After An Educator's Journey
Out of the classroom & into the universe
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Once upon a time, I taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. Now I’m retired and working on new ventures.
Tag: education
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A colleague and friend shared this article from the Washington Post this week. James Meredith, a hero of the Civil Rights Movement, is proposing another kind of education reform – one that is based on equity, on the idea that everyone – not just those who can parse the vagaries of charter school or private…
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Since it is a vacation week, I find I have time to do a little cooking. Cooking is something I enjoy, but for 10 months of the year (and you can draw your own conclusions about which 10), I have little time to do it well. Hence the lack of posting on my other blog.…
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If you believe everything you read about education, you would think that public schools have been taken over by slackers only interested in making a quick buck, the “generous” benefits, and extra long summers off. If you truly wish to know what really happens in a public school classroom, go visit one. Seriously. And be…
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I recently read this post from Germantown Avenue Parents’ blog. Those behavior management tools – like the mentioned stoplight? Do they really help kids get behaviors on track? In my school, we are required to hang a pocket chart. Each child has an assigned number and flips cards through a series of colors – green…
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This week my principal approached me with an intriguing question – would you be willing to loop to fourth grade with your students? I needed a little time to think about that, but not for the reasons you might assume. My hesitation had nothing to do with a repeat year with my students, some of…
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Teaching in an urban educational setting has many challenges. Of course, there are challenges associated with trauma and with poverty and other social problems. One of the greatest challenges, in my opinion, is to work with students whose primary language is not English. In my current classroom, the ratio of native English speakers to English…
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This morning’s Washington Post carried an Op-Ed piece by Deborah Kenney, founder of Harlem Village Academies. Unlike many charter schools run by large (overseas) conglomerates trying to turn education into cash cows, this charter appears to have pedagogy and students at the center. The question Ms. Kenny poses? Is the Common Core causing school experiences…
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I have always thought it important for students to learn to work cooperatively. When I worked in the private sector, we worked as teams or groups – almost never without some kind of interaction with colleagues. Kids need to know how to work in collaborations, too. And so, we set out this week to…
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A friend of ours posted this article from the Washington Post yesterday. The Post article largely relies on a piece by Arthur H. Camins, and in my opinion rightly so. Mr. Camins explores two essential questions that should be driving the dialogue about education and teaching: when do you persist to do your best and…
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I’ve heard all manner of reasons for why this year is exceptionally difficult. I’m a believer in the Daily Five. It makes sense, it’s based on research – brain research AND literacy research. I saw my students grow. But I feel that it is time to give it up. The message I’ve been getting is…
After An Educator's Journey 