news & tips for teachers
News & Tips for Teachers
All About Integrity
July 13th, 2011
In my next life I want to come back as someone with no integrity. It seems like those who have the least integrity garish the most rewards in this life. Case in point- Steve Lodge- ex police chief of Santa Clara County, …
Turning Japanese, I Really Think So
July 12th, 2011
Several months ago, my son began a new obsession: Japan. It all started with news reports of the earthquakes and tsunami. He’s always been interested in geography, but this gave him a specific place – one he previously knew nothing about – …
Mr. D Sticks in my Memory
July 12th, 2011
During Teacher Appreciation Week, I thought it would be fun to share about a teacher from my own past. Robert D’Andrea was my social studies teacher in seventh grade back in New Jersey. Like so many people around me during the earlier …
25 Things That Have Names You Will Probably Not Need to Know
July 12th, 2011
My kids love the obscure and the unusual. I can teach them the parts of the water cycle or carbon cycle till I am blue but if I mention one crazy name for an animal or phenomenon and they remember that even …
The Effect of Glee
July 7th, 2011
It comes as no surprise to students who are or were ever a part of a school choir; singing has always been cool. The success of the hit television show “Glee”, which has refocused the national spotlight on school music programs, has …
Bravo Capitol One!
July 5th, 2011
I opened my Capitol One credit card statement this month and there he was – Alec Baldwin. Baldwin is the celebrity spokesperson for Americans for the Arts and he is working with Capitol One to increase funding for arts programs across the …
Fire and Water
July 4th, 2011
My Father lives in Los Alamos New Mexico and I live 5 miles from the Missouri River. One location this summer was dealing with the largest forest fire in New Mexico history and the other was facing a 100+ year flood event, …
Summer Science Projects
July 4th, 2011
From July through the middle of August I am working on a variety of projects that mostly involve curriculum and lesson planning. Like my kids I need more activity. With a little creativity and some fun web sites I think I can …
The Learning Gap
June 27th, 2011
I was having lunch with a colleague of mine who is retiring in a few days. “So, what will you do with all your free time now?” I asked her. “I’m going to take a course or a class.” She replied. “I …
Choice as a Magic Bullet?
June 23rd, 2011
I previously lauded a Slate article by Richard Kahlenberg that pointed out problems with Michelle Rhee’s credo and its lack of emphasis on inequality. However, his latest Edweek article makes some specious claims about the ability of school choice to improve equity …
Your Summer To Do List
June 23rd, 2011
The best time to update a course, curriculum or even just lessons is in early summer. We have a clear view of what worked, the motivation to put in a bit of work on the task and we are aware of how …
Misinformation
June 23rd, 2011
Despite all the technology and “transparency” that increased communication has brought us, the misconceptions regarding the teaching profession continue to thrive. Just today I received a Facebook post which stated that the teaching profession is pretty good- after all “your job is …
Floods and Science
June 20th, 2011
The water in my part of the country is everywhere this year. The Mighty Missouri River has gone wild. My students are fascinated by the power of water and seem to be amazed at how much damage a flood can cause. This …
Give Yourself a Whack on the Head
June 20th, 2011
The summer offers a great opportunity for us to spend time working on ourselves, exploring creative endeavors and honing our skills. It is an excellent time to work on enhancing our creativity and add to our creative problem solving toolbox. As arts …
Just When You thought it Couldn’t Get Worse
June 16th, 2011
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse……….. At the risk of writing what some may view as a complaint column, I’d like to share something that took place in my life this week regarding the upcoming school year. I just …
Summer Vacation
June 9th, 2011
School’s out!! At least for many of us, that is. So now that we have the summer before us, how will you use your time to revitalize your skills, amp up your creativity and advance your own arts learning? As much …
Thank you Paul Farhi and The Washington Post—-
June 6th, 2011
