Sometimes you just want to break up the monotony of class work and assessment like a demolition team breaks up an old high rise. Dynamiting your lesson plans is a drastic measure. You’ll need them tomorrow. But wouldn’t it be nice if, just for today, you could demolish a standard-issue, prewritten unit test and replace…
worksheets
When the Audience Does the Work
“On that note, if there are no more questions, please get started on pages 28 through 32 in your workbooks.” It was that sort of thing which brought grumbling and groaning from my students. If there was one thing they hated about Mr. Savelle’s class, it was that point at which I stopped talking, they…
Worth Its Weight in Gold
Stop and think for a moment about what makes your job easier as a teacher. There are some things you can control, but there are plenty you cannot. And so you are left trying to do your best with the tools you are given. This got me thinking about all the teachers who stop me…
That August Mentality
How did I get ready to head back into my classroom as the new school year loomed? By tackling the pile of papers and artifacts left over from the day I brought everything home in June, of course. I was a pro teacher, after all. It was never a huge pile, and nothing had been…
Four Ways to Encourage Summer Skill-Building
I mentioned in my last post that my wife and I were deep in the throes of making sure our kids stay busy this summer. From a two-week summer road trip to a Saturday afternoon at the natural history museum, we want them to have a memorable summer. At the same time, we want our…