I started a book study (The Burnout Cure by Chase Mielke) this week with 30 other educators around the region and our focus was on how much of our happiness is based on (1) Genetics; (2) Circumstances; and (3) Intentional…
Author: Kris VanDuyne
Never stop learning
The search for the perfect lesson is one of the most exciting things in education, in my opinion. Whether your students are 4 or 94, the art of teaching is very much still alive in our current climate of high-stakes…
Moving forward
The stress level of students, families, teachers, staff, and administrators this year seems to be at epic levels. The combination of students back in the classroom full time who need to be reacclimated to learning after 18 months and a…
Give kids grace
I recently read a school started a new policy: kids who arrived late spent much of the day sitting in the auditorium as a punishment for the tardiness. My reaction to the article was one of sadness. The past four…
Time to start something new
March 2019 seems like it was one hundred years ago and all the changes our lives went through since then are unfathomable. Now we are back in the classrooms working harder than ever to regain the school spirit and sense…
Formative assessments are key to learning
I recently facilitated a workshop focused on formative assessments and was reminded how crucial these tools are in the classroom. Every lesson needs this gauge for teachers and students to measure the level of learning occurring. Summative, unit exams, are…
Distressed students deserve respect
As students and teachers are returning to in-person learning 5 days a week, it is clear the past 18 months have left an enduring impact on the souls of kids and adults. Emotional needs are higher than ever as teachers balance…
What’s Your Leadership Story?
ASCD recently published the article, Writing a Personal Leadership Philosophy Will Make You a Better Leader, which detailed the importance and steps of creating a Philosophy Statement to guide the journey. After leading the article, I was intrigued to start…
Vocabulary is life
I would probably cringe at the number of different methods taught for vocabulary exposure over my 17-year career. From rote memorization (yes… I did this in early years!) to word walls that looked great, but didn’t really have an impact.…
Homework: the great unequal force
The debate over assigning homework is a contentious one with arguments on either side. Who is missing from this equation? The view of students, in my opinion. The Pandemic has changed our learning model in several ways – hybrid, virtual…