5.12.22 3 ways to activate your multilingual students’ superpowers The population of multilingual learners is growing in our schools, yet we have not fully tapped into the assets these children bring. Instead, these students are often defined only by the languages... Read more
5.10.22 Teaching your why: Knowing—and sharing—your motivation matters As a young child, I dreamt of being a teacher. I loved school and idolized many of my teachers. I played school at home, teaching my dolls how to add, mimicking the daily chalkboard assignments,... Read more
5.5.22 5 ways to check classroom assessment processes for quality I still remember the times I felt tricked by a quiz or test when I was growing up. The test I took to get my driving permit was particularly memorable, and not in a good way. I thought I did all the... Read more
5.3.22 How joke telling (yup, joke telling) lifted spirits and strengthened my school’s community You’ve read it before, seen the research, heard the podcasts: laughter is good for you! According to some recent research, it’s not only good for you physically but also for your mental and... Read more
4.29.22 #SummerLearningChat surfaces 4 ideas for addressing opportunity gaps exacerbated by the pandemic It was great to see such a strong turnout for our recent NWEA Policy and Advocacy Twitter chat on summer learning. We loved hearing what this group of engaged and informed educators and experts had... Read more
4.28.22 How would you talk about math, if the answer weren’t the focus? This year, I tried something revolutionary in my middle school math class: I took away their pencils, rearranged their chairs in a circle, and had a conversation. About math. I didn’t invent... Read more
4.26.22 10 ways for teachers and parents to communicate better about assessments For many educators, the end of the school year is near, which includes navigating how to communicate a lot of information with parents and other caregivers. High school teachers are in the midst... Read more
4.22.22 What’s happening with data and assessment in teacher prep programs? We asked an expert As the director of policy and advocacy at NWEA, and a former teacher, I love engaging in meaningful conversations about how to improve public education, particularly around the use of data and... Read more
4.21.22 Make it memorable: 6 ways the pandemic changed my teaching Most teachers would agree that teaching over the last two years has been challenging. That may even be an understatement. We navigated uncharted waters and pushed ourselves to accomplish the... Read more
4.19.22 Decisions, data, and doing the science of reading The science of reading is the converging evidence of what matters and what works in early literacy instruction. In previous posts, I’ve recapped what the evidence says about effectively supporting... Read more
4.14.22 Leading up to MAP Growth: 20 tips for families MAP® Growth™ is an interim assessment given to K–12 students that provides data to help teachers teach, students learn, and administrators lead. As testing day nears, teachers help their... Read more
4.12.22 A tale of two English classes: What teaching taught me about school leadership A few years ago, our NWEA executive team retreat was held at a resort near Oregon’s Mt. Hood. One morning I was walking through the parking lot to the conference building nestled in the mountain... Read more