"The Blender Interactive Learning Structure: The Right Ingredient for Engaged Learning" Originally Published on GettingSmart on 10.19.19. I strongly believe that opportunity is the main ingredient needed for students to express their creativity. Let’s face it....
"5 Teaching Habits to Tame Time"(First published here on GettingSmart on 10.30.2014)Something kicks my posterior way too often. It’s a frenemy of mine, you see. Yep, that’s right. FREN-E-MY. Think of polar opposites. Some days are swing and duck, while others are...
(Originally published on gettingsmart.com on September 23, 2013.)Just like many educators, I am always working towards improvement, and my incessant quests for enhanced teaching and professional practices usually stem from a desire for one thing: quality feedback for...
(Originally published on gettingsmart.com on September 10, 2013.)After the first four weeks of school, one truth is clear. The majority of my students are not very fond of writing. As a Language Arts teacher and one who writes for enjoyment, I find this alarming. I...
(Originally published on gettingsmart.com on August 29th, 2013.)I can honestly remember sitting in a high school Language Arts classroom as a sophomore in 1990 and thinking, “Man, there has to be a better way of learning than this.” But I was that pimple-faced,...
(First published on gettingsmart.com on June 20, 2013.)For a teacher, the summer affords so many opportunities for growth. Aside from the pure blessings of family vacations, recuperative time, and challenging, outdoor projects, June and July offer me a chance to...
(Originally published on February 27, 2013, for GettingSmart.com.)Even if you had only attended one class in your entire life, more than likely you have been asked, “Can I borrow a sheet of paper?” Some laid-back, often-tardy-to-school classmate probably gave you...
(First published on GettingSmart.com on February 15, 2013.)For a multitude of reasons, teaching in today’s time is nothing short of exciting. One such reason for so much enthusiasm is the availability of educational technology. It seems every day I discover a new...
"Need to Energize Your Class? Just Add Wax and Be Still" (Originally published at GettingSmart.com on 11/6/12.)There are many ways to mix things up in a classroom and inject enthusiasm. From blended learning to project-based learning to time-tested traditional...