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My NGSS Mess
Editor's Note: Isaac's two-week unit plan pictured in this post is linked in the text below (PDF) and to the image.
One of my favorite aspects of NGSS is the emphasis on students doing science rather than just learning about science. We can have our students talk about science all day,
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#TchLIVE: Raising Our Girls to Become Women Leaders
When I was a little girl, I was often called bossy. A natural leader, sometimes my leadership skills were perceived as negative: too controlling, too vocal, too loud. I admit, I was demanding, inquisitive, and creative. I liked leading school projects that positively influenced others, whether it be giving jolly
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Does This Swivl Make My Tendons Look Big?
A few weeks ago, I made a stop at a local butcher’s shop and left with a cooler full of cow muscle, tendons, fat, and a kidney just for fun. I was prepping for a tissue engineering unit where students would research authentic tissues before tackling our big question: Can
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Tcher's Cut: Making the Invisible Visible
I’ve long been curious about what's underneath. The back story of the author, the inspiration for the music, the influences that created the athlete. It’s not just the history or the origin story I’m interested in, it’s the story wrapped inside the story that grabs my attention and makes me
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Tch Talks 11: Women Leaders in Education: Kristen Swanson
Sitting down to talk with Kristin felt like talking with a friend.
Kristen Swanson, the founder of EdCamp and current Director of Learning at Slack, brings to the table an accomplished career in education and leadership, but during our interview, I was most in awe of her humility and down to
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Calling All Bloggers: Submit Your New Teacher Blog Idea!
What if I told you there's a new teacher out there struggling who needs you -- would you share your story?
I remember my first year like it was yesterday. I accepted an interview for a permanent position on September 30th. I thought this was strange timing, given the new school
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[ARCHIVE] #TchLIVE: The Art of Engineering Practices and Creative Design
Thank you to everyone who joined us as we discussed The Art of Engineering Practices and Creative Design in the K-12 Learning Space.
We discovered a lot of overlap between STEM, the arts, and design. In fact, engineers often use design to think outside the box, accomplish a task, or solve
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DO NOW: What is Whiteness?
Editors Note: This post was originally published on Catherine's blog on Medium.
DO NOW: What is Whiteness?
After taking out their supplies and getting ready to engage, my students reacted to the question I’d written on the board as their "DO NOW."
Some students giggled. Others made faces -- perplexed, overwhelmed, entertained. A
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Tch Video Lounge 2.0: Reboot Your Professional Learning
Tch Video Lounge 2.0 is open for business.
Last year, we opened the doors to Tch Video Lounge, a place where the Teaching Channel community can watch and discuss videos with each other. This past fall, due to the closing down of the player we were using, we unfortunately had to
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Video Self-Reflection: A Close Read of My Classroom
A teacher can learn a lot by taking a close read of the classroom.
However, the pace of a typical school day doesn't allow for much time to step back and take it all in. That's why video is a great tool to help teachers understand what's really happening in the
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Video Playlist: Argumentation in Mathematics
When you hear the word argument, you might think of a heated dispute or a clashing of opposing sides. In the mathematics classroom, however, the practice of argumentation involves making claims, supporting them with evidence, evaluating the reasoning of others, and making sense of mathematical ideas. This mathematical practice is
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Tch Talks 10: Women Leaders in Education: Linda Darling-Hammond
Our new series, Women Leaders in Education, shares powerful narratives from female trailblazers in education. Our first interview is with Linda Darling-Hammond. An educational leader focused on bridging education and policy, Linda Darling-Hammond is an advocate, author, reformer, professor, and policymaker. She has been instrumental in shaping many areas within
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From Traditional Conclusions to Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning
Constructing Explanations and Engaging in Argument from Evidence are two Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) practices I have heavily emphasized in my classroom over the past few years. My immersion in NGSS professional development that focuses on these practices has allowed me to develop new ways to engage my students
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Finding the Voice of English Learners
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the famous American poet, once said, “The human voice is the organ of the soul.” As a teacher, this quote speaks to me and reminds me that one of my greatest responsibilities as an educator is to encourage all of my students to find their voices and
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Tch DIY: Learning Together Through Math Routines
I couldn't be more excited about the launch of this Teaching Channel project -- it's so near and dear to my heart. Over the past five years, much of my work in the classroom and with teachers has centered around math routines that generate student discourse and help us learn
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Minecraft in the Classroom: The Power of Game-Based Learning
Editors Note: This post is part of a series being developed collaboratively between Minecraft EDU and Teaching Channel.
A few years ago, I taught a class called "Storytelling" and it was my students in that class who taught me a great deal about game-based learning. I’d see them engaged in their
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Video Playlist: Coaching for Improvement, Equity, and Quality
My first year as an instructional coach was a learning year.
I was experienced as a department chair, but the role of an instructional coach was a bit different. For starters, I was in a different district. The District of Columbia Public Schools have a robust approach to coaching called LEAP
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Educating Students to “Think Intensively and Critically”
It’s Sunday, February 12, 2017 and the top headline of The Huffington Post reads, “MILLER CHILLER: SUNDAY CIRCUIT WHIFF!” Now, I’m an educated person who reads the news daily, and in addition to feeling alarmed (which I imagine is the author’s intent), I’m also confused. So I click into the
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Growth Mindset in STEM: EDP and the Writing Process
As a first generation college graduate, a decision I made early in life was to have a growth mindset. If you're new to the term growth mindset, or maybe just on the hunt for resources, check out Teaching Channel’s Growth Mindset Deep Dive. While many people assume things in my life
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Women Leaders in Education
I grew up with the belief that I could do anything -- that being born a woman wouldn’t impede my path to achieving my goals or obtaining a leadership role. One of two girls, I was raised learning how to fish in the ocean, play sports, and dance. Moreover, both
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What I Know Now: Anchoring Phenomena in NGSS
Tch NGSS Squadster Kathy Renfrew explores how anchoring phenomenon has become a part of the conversation around science instruction. Find out what she’s learned and what resources help her to engage her students.
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I Feel Smart! Vanessa's Story
We were weeks into our new journey of bringing the science fair into the 21st century: Science In The Sky.
Everything is digital so why haven’t science fairs caught up? Well, my students were doing it! A feverish pitch exploded early amongst my scientific teams once scientists from around the world
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Tch Talks 9: #LoveTeaching
What do you love about teaching? And how can you let the world know? Join Gary Abud, co-founder of #LoveTeaching, as he discusses why he helped start this annual outpouring of positivity.
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Gary Abud, Jr.
Gary Abud, Jr. currently serves as the principal teacher and lead learner at Mark Twain Elementary in Fraser, Michigan,
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I #LoveTeaching: My Students Are My Greatest Gifts
I count myself among the richest in the world.
No, I don’t have a lot of money or an extravagant home, but I am a teacher. I know most people think teachers are good people because they're willing to sacrifice and work so hard for a salary that is meager when
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I #LoveTeaching-- Even On The Tough Days
Yesterday was one of the tough days for me -- we’ve all had them -- when students seemed to push back on every choice I made, I felt boxed into a lesson I didn’t love, frustration mounted for all of us, my patience ebbed, and pride flowed. The whole endeavor