I live my ambition; I am a teacher. My days are spent in a light-filled classroom, opening to a cheery garden, a seagull’s cry from the great Pacific Ocean. Over these many years my students have walked from my classroom out into the great world, creating their own unique imprint with their footprints. As a […]
As another academic year begins, and students settle into the rhythm of school, I am reminded of how teaching isn’t just a noble profession. It is for most educators, indeed a calling. A calling that challenges them to link the present with the future, by preparing our nation’s most important asset for a life we […]
Persistence, grit, and mental muscle, are just a few of the many terms being bandied about in educational circles today. Often associated with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), these terms frequently are used to convey the tenacity and deep effort that these rigorous standards require. While it is true that in order to meet […]
As a long-time educator, my excitement about new beginnings generally emerges in August with the arrival of a new school year. I love seeing the eagerness, joy, and anticipation in the eyes of teachers, students and parents as they embark on yet another 180-day odyssey into the world of learning. I have always believed […]
By Jack Jennings, Center on Education Policy Excerpt: For half a century, external remedies have been tried and are not sufficient. If American education is to see major improvement, it is time to concentrate on the core components of what happens in the classroom—who is teaching, what is being taught, and how those key elements […]