Design

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 […]

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

If you are reading this, chances are you already know one thing about my work. If I had to sum up everything I believe about education and our jobs in the profession, it would be just one word: Intentional. My fervent belief is this: If we as educators are intentional in two things, we will

Do you want to know what one of my wife’s pet peeves about me is? She says that I, “Watch the same things all the time.” By that, she is referring to the fact that if there is nothing else on, and there happens to be a reliable, staple movie on television, I’ll keep it

I’ve had a lot of conversations with a lot of educators and leaders about engagement. What it is. What it looks like, How to make it happen in the classroom. This also drives a lot of what folks look for when trying to figure out if what’s going on in the classroom is effective or

Sometimes the way we try to figure out some of the root causes of the challenges we face at school reminds me of the old street hustle you may have experienced in person in a big city or have seen in the movies. You know the one I am talking about with the nutshells and

Recently, a post of mine on Twitter got some attention. It was related to clarity in learning and the vast majority of opposing viewpoints centered around the use of Learning Targets. Many were concerned with primarily two things in relation to Learning Targets in the classroom: 1. It’s mandated use by administration. 2. The value

Home makeover shows are everywhere. They’ve been around for a good while now. I can still remember some Saturdays growing up flipping between cartoons and finding Bob Vila renovating another home on This Old House. What I have noticed about some of our newer shows in this genre is that many times, the minute walls

If you were like me, I left student teaching having graduated from college with my teaching degree and entered a classroom ready to be the next Mr. Keating. I was ready to stand on desks, to inspire my students, to provide the most engaging lessons, and to suck out all the marrow of the teaching

Tier 1 instruction…  Remember that poem by William Carlos Williams, “The Red Wheelbarrow?” It’s the one you read and immediately said, “If this is poetry, I can be a poet.” If you don’t recall seeing it coming up through school, all you really need to know is the first line for this topic. It reads,