As we work to instill a sense of mindful presence and gratitude in the students who fill our classrooms, may we especially seek gratitude for the presence of others who fill our lives this holiday season. And for those who celebrate Christmas today, may this sentiment be only deepened by the underlying theme of Christmas, the gift of an unrelenting pursuer […]
“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all-time thing…” I write these words of Vince Lombardi after just watching Matt Cassel, playing with his fifth NFL team, throw a terrible floater towards the end zone, resulting in his second interception of the game. So how does Matt Cassel, branded with a losing record, and the Dallas […]
Scaffolding learning for each different layer of understanding in my elementary classroom is one of the hardest things I professionally do. There, I said it. Maybe you can sympathize with me more completely if I tell you about a recent math lesson. By the beginning of 4th grade, students should know all of their basic facts, and we […]
The Common Core Standards are heavily immersed in what is known as “Close Reading.” What is close reading? This publication in Educational Leadership gives a good overview. After reading this, here are three “big ideas” of my own: I agree that getting students to self-question is crucial, and if we want students to independently ask questions that lead […]
So I find myself back here again enjoying the last week long, sun- and dream-filled weeks of summer vacation before the school year starts. Before the happy laughter down the hallway, before the meetings and events pile up, and before the leaves begin to turn and the air grows crisp. I stick my toes a […]
The school year begins and with it comes a renewed sense of enthusiasm. “This year I’m going to try my hand at this,” says the seasoned teacher, always looking to improve. Across the hall, a new teacher excitedly sets up her classroom as thoughts race through her mind, “I can’t wait to do this, and […]
“Because if you have bad habits, then the longer you have it, the harder it will be to undo it.” “Because if you don’t it will become a habit that is hard to break in the future.” “I think this because like he said it is easier for us to learn something than adults so […]
Check out how Chronicle can help make the incorporation of the Common Core Standards a practical part of your daily teaching routine. Powerhouse Education welcomes inquiries regarding how Chronicle can support other educational standards if the Common Core Standards do not apply to you. http://youtu.be/QBFgdxeIaX4
Good teachers need to effectively communicate with their students. However, effectively communicating with more than just the student is often the case in education. With Chronicle’s newest update, when teachers choose to share any multimedia note – perhaps a picture(s) of student work – the “To:” text field of the email automatically populates with those associated […]
So, I’ve been working on trying to help my students be more conscientious about taking neat and detailed notes in science. I know some teachers will collect every student’s science notes and grade them. To be honest though, I just have trouble finding the time. As a general education classroom teacher, I find myself assessing […]
