This picture above was originally a background image for a presentation I was giving. I included it quickly and without much thought. It was taken in a classroom at Brownsville Collegiate Middle Academy in 2012-2013. I’m embarrassed to tell you I don’t even know who the teacher was. But I found myself unexpectedly talking about it…
Today a section from a technique you might describe as a ‘fundamental’: The Do Now. The best part of it, to me, is the examples (see below). One key thing to remember with a Do Now is the speedy review. When I see Do Nows go wrong it’s most often because a teacher loses track of…
TNTP has a new study out this week, a retrospective analysis of their Fast Start training program which set out to change the odds–and the thinking–on first year teachers. In the words of Tim Daly, hiring 1st-year teachers had become “like ‘Survivor,’ where only a few thrive….” and in fact where the failure rate of new…
Blogging represents the overlap of three of my interests: writing, data and embarrassing proof reading errors. I jot some thoughts–occasionally after considered rumination but more often quickly while the idea is burning and, really, just before my next meeting. And then I get to see how people react. Do they read it? Do they comment? Do…
I recently posted on making Turn and Talks more efficient. Thanks for all the positive responses. I wanted to add this quick follow-up to talk about how to make Turn and Talk rigorous and overcome its pitfalls. What? you ask, Pitfalls? in Turn and Talk?? Turn and Talk involves lots of kids doing lots of discussing….