TL;DR: For students, being able to organize one’s schedule and keeping track of assignments is a life skill. Being organized is a learned skill that takes some students more time to conquer than others. Students should feel accomplished after mastering organization skills, especially in virtual school. This post includes PDF copies of virtual organizers for students. As a former educator, … Read More
Preheat Your Grill
TL;DR: Grab students’ attention, interest, and curiosity to increase engagement. As you start planning your next lesson, think of ways to preheat your grill and hook students into your lessons. Give students a reason to look forward to coming back to class the next day. ‘Preheat your grill’ by using different virtual backgrounds, implementing scavenger hunts, and getting students moving. … Read More
Using the Lessons of the Pandemic to Improve PD
TL;DR: We can use lessons learned in the pandemic to make improvements on professional development (PD). Improve PD by focusing on lifelong learning, considering an EdCamp or Facebook PD, or attending a Twitter chat. So in the words of the #EduDuctTape podcast, I am about to get out my soapbox. How many times have you sat at a staff meeting … Read More
How Can Schools Build a Roadmap for the Future?
TL;DR: As school teams begin to build a roadmap for the future, they should identify priority standards and learning targets. It is also important that they establish common formative assessments. The strongest instructional plan is based on the needs of the learners and the experience of professional educators. “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get … Read More
‘Tis the Season
TL;DR: Try to enjoy every moment as much as you can. If things are difficult, know it will pass eventually. And if it’s good, savor it because it won’t last forever. This has been a year. This has been a season. ‘Tis the season…the sun is coming soon. Raise your hand if you are excited it’s March. Honestly, I don’t love … Read More
