10.27.20 How to be an anti-racist teacher: Focus on humanity What was it that called you to teaching? Was it a dream of being overworked and underpaid? I didn’t think so. You came to this profession because you care about humanity, about the things that... Read more
10.26.20 Effective school leadership in the age of COVID: How to support teachers and help kids grow Douglas Fisher knows how powerful it can be for students when school leaders create the right support infrastructures for teachers. He’s an education professor at San Diego State University... Read more
10.22.20 7 ways to use ZPD and scaffolding to challenge and support students In my last post, we covered the basics on ZPD: what it is, why it matters, and how to identify it for each student. That was ZPD 101. (Bill Amend, of FoxTrot fame, must read this blog regularly... Read more
10.20.20 How to be an anti-racist teacher: Reduce bias in your curriculum In my previous post, I explained how I’m redesigning my curriculum this year to give more equitable access to all my students. This big shift—Shift #1 in my year-long effort to rethink my... Read more
10.19.20 4 teaching bright spots—from a teacher desperate for silver linings Last spring, my son’s kindergarten teacher—who is also my colleague and friend—said, “I always tell my students, when life gives you lemons, you can either make a sour face, or you can... Read more
10.13.20 How to be an anti-racist teacher: Redesign your curriculum to improve access The work of anti-racist teaching—just like other aspects of your practice—is never really done. It requires constant inquiry. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world and... Read more
10.12.20 The challenges of building a diverse and effective educator workforce: An excerpt from Testing America’s Freedom The truth about education in this country can be hard to stomach. But in our new podcast series, Testing America’s Freedom, Aaliyah Samuel faces that uncomfortable reality. She’s the executive... Read more
10.6.20 3 ways to start building an anti-racist teaching practice Although we’ve only been living with coronavirus for what seems like a short time, it has exposed even more starkly the inequities present in the United States. Already researchers have... Read more
10.5.20 SEL for district leaders in 2 easy steps: Self-care and relationship building When I was 13, my family moved to Miami, Florida. About eight weeks after we landed, on August 24, 1992, so did Hurricane Andrew. One of only four Category 5 hurricanes to strike land in the US,... Read more
10.1.20 11 resources to support unfinished math learning The trial by fire of online learning last spring showcased how creative, resilient, and dedicated teachers are. We know this school year will bring more challenges and unknowns. Teachers will... Read more
9.29.20 “Grade-level” text for kindergarten and first grade: More on how reading is a team sport If you’re a reading teacher, I’m sure you’re hearing loud and clear that we need to teach all kids with complex, grade-level text. Access to that text is an equity issue. But wait: What... Read more
9.24.20 Getting it right: Educators share 4 best practices for remote testing As schools and districts continue to administer MAP® Growth™ and MAP® Reading Fluency™ to students learning remotely, several share-worthy strategies have emerged to ensure remote testing... Read more