Quit Teaching Basics

We are uncomfortable. The latest 2024 NAEP scores for reading and math confirm what we’ve been feeling for a while now—achievement is slipping, and the weight of that reality is pressing down on us. Reading scores have fallen to their lowest levels in 30 years. Math hasn’t rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. The gap is growing. […]

First, you probably are humming the song by Pink Floyd already, so let’s run with that analogy. Imagine you’re walking down a road, headed toward an important destination. Along the way, you encounter a massive brick wall blocking your path. You sigh, turn around, and walk away. It seems like an immovable obstacle, an undeniable

The image of a learner sitting in a classroom, head down, shoulders slumped—silent and unseen—is one that should break all of our collective hearts. Teaching, at its best, isn’t about content or tests or standards; it’s about connection. Without belonging, no amount of rigor or pedagogy will matter because learning doesn’t happen when a child

In education, teaching and learning are often used interchangeably, but they are fundamentally different. Imagine a classroom where the teacher hands out prepackaged TV dinners—complete, preplanned, and ready to consume. The students, functioning as mere cooks, only heat and eat what’s been prepared for them. Now, contrast that with a classroom where the teacher and

When we hear “assessment,” many of us instantly think of standardized tests, scantron sheets or Google Forms, and the collective groans of learners (and teachers). But assessment isn’t meant to be synonymous with “test.” It originates from the Latin word assidere, meaning “to sit beside.” Imagine that—a teacher sitting beside a learner, guiding them, offering

As educators, we bring an undeniable fire into our classrooms every day. We strive to unlock the potential in every learner, pushing them to become their best selves. But what if we took that same passion—the relentless drive to help our kids succeed—and brought it to supporting our fellow educators? If we truly want to

I once heard this in a professional learning session, “Just get them talking,” the presenter said, “and they’ll be learning.” It sounds simple enough. We might ask our kids to “Turn and Talk” to their partner about the reading they just finished and expect fireworks—deep conversations, insights flying across the room. But what we might

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

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

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