10. “He’s lazy” 9. “She’s loud” 8. “I’m giving a really big test and they’re not ready for it – that’ll teach ‘em to listen!” 7. “I gave him extra credit for _________” (cleaning, running errands, busywork, etc.) 6. “These kids just don’t want to learn” 5. “I found a great website with all kinds [...]

Sometimes teachers (especially in an inquiry-centered classroom) can get so caught up in running around the room helping students, that we miss the big picture. What would happen if you just observed your students and took notes?  No talking, no running around putting out fires, just watching and listening.  What would you learn about your [...]

This is a second follow-up to my guest post at Dangerously Irrelevant.  Thanks again to Scott McLeod for the opportunity to guest! Twitter commentary on my guest post at Dangerously Irrelevant and a couple of the comments there, made me want to follow up. I teach at one of the poorest schools in the State of Washington.  We are [...]

This is a follow-up to my guest post at Dangerously Irrelevant.  Thanks again to Scott McLeod for the opportunity to guest! The twitter commentary on my guest post at Dangerously Irrelevant, and a couple of the comments found there, I felt the need to follow up. Am I pro-union?  Not necessarily.  Nor am I anti-union. [...]

This is my guest post at Dangerously Irrelevant on 9/25 As a husband, I am accountable to my wife, not to the county in which our marriage license was issued. As a father, I am accountable to my children, not to the State. As a teacher, to whom am I accountable?  Am I accountable to [...]

This is probably the hardest aspect of PBL to describe.  How to explain how to do something that is inquiry?  How to describe something that, by nature, requires student involvement.  The key is the structures. Honestly, this is very much a work in progress for me.  I’m learning how to do this as I go. [...]

I teach kids.  That always comes first and foremost for me.  I don’t teach a content area – a set of knowledge and skill that someone once arbitrarily divided into seperate disciplines (probably a textbook company). That said, I do teach 3 high school classes with traditional labels: biology, chemistry, physics. I am blessed to work [...]