When I talk to other teachers about personalized learning, I always share how difficult it was for me at the beginning (and sometimes it still is). There are always challenges with anything, especially when it’s new, and personalized learning is no different. This philosophy allows for a lot of student freedom, self-regulation, and choice, which… Continue reading Letting Go of Control in Your Classroom
Tag: student choice
Indoctrination
Indoctrination is a powerful word. The concept of teaching a group of people to accept your beliefs without question has an air of force to it. So much so, that to think of it happening to you is kind of frightening. As of late, I’ve seen this word used in several accusations towards teachers, publicly… Continue reading Indoctrination
Risky Business
My experience in education hasn’t been long, being that I’ll enter my 6th year in August, but it has been full of change and growth. The evolution I’ve gone through has been extensive, including philosophical changes, shifts in my mindset, and entirely new instructional practices. When I reflect on my growth, it’s exciting to see… Continue reading Risky Business
The Missing Half of RTI/MTSS
Response to Intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) are two acronyms (of many) that are well known and widely accepted in education circles. The pyramidal structure of these models is one that most practicing educators are familiar with, and have used in their careers and classrooms. MTSS is the newer, updated version of… Continue reading The Missing Half of RTI/MTSS
Bringing Tough Topics into the Classroom
I often get asked how I approach certain topics with my 6th grade students. It should come as no surprise that I spend quite a lot of my time thinking about and discussing education, and that it comes up in conversation with people in my day to day life. When I share some of the… Continue reading Bringing Tough Topics into the Classroom
The Passion Project
This school year, much of my focus has been on student empowerment. My district has undergone some massive shifts, all centralized around the concept of personalized learning. It has been a powerful overhaul, and one that has involved a lot of time and effort from devoted teachers. A majority of us have taken huge steps… Continue reading The Passion Project
Reading Motivation
English language arts teachers are faced with a myriad of challenging tasks, from critical literacy skills to grammatical understanding. A unique, yet equally difficult, undertaking involves motivating our students to read, which is complicated even further as students enter adolescence. By the middle grades, those students who have been consistently reluctant as readers often view… Continue reading Reading Motivation
On Compliance [Part 1: Wait for Directions]
I’ve heard many conversations lately surrounding the new generation of students that are just now entering college or the workforce. They are venturing out on their own for the first time and attempting to find their way. It’s exciting for them to enter into this newfound independence, and many of them are bright-eyed and enthusiastic… Continue reading On Compliance [Part 1: Wait for Directions]
Who are you as a writer?
I’ve been considering this question for some time, even more after hearing Pernille Ripp’s “Creating Passionate Writers” talk at nErDcampMI. It’s such a complex question with many facets, and one that took a lot of inner reflection and consideration to answer. Mainly because, until I really sat down and started allowing myself to write freely,… Continue reading Who are you as a writer?
What REALLY happens when you give students choice & voice in the classroom
Recently, my district has been making a shift toward a more personalized learning structure for our students. As part of this, we have implemented a variety of pieces of the personalized learning honeycomb. As professionals, we are each implementing new aspects into our classrooms, moving at our own paces. To be quite honest, I’ve been… Continue reading What REALLY happens when you give students choice & voice in the classroom
Curriculum Coffee 