Using Urban Legends to Engage Struggling Readers
After teaching high school reading intervention courses for many years, I know that starting with a novel is a mistake—it’s too long... Then I tried Urban Legends...
Opinion: Classroom Perspectives
Collaborating In A School With No Library
Do you remember the first time you entered the school library as a child? I do. There were books everywhere.
Creating A Reading Culture—Even If You’re Low On Time and Funds
Why read when you can watch the movie? In my eight years as an educator, no other sentiments have been quite so crushing to hear from children.
Lessons From High School Musicals
My appreciation of musicals started with The Sound of Music soundtrack. As a child, I listened to the entire album. I branched out to other musicals discovering they comprised ...
Empathy: Turning the Forgotten Into the Benchmark
So, here’s the secret to turning the forgotten into the benchmark: empathy. Honestly, that is what my team of eight educators work on day in and day out.
Movement in the Classroom
After teaching at an alternative middle school for the past four years, the one thing I constantly hear from new students is, “we can move around in your room and not get in ...
Better Serving Introverts in the Classroom
Communication exercises and assignments have traditionally put introverts at a disadvantage by design.
“But I’m just not a good writer”
As soon as I utter the words “writing assignment” a look of panic appears on my students’ faces.
The STEM Effect
Certain buzz words and topics come and go in the arena of education. Currently, the word to know is STEM, the acronym for science, technology, engineering, and math. When ...
How to Teach Like a Fool
One of my most influential teaching mentors is a secondary character from a sixteenth century Shakespearean play. I was introduced to the “wise fool” from King Lear in my last ...