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New Year, New Learning- Let’s Go Meta & Personalize!
As an educator for over 36 years, I have participated in thousands of hours of professional development and learned hundreds of strategies. Like Goldilocks, I have sat in chairs too big or too small and in rooms too hot or too cold while digesting the latest ideas or twists to
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First Days of School: Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
The first days of school challenge us to be patient, to build relationships, and to live what we believe as educators.
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How Teacher Mindset Shapes Student Success
We talk a lot about shaping student mindsets for learning, but equally important, is the role that teachers play in students’ psychological experiences of motivation and schooling. In a new report titled, “Teacher Mindsets: How Educators’ Perspectives Shape Student Success,” Georgetown University’s FutureEd explores the ways that teachers can strengthen
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3 Ways Wordless Videos Ignite Social Emotional Learning
We all know Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is deeply important for all students (and all of us teachers, too). We know it’s not enough to just sprinkle SEL in here and there. We’ve got to integrate SEL with academics in an inclusive, meaningful, and ongoing way, which is clearly shown
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How to Use Happiness to Your Advantage
I’ve got something to share with you, and it might blow your mind: Happiness is not a result of success. Success is a result of happiness.
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5 Tips for Blending The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) with NGSS
Have you ever interviewed a group of your students about their experiences in your classroom? It is amazing how much you can learn from your students’ perspectives, especially when you are experimenting with new methods.
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Be Radical & Join NNSTOY’s 2019 National Teacher Leadership Conference
In the present political climate, in which protections for our most vulnerable populations have been rolled back, many teachers are struggling to maintain their own motivation. How do we motivate and inspire in our current national context?
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Community College Students Question the Purpose of Grades
About 25 miles east of Los Angeles sits Mt. San Antonio College (affectionately known as Mt. SAC), one of the largest community colleges in California. Mt. SAC has a diverse student population; 75% of students receive some financial aid, and 53% attend part-time. Not only does Mt. SAC offer a wide
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Teaching as a Spiritual Journey
Given the frequent teacher criticism we see in American society and the media today, one thing is clear: many may not recognize how physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting the teaching profession is. According to research,1,2 an average teacher makes 1500+ educational decisions in a 6-hour day while interacting with students — which equates to four educational decisions per
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Voice Technology is Here: How it Could Reinforce Your Teaching
Let’s face it, children these days are often more technologically savvy than their parents. Sometimes, the students actually become their parents’ teachers, especially where devices are concerned. So perhaps teachers could use that passion to their advantage, and utilize some of the new voice-enabled devices — which some believe could be
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5 Reasons Why the QFT Can Support Your Professional Learning Work
In my many years in the classroom, I have yet to find an instructional strategy as effective as the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) in increasing student engagement, motivation, and inquiry. While students generate, prioritize, and seek answers to their questions, they also exhibit the hallmarks of cooperative learning and student agency. As
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Collective Teacher Efficacy
Collective Teacher Efficacy is the number one factor influencing student achievement according to John Hattie’s work. This blog takes a deeper look at this concept and the use of cohesion, effective intervention systems, responsive leadership and collective goal setting to deepen the impact of Collective Teacher efficacy.
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Engaging Developing Readers
Need a few new ideas to increase student excitement for reading? Follow these great tips to engage your students and get them hooked on reading.
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Leveraging the Power of Personal Professional Development
Personalized professional learning allows you to learn what you want when you want to learn it. You can take charge of your own growth and development by following some of the ideas in this blog.
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Pushing Back on Outmoded Beliefs
In recent decades, research has guided some major shifts in how we think about teaching, leadership and learning. But old thinking persists, sowing doubt and undermining effective work with children. Let’s examine and refute eight of these beliefs:
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Restorative Practices- A Principal Perspective and A Teacher Perspective
Connection — a fundamental need that humans desire. As the fourth principal of a school in a year, the ultimate goal was that everyone felt connected to our school, to each other and to the work of meeting the needs of all kids.
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Building Relationships for Authentic Teacher Appreciation
In May, teachers are recognized nationwide in a grand event named Teacher Appreciation Week. During this week, educators are sprinkled with gifts, kind words, and delicious baked goods. Personally, I love Teacher Appreciation Week; it is my second favorite holiday. However, it does not have a long lasting and meaningful
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Learning about Complex Systems Using Modeling and Scientific Argumentation
Scientists use models to explain and predict phenomena in order to better understand our world. Here are some concrete examples across a range of professions:
Physicists might create and test a mathematical model of how a river bed changes over time due to erosion.
Astronomers might use modeling to predict the path
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Taking on Culturally Relevant Real-World Learning
Now more than ever, cultural relevance is a crucial ingredient for the success of our schools, well being of our students, and future of our workforce. Students are more diverse in their languages, abilities, ways of learning, interests, skills, and cultures than ever. Culturally relevant pedagogy "empowers students intellectually, socially,
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Digging into STEM Educator Diversity
Are you, or someone you know, working to decrease the diversity gap in STEM education?
We know that students benefit from having diversity in the teacher workforce. However, it can be challenging to recruit and retain future STEM teachers from underrepresented groups.
The 100Kin10 Diversifying the STEM Teacher Pipeline Project Team is curating
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Teaching is a Listening Profession
We listen to hear what our students understand. We listen to hear our students’ emerging understandings. We listen to hear how students are doing. We listen to decide where to steer the discussion next. We design lessons to open up opportunities to hear our students’ thinking and for students to
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Using the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) to Rebrand School Libraries
Rebranding the Library
In an effort to defy the restrictive, historical caricature of libraries as venues where talking, eating, and personal electronic use is prohibited, I decided to rebrand the stereotypical perception of a school library to one that promotes louder-than-a-whisper discourse and constant collaboration. As a teacher-librarian (TL), I see
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Student Empowerment Practices
In New York City, a team of folks are sharing promising practices across the city by providing peeks into classrooms to allow educators to observe, learn, and garner new ideas. Watch the videos below and let us know what you think!
What is the Showcase Schools Program?
The Showcase Schools program is
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Past Meets Present: A Magnet School Story
My Early Days in a Magnet School
A couple months ago while back in my home state of Minnesota, I drove past the three-story brick school I student taught at in the late 90s on NE Broadway and University in Minneapolis. There it stood, Sheridan Global Arts Magnet School, only now, it’s