The end of every school year leaves a gnawing feeling of self-doubt: What more could I have taught my students? How could I have developed their skills further? Did I truly inspire anyone? Did I change how they view themselves or the world? As I sit in front of empty chairs and desks I’m trying … Continue reading 2017-2018 Reflection
Author: Arpan Chokshi
Mindful Minutes Everyday
Teaching is one of the most stressful professions in the world. From debating whether I used the right approach while dealing with a challenging student earlier in the day or mentally crafting an email I plan on sending a parent after school, the stressors of everyday teacher life lead me to constantly think about what … Continue reading Mindful Minutes Everyday
5 Potential Pitfalls: What you should know before adopting an LMS
As more schools go 1:1, students and parents are demanding a central hub for organizing the rapidly growing number of digital materials teachers are creating. Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, Edmodo and other Learning Management Systems (LMS) have helped many schools tame this digital information explosion; however, as with any remedy, there are side-effects you should … Continue reading 5 Potential Pitfalls: What you should know before adopting an LMS
6 Tips for Facilitating Discussions on Race with Predominantly White Students
Teachers at predominantly white schools, especially those in conservative communities, may be reluctant to discuss race in the classroom. However, it is precisely in these communities that conversations about how race, ethnicity, and other social identities are critical for broadening students worldview. Here are some ideas on how to have these conversations based on a … Continue reading 6 Tips for Facilitating Discussions on Race with Predominantly White Students
10 ways to adjust instruction based on formative assessment data
SOURCE: ASCD You've collected exit slips, spot checked students' homework, skimmed their Google Doc, seen the results from a Google Form, Pear Deck, Formative or Socrative. What do I do next? In this era of student centered-learning and data informed instruction we know we should be formatively assessing our students frequently. However, what should … Continue reading 10 ways to adjust instruction based on formative assessment data
Teacher’s Sanity: Late Work, Re-Takes, Pacing
Progressive teachers for decades (perhaps centuries!) have long advocated for deemphasizing grades, developing various methods for re-learning concepts & skills, and providing students multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning. These ideas have found a renaissance of sorts with the the recent movement towards standards based grading, mastery learning, competency based learning, and allowing students to submit … Continue reading Teacher’s Sanity: Late Work, Re-Takes, Pacing
Improve Students’ English Language Skills: Academic Discourse, Word Interaction & Read Alouds
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend and present at the SIOP National Conference at the end of June. Although I gained a lot of ideas & strategies I can bring to my class, here are 3 things I hope to apply to my classroom this year: 1) Prepare students for a broader … Continue reading Improve Students’ English Language Skills: Academic Discourse, Word Interaction & Read Alouds
Reflections from 2016-2017
Before I close the chapter on this school year, I want to reflect on my successes and failures to learn how I can improve next year. Here are 3 of my takeaways from this school year: #1 Breaking out of our Bubbles: Creating safe but challenging spaces As a Social Studies teacher I often experience how upbringing … Continue reading Reflections from 2016-2017
Beauty Pageants & Discussions
According to Don McCormick of the University of Redlands and Michael Kahn, of the California Institute of Integral Studies most classroom discussions or seminars fall in one of the following four categories: Free-for-All: In this seminar there is a prize to be won, whether it's the instructor's approval or one's self esteem. There is no … Continue reading Beauty Pageants & Discussions
21st Century Humanities PD
The steady stream of developments in education technology along with the books and blogs touting the newest, most student-centered methods of teaching makes it difficult to discern fads from true instructional innovations. Technology should shift how students learn. However, without appropriate professional development teachers will be overwhelmed by the speed with which technology changes or merely replicate traditional teaching … Continue reading 21st Century Humanities PD