Last night, a former librarian whom I’ve gotten to know through FB, posted an article about how the library did not close in Baltimore during the height of the unrest. I found this almost spiritual in its significance. Libraries to me are filled with hope and meaning. The library also stayed open in Ferguson during […]
Recess and Behavior Problems: Foolproof Methods to Help Students Succeed
This will be my last post for those teachers who asked what they could do to deal with a student’s behavior if they didn’t use recess as a carrot for behavior. Troubling student behavior in today’s overcrowded, diverse classrooms is a huge problem for many teachers. I struggled even with smaller class sizes in special […]
Recess and Behavior Problems Part II: How to Use Behavior Modification Caringly
So what do you do with the tough kid who drives the class crazy with their behavior when you can’t use recess as a carrot? When I say “behavior modification” a lot of people will run out of the room. There is something unsavory about the idea of controlling behavior. Most of us, for example, […]
Recess and Behavior Problems Part I: Attitude Adjustment
My recent post “If You’re a Teacher Who Denies Recess…” raised some questions about what a teacher could do if they couldn’t use recess as a bargaining chip to get students to complete their work and/or behave. I thought it was important for me to address these problems. My attempt here is to show that […]
Dueling Disabilities and the Hijacking of Special Education Services
Senate education committee members recently argued about an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, put forward by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. The amendment was to provide teachers with training to work with students with dyslexia. It turned into a dispute between parent groups and policymakers. No one seemed to realize that special education […]
The Day I Met Jeb Bush, and Why He Earns an F in Education
Years ago I met Jeb Bush under rather unusual circumstances. It was before he was governor and during the time his father was running for President. When I met him I liked him. He struck me as a genuine person. Unfortunately, today, like he grades public schools, I’d give him an F in education. There […]
If You’re a Teacher Who Denies Recess…
If you are a teacher in a school where children are lucky enough to get recess, please don’t use it as a disciplinary tool. Don’t deny students with behavioral issues recess for punishment. If you do, not only will you not be doing right by your students, you will risk looking like you know little […]
Real Problems in Education and Teachers Who Cheat
In Memphis, a man who was helping an elderly woman into her car was attacked by a group of young people at a gas station across the street from a school. In another part of town a mom worries about gang retaliation at her child’s high school. Memphis is not alone. No matter what city […]
Students Can’t Hide From Common Core No Matter What School they Attend
The more I read about Common Core and education reform, the more I am convinced that one of the most important issues is that all students will have to be instructed with these standards if they choose to attend college. A misconception exists about students in private or parochial schools being lucky that they won’t […]
Pinpointing Reading Disabilities to Help Students Succeed
Reading disabilities exist. Research in neuroscience is showing this to be true, and public schools and special education should be on the front lines working to remediate these deficits and helping children to adapt so they can be successful in school. One serious drawback for students with disabilities, in the one-size-fits-all class, is that they […]