7.15.21 Nick Joe Embrace mistake making in math Everyone makes mistakes. It’s inevitable. But it often triggers feelings of guilt or shame, which can be difficult, especially if we struggle to embrace our mistakes. Learning mathematics can be... Read more
7.8.21 Ted Coe Pointless points and plotless plots: The dangers of accelerating mathematics learning Everyone likes a good movie. Good movies tell a story. They have a plot. They keep the viewer engaged and interested. Some movies, though, are forgettable. The story line might be impossible to... Read more
6.22.21 Jonathan Fine 4 indispensable frameworks for successful goal setting “If you have built castles in the air,” wrote Henry David Thoreau in Walden, “your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” In his own... Read more
4.29.21 Nick Joe 3 valuable soft skills to build in your math classroom this spring Back when I was in the classroom, my colleagues would often commend me for being brave enough to teach math to eighth-graders. But I loved teaching eighth grade because it gave me an... Read more
4.27.21 Erin Beard The importance of student self-assessment Want to know a secret? I didn’t mean to become a secondary ELA teacher. One of the reasons why an ELA endorsement wasn’t originally at the top of my list was this persistent worry: How does one... Read more
4.1.21 Nick Joe How to support math growth with differentiation and scaffolding It has been one year since COVID-19 flipped our world upside down. While hospital beds filled up, classroom desks emptied out. As educators, we were not prepared for an event like this. We were not... Read more
3.2.21 Kailey Rhodes 4 apps you probably don’t use in your classroom—but should Even in the best of years, teachers can always use some fresh tactics come early March. It’s post-winter holidays and pre-spring break; it’s not quite one season or the other. Whether you’re... Read more
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