In the May 22, 2011, Outlook Section of The Washington Post contained a column titled “5 Myths about fixing America’s Schools” by Paul Farhi that is one of the few articles in the mainstream press to focus accurately on public education in …
The Biology of Hair and Forensic Science
June 6th, 2011
I hate to admit that I have been following the Casey Anthony case on TV. There is method in my madness though. The discussion of the forensics of hair is a great way to teach some interesting inquiry, biology and chemistry. Fifteen …
Learning First Alliance Urges U.S. Secretary of Education to Provide Regulatory Relief
June 2nd, 2011
The intent of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in its current form is to ensure that all students are held to high achievement standards and that there is accountability for every student’s success. The Learning First Alliance has long applauded …
Animal Art
June 2nd, 2011
Last year in Southern Utah an art competition was held. Two fine artists, Daphne and Holly created paintings that sold for $450.00 and $355.00. Nothing remarkable except that the two lady painters were pigs- the four footed kind. At Best Friends Animal …
Solar Summer Fun
June 1st, 2011
Many of us will be teaching or helping at science and math camps this summer. Most have their curriculum set but in case you need some good ideas or some ideas to test this summer and insert into your curriculum for next …
First Do No Harm
May 29th, 2011
While trying to take one step in the right direction, the state of California is taking ten steps back down the educational ladder. Assembly Bill 1330, currently in the legislature, would allow California high school students to substitute one year of vocational …
More Colored Pencils Please
May 25th, 2011
At the end of every semester I ask my students to complete an evaluation sheet about the class; their challenges, favorite, least favorite projects, three things that they learned about themselves, etc. When they choose to complete it honestly, it provides a …
Ending the Year on a High Note
May 23rd, 2011
From early May on my students have senioritis and spring fever. There is no preventative medication but the cure is activity and to do lists. If I want to end the year on a high note I think I need a good …
The End of the Yellow Brick Road
May 17th, 2011
At the end of each school year I feel a little bit like the wizard from Frank Baum’s story, “The Wizard of Oz”. Not the “Great and Powerful” wizard, but the one who stepped from behind the curtain and helped each of …
City Renaissance
May 13th, 2011
Foreclosures have taken their toll on cities, not only in reduced property tax revenue, but by leaving the landscape looking bleak and abandoned. Empty storefronts discourage foot traffic which results in decreased pedestrian shopping in businesses that remain open. Empty businesses become …
Moving Beyond “Its Not My Job”
May 11th, 2011
Preparing General Ed Teacher to Succeed with Students with Disabilities 96% of students with disabilities spend at least part of their day in general education classrooms. But how prepared are general ed teachers to work with those students? Not very. And that …
Teaching Controversial Topics
May 10th, 2011
A few years back I added a unit on global warming in one of my classes and there was an unexpected push back from my students based primarily on the views of their parents. I did not handle the controversy as well …
Defending Opinions
May 10th, 2011
Science often is involved with reading and evaluating the research of others. Yet we rarely ask students to read and give informed opinions about current research materials. This is a huge missed opportunity for learning. In an article last year in the …
Alec Rocks
May 9th, 2011
Although we hear about the rantings of Charlie Sheen and his Adonis DNA, and the almost daily criminal behavior of Lindsey Lohan, we never seem to hear about celebrities who are doing good things. Like Alec Baldwin, my new hero. Alec Baldwin …
Expanding Measures of School Performance
May 4th, 2011
We all know that reading and math standardized test scores do not truly represent how good a school is. But thanks to No Child Left Behind (NCLB – the current iteration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, ESEA), that is just …
The Unforgettable Mr. Thackery
May 4th, 2011
Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day. Ironically, last evening the man who inspired my teaching career was honored at Lincoln Center for being the recipient of the 38th annual Charlie Chaplin award. That man was Sidney Poitier- Mr. Thackery, better known as …
What is Your Car Made Of?
