by dwalker | Oct 23, 2012 | Blog
School leaders face a significant challenge in implementing new reforms, which seem to come with increasing frequency. While the Common Core Standards hold promise for shaping a deeper, more thoughtful curriculum for students in English Language Arts (and...
by admin | Oct 22, 2012 | Blog
I am a first generation college graduate that grew up in severe city poverty. I wasn’t one of these children that didn’t know they were poor; I knew at a very young age. I was aware of labels that people shared to describe me from the time I was five. My mother...
by dwalker | Oct 22, 2012 | Blog
Everywhere you turn there is information about the Common Core. Educational reformers are pinning their hopes on this new curriculum framework, that by focusing on depth instead of breadth, and by articulating a set of rigorous standards for student learning,...
by jmosier | Jun 19, 2012 | Blog
As part of CTL’s book study for the FOCUS IN HIGH SCHOOL MATHEMATICS REASONING & SENSE MAKING, this is the seventh in the series of those blog posts. This post expands our thinking to the Middle grades instruction to ask ourselves, how are those youngsters...
by smcneely | Jun 12, 2012 | Blog
I’m all about a good thinking prompt, so I decided to put my head to end of the year reflective questions that could stir teacher thinking in those final days of school. Here’s the list I’ve come up with: What was the most successful lesson you...
by dwalker | Jun 8, 2012 | Blog
In December I posted about school principals providing instructional leadership to support implementation of the Common Core Standards. My point was that beyond alignment, issues of effective pedagogy need to be addressed if the standards are to make a difference to...
by admin | Jun 5, 2012 | Blog
Teachers love getting new strategies and when I provide teacher professional development I like to please my customers, but I am disappointed when I overhear teachers planning to immediately use a strategy I have provided and there is no mention of how it will enhance...
by admin | Jun 1, 2012 | Blog
When I began my career as a coach in 1995 I was thrown in with no training. Back then my title was technical assistance coach. I was given twenty-four schools to support and my charge was to help them implement a new program that required the teaching staff to make...
by admin | May 29, 2012 | Blog
With Memorial Day weekend upon us, I’m thinking about relaxing by a pool or in the shade with a delicious book–which brings back fond memories of my childhood summer reading adventures. A few months ago, I came across a piece in School Library Journal for...
by aperkins | May 25, 2012 | Blog
Across the United States we have teachers, schools and/or districts on varying levels of implementation in regards to the implementation of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. Some are preparing to implement while others are partially or fully...
