In my mad search for materials as we returned from our recent holiday break, I happened upon an opinion piece that I’d written to apply for a spot as a guest columnist at a local circular a couple of years ago. I skimmed through it and was surprised to see that, even after two more… Continue reading Teacher evaluations and student testing: pitfalls and proposed solutions
Here’s what I put into a large tote bag when I took my classes to a museum this morning: 1 field trip proposal 1 signed principal approval page 1 signed museum agreement 1 transportation request form 14 completed chaperone forms (minimum ratio of 1 chaperone per 10 kids) 94 completed permission slips (with sections for… Continue reading Why don’t teachers take kids on field trips anymore?
There’s a growing trend to want to treat schools as businesses – from pay-for-performance evaluations and ratings systems to the redesign and restructuring of districts and central offices, teachers are the line or office workers, and principals and superintendents are the bosses and CEOs. Before this goes any further, I want to point out a… Continue reading 3 reasons we can’t treat schools as businesses
It all comes down to trust. One of my roommates is a teacher, and some of her teacher friends from a different part of the state came to visit her this weekend. Naturally, I spent our Sunday morning time at the breakfast table bringing up issues in education. Good conversation was had. As one new… Continue reading Building trust among students and educators
