nothing delighted me more than seeing several Skips, Draw-Two and Draw Four Wild cards appear as I
Embracing the Cards We’re Dealt: Lessons from Uno Read More »
While I always try to be in a constant state of reflection, nearing the end of the school year seems to be one of the times when I get together with others and take a long stare into the mirror of the past academic year. What were the successes? What were the celebrations? What were
Mirror, Mirror: Reflecting on the School Year Read More »
Curiosity, far from being merely an intrinsic trait, is the cornerstone of effective learning-a dynamic force that can transform conventional classrooms into vibrant spaces of discovery and deep understanding. With an effect size of 0.74 or almost 2 years’ learning, curiosity can be a way we can get our kids on the hook while also
Curiosity in the Classroom Doesn’t Kill; It’s a Catalyst Read More »
When we talk about assessments in education, people usually think of all those standardized tests, number crunching, and chasing after academic goals. I think of the countless data rooms I have walked into filled with pie charts, some even in frames, like a museum of academic data. But this old-school view really misses the mark
Reassessing Assessments and Data Read More »
In an episode of The Big Bang Theory fittingly titled, “The Closure Alternative,” Amy takes Sheldon on a rollercoaster ride of OCD exercises aimed at curing his itch for closure, something we can all relate to on some level. One standout moment is when Amy plays the American national anthem but deliberately skips the last
The MOST Neglected Part of a Classroom Lesson Read More »
I saw my first motion picture when I was 4 years old. It was The Empire Strikes Back. You might have heard of the franchise. It’s still around. Of all the Star Wars movies, I find that this one has the most one liners quoted by everyone. “Do or do not. There is no try.”
“That is Why You Fail” Read More »
If there is one thing that I could ask 100 different educators and get almost 99 different responses, it is this question: What is your definition of differentiation? Differentiation is one of those ambiguous edujargon words that so many find vague, confusing and overcomplicated. Yet, this word appears on countless classroom observation sheets and is
Demystifying Differentiation with Scaffolds Read More »
