Mental Health IS Health
Mental Health IS Health Educators know that mental health issues existed before the pandemic, and there have always been issues. Enter the pandemic, and all problems, from learning gaps to mental health needs for students and teachers, were exasperated. Time, effort, and funds have been poured into school districts to help combat the impact of […]
Don’t Bridge the Gap; build a New Road: Combatting Learning Loss in 2023
Don’t Bridge the Gap; Build a New Road: Combatting Learning Loss in 2023 Learning loss existed before Covid-19, and there was a definite learning gap before the pandemic. Covid-19 widened that gap and shined a bright light on what’s happening in K-12 education. The silver lining to all of this is now we know, or […]
Engage and Grow
A common question among K-12 education is, “how do we engage our students?” Students in 2022 have a large variety of learning tools and resources that allow them to do the basics of fundamental learning while also allowing them to participate in STEM projects and tour landmarks virtually, such as The Smithsonian, as well as […]
The Importance of Planning Professional Learning Communities
“Professional Learning Communities” is not a new educational concept. However, essential strategies must be implemented to make them more effective. Being a district that has seen the evolution of PLCs, there are immediate strategies that should be implemented. Consider the following when evaluating the effectiveness of a PLC in a school or district. Agendas- The […]
Gratitude for Education Partners
A significant part of my work involves supporting high school teachers and helping them do their things well. Typically, this support consists of using instructional practices, assessing students, classroom management strategies, and implementing digital and traditional content resources. Ultimately, my support is designed to impact the learning experiences of students in a positive way. To […]
Dear Stakeholders, Thank you.
Dear Stakeholders, Thank you. Being thankful is a life skill that everyone should practice every day. We all have something to be grateful for. The Thanksgiving holiday is just around the corner, and a heightened sense of gratitude comes with this holiday. With everything there is to be thankful for, there’s no doubt that teachers […]
The Importance of Parent Resources
Educating a student typically includes three parties: The teacher, the student, and the parent or guardian. Education changes all of the time. Curriculum, resources, and, indeed, technology have changed over the years and continue to do so. Parent resources are essential because, for example, many parents were not taught the style of Math in the […]
Facilitating Learning vs. Teaching
Teaching is often described as a professional practice with dispositions and beliefs in both the humanist and the scientist. Most notably, this binary was identified as part of the popular consciousness view of education by C.P. Snow in his work The Two Cultures. It is important to note that Snow’s premise sees this separation as a false […]
Teacher Modeling
While sitting in a driver’s education class is essential, no one knows how to drive a car until they experience physically driving a car. The process of both teaching and learning takes time and practice, and it is best applied when there is someone there helping you along the way. This person is a “model” […]
Classroom Communities: Building a Successful Classroom
Teresa Marchant Structural Engineers are experts in the construction field. They ensure that buildings will stand the test of time. For example, construction workers install footings before pouring the foundation. Footings are what have to contact with the ground and ultimately support the building. Similarly, educators build classroom communities. From my experience, four main footings […]
Engagement by Design and the Power of Intentionality
Craig Perrier A collection of topics and ideas in education project an aura of timelessness. You know this select core of terms like assessment, instruction, relationships, and standards. They have driven education and been impacted by the field’s shifting landscape. But, among this conceptual canon exists a practice that simultaneously underlies and often eludes the […]
An Educator’s Summer
While students are away from school this summer, many educators will become students. They will participate in various learning opportunities offered through their district or other educational institutions over the next few months. This time will allow them to become familiar with their curriculum and tools and build community support. Last week, my district […]
Moving Up The Ladder Together: Thoughts on How to Prevent Summer Slide
Summer slide is the tendency for students, especially those from low-income families, to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year. Research indicates that 2.5 months of reading and 2.5 months of math skills are lost over a summer. Are there exceptions? Of course. Is summer slide” typical? Absolutely. The […]
Prevention of Summer Slide
Teresa Marchant As students hang up their backpacks and head into Summer, educators worry about how their students will spend this time away from school. We fear that our students that have made progress during the school year will return to school in the fall without retaining all skills from the prior year. Knowing that […]
Social-Emotional Learning and Data that Matters
COVID 19 has pushed into the spotlight one aspect of education focuses on student well-being. That this has always been an important, necessary topic to devote time and resources to goes without saying. But, COVID 19, as significant events tend to do, elevated what was on the margins of our attention and made Social Emotional […]
Consistency is Key
Consistency is Key Life can get pretty monotonous, but the routines that we have to provide structure and purpose to our lives. They give us a foundation, ground us, and keep us focused on our goals. What is consistency? Consistency is being intentional about your routines and expectations. It is building habits through everyday actions […]
Using Data Wisely in the Education Market
Using Data Wisely in the Education Market Generally, school administrators look for the overall school performance, class information, and individual students’ scores to help determine the implementation of new programs, allocate resources, and staffing all by using data wisely. As learning standards are revised on a state and local level, it becomes necessary to review […]
Supporting Student Well-Being
One of my roles in my district is to serve as a sponsor and facilitator for a student advisory committee to the superintendent to support student well-being. Each high school selects a delegation to represent the voice of their school’s student body on topics of interest identified by district leadership. Students do their best to […]
Crossing the Bridge from Learning Loss to Learning Gains & The Future
Many schools, in many places, are still struggling with the question: how do we catch up? There’s not an easy answer to this; we know that. However, if we’re going to make sure students find success, it’s essential to take a closer look at both learning loss and learning gains. Like many other regions, the […]
Problem Solving Technology for K-12 Schools
Problem Solving Technology for K-12 Schools Education + Technology = The Future. We’ve seen this equation come to life and evolve over the last two years, as virtual learning has become necessary for teachers and students everywhere. Technology cannot only bring learning and text to life for students, but it also can solve some of […]
How Timing and Ed. Tech Made Teaching and Learning Better
By Craig Perrier Title 1, Large district, Urban, 9-12 It had been just 20 months after laptops were introduced to each student and those pre-COVID years seem nostalgic. The pre 1:1 experience, however, seems like a century ago. This is largely because what was perceived as a radical change in teaching and learning or something […]
The Decisions and Impacts of School Choice 2021
Meredith Biesinger Title 1, Small district, Rural/Town district, K-12 Once upon a time, there used to be limited K-12 education options for students and their families. However, so many options are available that it can be overwhelming for families to decide on the best fit for their child. It can also be equally overwhelming for […]
School Choice Enrollment
Teresa Marchant Title 1, Medium district, Suburban, K-6 Why this Topic is Important Parents who homeschool are not public education’s enemies. However, there needs to be an open discussion of its impact on schools. The loss of enrollment means failing state and federal dollars for schools. Those funds are essential to run programs, pay for […]
Seeing Now as a way to Better
Craig Perrier Title 1, Large district, Urban, 9-12 About a month into this school year, a colleague shared clarifying and jarring sentiments. He said, “it feels like we are acting as if everything is normal again.” His comment gave me immediate pause. And as I mentally scanned the current landscape of our school system – […]