Often in my presentations with teachers, instructional coaches and leaders, I focus on the belief that our real goal is teaching how to learn our content rather than teaching our content. Instrumental music teachers know they can’t teach you to play the instrument, they can teach you how to learn to play. If the young […]

While reading an article this week about “unschooling” I pondered how some of the statements made by students and parents provide thoughtful points as teachers plan for the start of the new school year: “Being bored makes school miserable for a lot of kids, plus there is the element of compulsion, which completely changes any […]

This week I was working with a group of Arkansas educators examining the impacts of the Common Core Curriculum on their approach to teaching. We explored creativity and critical think skills as elements of desired learning outcomes. From the 21st Century Partnership site, we examined the need for Learning and Innovation skills: “Learning and innovation […]

As I continue to work with faculties implementing Professional Learning Communities, I have found that giving PLCs some guiding questions can deepen the quality of their early conversations and speed the way to insights and ideas for change.Insights and ideas create an energy and enthusiasm that encourage participation so that the value of time invested […]

In the April 30th edition of Education Week, Sean Cavanagh shares that students can improve mathematical skills while playing board games [Playing Games in Classroom Helping Pupils Grasp Math]. Exposing youngsters from low income backgrounds to simple board games that involved counting produced lasting gains in understanding of numbers. Young people learn a great deal […]

This week, I was working with one group of high school teachers looking at the need to differentiate teaching strategies. I was working with another exploring how to make the most effective use of a 90 minute block schedule. I also worked with an entire K-12 district looking at learning communities. During the entire week, […]