Middle grades teachers whose students are the most engaged in learning and the least disruptive are the teachers who make the most of student grouping. The most effective teachers in our building have four group default settings that they use continually. Their students know each formation by name and can fall into each at a
Good community relations and high quality learning are hallmarks of school success. But with the increased competition from charter schools and private schools, public schools can no longer rely on their “good standing” in the community to draw students and maintain community support. When public relations became a major component of my school’s agenda, we
Middle grades educators would have to live on another planet not to be aware of initiatives involving the Common Core State Standards, teacher accountability, and PreK–12 state achievement tests. How do we sort through the good, the bad, and the ugly to provide optimal educational experiences for our students, manifest the values of This We Believe,
Read More… from The Common Core: The Good, the Bad, the Possible