It is summer. You can see it in children’s smiling faces. You can see it in the numbers registering on thermometers. And in Atlanta, Georgia, it just got a lot hotter for Atlanta Public Schools’ outgoing superintendents, staff, many of the district’s principals and teachers, and even the state’s governor. Burned the worst are the…
Data Driven Decision Making
What kind of month is May?
May can be a month unlike any other. Leaves fill out the trees. Mosquitoes sing their sweet, bloodthirsty song. Lawnmowers throttle back to life. Sweaters settle in for a long summer’s nap. Students and teachers look to the thinning calendar and—Oh no! How few days are left? There’s so much to do! So much! Noses…
Teaching the Civil War: Are we doing it right?
Fort Sumter. Abraham Lincoln. Jefferson Davis. The Union. The Confederacy. Slavery. Secession. And that’s just the beginning. The American Civil War of 1861-1865 is a unique topic that offers countless approaches and cross-curricular teaching options. From a purely historical standpoint, the Civil War is a goldmine and a labyrinth for any social studies teacher. Important…
Girls and Boys and Math and Science
Stepping into Mrs. G.’s classroom was like stepping into another dimension for me. By merely walking through our adjoining closet, I could appear at the front of her room and quickly get questions answered or share important news. Mrs. G. taught math. I taught language arts. Our classrooms connected. Our subject matter? Not so much….
Data, data everywhere and not a drop to drink
No, this isn’t a post about the love life of a popular Star Trek: The Next Generation character.It’s a post about you and your professional sanity. Recently, I was speaking with a neighbor who is a teacher. After telling her about this new blog and inviting her to send me topical ideas, her eyes grew…