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…
Time to start something new
Tag: common core
This I believe…
The role of the educators is to empower future generations of students to live productive lives and to solve complex problems with empathy and compassion. The world is increasingly interconnected; thus our students need a global point of view far…
Compassion, Passion and Knowledge
To start off Summer vacation, I am reading @casas_jimmy‘s book, Culturize, and came across a story from @NicholasFerroni: “Teachers can’t replace parents, but so many students are saved by teachers who assume the role when there is a vacancy. I…
Teaching: Scattered, Smothered or Covered?
I am currently reading Start. Right. Now: Teach and Lead for Excellence by Todd Whitaker, Jeffrey Zoul and Jimmy Casas As teachers, we have a myriad of duties to focus on daily. How we focus on the present determines if we…
Coaching vs fixing: a shift in mindset
I follow Jimmy Casas (@casas_jimmy) on Twitter, enjoy reading his education books and also had the privilege of hearing him speak recently. This post today hit home: As Lead Teacher for our Social Studies Department, I have the opportunity to…
My case against giving a zero
At the beginning of my career, I believed firmly in the power of a zero to teach students accountability and used it no matter the circumstances. My philosophy changed after I learned a valuable lesson from a student. A young…
Balancing Act: Content and Skills
“The primary purpose of Social Studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.” (adapted from the National…
Sage to Guide: Active Learning
Person: “Oh, you are a teacher? What subject do you teach?” Me: “Social Studies” Person: “Ugh, I hated Social Studies in school. I love history as an adult, though!” This exchange happens quite often to me and is frustrating. Not…
Shifting Away From Textbooks
“We must get beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths… and tell the world the glories of our journey.” ~ John Hope John Hope was a Civil Rights activist during the 1920s-30s. He recognized the story beyond the textbook was…
What is the Social Studies Framework?
If you google the phrase “Common Core”, a list of opinions varying from incredibly positive to the worst educational decision ever will fill your screen. I won’t get into that debate at all – many others before me and after…