Culturally Responsive teaching is starting to become a more prevalent conversation in the world of education.  Although I think it is often misunderstood as a relationship building or classroom management idea, it is absolutely about moving our students, no matter their background, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or language proficiency level to be their absolute best.  It… Read more

Today I want to bring up a tough topic, and I bring it up not as the expert opinion, but as a person – just wanting to do want is right. This has been on my mind for a while…and then I went to my first son’s first baseball game with a new team.  As… Read more

Most of us have been to trainings or professional developments on how to ask good, rigorous, thought-provoking questions. Whether we are using Blooms, or Costa, or Depth of Knowledge (my personal favorite), or any other measurement tool to get our questions to the level of rigor we are searching for in the classroom, sometimes it… Read more

Learned helplessness is a very real issue that occurs subconsciously with many of the struggling students, long-term English learners, and students of poverty that struggle year after year. Learned helplessness occurs when students have been conditioned to believe that no matter how hard they work, they cannot move forward.  Once they believe that no amount… Read more

It’s April. You’re tired.  Your students are tired.  They are pushing the line.  You feel like they should know where the line is have no patience for their pushing. It can be like pulling teeth to get them to turn in work! What is happening? Or maybe you’ve had scenarios similar to these: Have you… Read more

What can we do to help our students pass state assessments now? Your students are listening.  They are even engaged. You are prepared.  You’ve worked hard.  Most of your students are making decent grades in your classroom.  You love your kids.  You love being a teacher. But you are tired, and your students aren’t making… Read more