I worked with Yvette King-Berg, an urban school leader, for 20 years in Los Angeles schools. Yvette is the Executive Director of Youth Policy Institute’s Charter Schools (YPI). A primary focus of her leadership is to fully engage students and their families in their academic
A dozen years ago I took on the role of an Instructional Coach in the school of my tiny town I grew up in. I was filled with blind optimism. Imagine Dorothy, post Emerald City, exclaiming “Oh, there’s no place like home!” I showed up
Engagement has become a buzz word in education. Teachers face pressure to keep their students active, but bustle and busyness are not the same as engagement. Worksheets and on-line tutorials may keep learners occupied, but not necessarily engaged. Ramona was happy to play math games
Before I answer this question, I will ask another: Do you have a social media account that allows you to snap and share photos and/or videos, as well as send messages (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)? Thinking Strategically If you do, and you use the platform regularly,
Do you have a lurking suspicion that you are working harder than your students? Do you pore through Pinterest and TeachersPayTeachers, looking for a magic lesson that will engage your kids? Well, stop. There’s a simple fix I’ll get to in a sec. First, let’s be clear
Do mixed mindsets require multiple training styles? There is no denying it. Generational footprints may influence the way teachers relate with other stakeholders, keep up-to-date with their practice and want to teach or be taught. Problem is many times PD is just designed in a traditionalist
Like many teachers today, I sometimes struggle to engage the learners in my classrooms. My competition is fierce; I compete for their attention with technology, with the short attention spans, general distractability of young children, and with fads like Pokemon cards and fidget spinners. To
It’s fine to work on any problem, so long as it generates interesting mathematics along the way—even if you don’t solve it at the end of the day. —Andrew Wiles It seems intuitive that students who are genuinely engaged in a mathematical task will learn the mathematics
In this TEDx Talk author Simon T. Bailey reminds us that the best school leaders invite students to hope. Bailey breaks down the research that became the basis for his book, co-authored by Marceta F. Reilly, Releasing Leadership Brilliance. He tells the story of how
Is student engagement a behavior or a cognitive process? Every industry has its jargon and education is no exception. We throw around words like rigor and relevance, high order thinking, research-based strategies¸ and response to intervention. For a number of reasons, my personal favorite is