1.7.21 Lindsay Prendergast 3 ways to make the switch to grading for learning I have a confession. Last August, I wholeheartedly believed that 2020 could not get any worse. I was wrong. Schools opened, then closed. Even with glimmers of hope about a COVID-19 vaccine, November... Read more
12.15.20 Erin Beard 5 little things that are really big One of my former principals used to provide her staff with a one-pager of little things that were really big—small actions that too often go underacknowledged or undervalued yet make an enormous... Read more
12.3.20 Erin Beard How to pick the right digital tool: Start with your learning goal I bet you’re often inundated with advertisements for digital learning tools, yet often do not have the time to process all the options. In 2020, the flood of choices is likely bigger than ever. Let... Read more
11.23.20 Cara Holt 5 tips for engaging K–3 students in your responsive planning process Do you remember your kindergarten teacher? For many of us, the first few teachers we have stick with us. For one of my colleagues, it’s her third-grade teacher. The one who taught her that March... Read more
11.10.20 Ted Coe We all need mathematical ways of thinking: An “out of proportion” example Have you ever thought about what it really means to learn mathematics? Is it about computing things quickly? Making connections between ideas? Scoring high on tests? What about being able to use... Read more
8.20.20 Cindy Jiban The power of prosody: Why faster reading isn’t always better reading Last night, I was listening to an audiobook and thought to myself, “Now that’s some fluent reading—and so darned accurate, too!” OK, I just lied. I would never think that, because there’s... Read more
8.17.20 Mary Resanovich Support on-grade learning in math with IBM’s Teacher Advisor and MAP Growth As teachers prepare to head back to school—whether in person, online, or using a hybrid approach—they are confronting the question of how to keep students on track with college and career... Read more
3.10.20 Nell Gladson 3 ways to mark Women’s History Month in the classroom Women’s History Month didn’t start out as a month or even a week. It evolved from the first Women’s Day that happened on February 28, 1909, in New York City—a celebration rooted in the labor... Read more
2.25.20 Clarice Clash Unfinished learning, or unfinished teaching? A mindset shift “Our school is changing and it is impossible to teach at grade level anymore.” I was aghast when a member of my instructional team spoke these words. As a school principal in Tucson, I was... Read more
2.18.20 Christine Pitts How to reach older struggling readers According to the National Assessment on Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading Assessment—also known as the nation’s report card—average reading scores for both fourth and eighth graders were... Read more
2.13.20 Fenesha Hubbard This Valentine’s Day, love your students—and yourself It was a typical end to the day during winter testing as young people rushed to their after-school activities. Elijah walked somberly into the teacher’s lounge, where I was grading papers, and... Read more
2.6.20 Erin Ryan Kick-start Black History Month in your classroom (and keep it going all year) Black History Month began in 1926 as Negro History Week, an event hosted by the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. By the late 1960s, the annual event transitioned to a month-long... Read more