May 2nd, 2011
In the days of the Model T (your great-great Grandfather’s car) human hands assembled cars on an assembly line piece by piece. Cars were made of steel and rubber. I was looking at my car and asking the question, what is my …
Implementing Change the Equation
April 25th, 2011
All of us can agree that the United States needs to carefully examine our efforts in STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math) with an eye towards improving rigor, expanding reach and ensuring that more of our students are both interested and …
Easter Egg Science
April 25th, 2011
OK, it is time to head to the local store and pick up some of those plastic Easter eggs on clearance. There are a thousand uses for them in the spring science world. One of my favorite second grade teachers is busy …
The Flu and You
April 20th, 2011
It is flu season and if you have not had a significant number of your kids out with the virus consider yourself lucky. To help next year it would be a great time for a lesson on what a virus is and …
Old School
April 20th, 2011
I happened to be in a colleague’s classroom the other day- actually less of a classroom and more of a makeshift black box mini theatre fashioned from a portable classroom. I was looking at the stage design, created by his advanced class …
Is Newark Repeating DC’s Mistakes?
April 18th, 2011
Remember Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million gift to improve public schools in Newark? According to a recent article in USA Today, $99 million of it is still in the bank. The article offers some reasons why there have been problems getting …
Violence and Schools
April 18th, 2011
Charlotte Williams, Learning First Alliance Recently, NPR did a special series on violence among youth in Chicago. Schools and students all over the country—especially in urban areas—deal with the everyday-threat of violence. Clearly, this omnipresent factor can take a huge toll on …
What Color Is Your Soul?- Graff 2
April 18th, 2011
Graffiti. Love it or hate it, it is an art form that has been around for quite some time. Graffiti art has been a barometer of the counter culture movement of the art world for decades. It has definitive styles, techniques and …
Leaving No Child Behind
April 13th, 2011
Thanks to No Child Left Behind, the last week of my life was spent proctoring the California STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) test at my school site. The test is given to assess progress and academic achievement in the areas of math, …
The Pink Slip
April 11th, 2011
It was the early 1980’s and I was a wide eyed fresh out of school teacher with a passion for teaching science. I was anxiously planning the next unit then my administrator came to my door and sadly told me that I …
Twenty Questions
April 11th, 2011
I remember playing twenty questions in my classroom. I would select an animal, location, current event or science concept. The students would listen to the rules then begin asking me questions. As I answered the questions they would think through my answers …
School Vouchers Versus Fiscal Responsibility
April 5th, 2011
The debate over school vouchers is heating up once again, as are the accompanying arguments about the academic, social and emotional impact of these vouchers on the students they serve and the public schools they leave, and the role of choice in …
The Great Healer
April 3rd, 2011
This past fall I experienced a succession of stressful events in my life. First I received a devastating, terminal diagnosis for my beloved dog. Not two weeks later, while still trying to cope with his illness and prognosis, I fell off a …
Reach Out and Skype Someone
April 1st, 2011
Before the holiday break, I had opportunities to video chat with some friends in other parts of California. Neither situation had much preparation – in fact, one was a bit of a surprise – but both were worthwhile experiences for all the …
Earth Day 2011
March 31st, 2011
In 1970 the first Earth Day was organized. It was an international teach-in for raising awareness of environmental issues. Since then each April several organizations take stock of how we are doing in terms of environmental issues solutions and awareness. This is …
Sticky Tape = Sticky Learning
March 31st, 2011
Imagine trying to get by in your classroom for a year without any tape, post it notes or any adhesives at all. That would be difficult. Yet, I never thought until now of how interesting that simple substance, adhesive, is to my …
Fifteen Minutes of Fame
March 31st, 2011
“In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.” Andy Warhol The above quote was made famous by the late celebrity Pop artist Andy Warhol. Warhol, who had earned fame silkscreening Campbell’s soup cans and portraits of Marilyn Monroe, became fascinated …
What Would You Save?
March 24th, 2011
In a conversation about great masterpieces, I was explaining to my students how some of the most priceless works of art are now on display behind bullet proof glass. They were shocked. “How is bullet proof glass going to prevent theft?” they …
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