I'm a sharer. I'm a disruptor. I believe that a sound assessment pedagogy is the key to student success.
There is a solo project I do with my Drama students. I have them pretend they are a small child trying to fly a kite on a windless day. I tell the actors that despite all odds, their character should never give up. Here is what the actors show me. At first, the child is … Continue reading Let’s Go Fly a Kite
For the first week of school, a young man (Let’s call him Brad) hid in his hoodie in my Humanities 8 room. He refused to do any work. I pulled him out, one day, and questioned him in an authoritarian manner. It's the beginning of the school year and I needed to show him I … Continue reading Syncing Maslow with Bloom
I love Bloom's Taxonomy. I literally have a picture on my phone, another pinned to my bulletin board by my desk, one in my marking bag, and a copy saved to the desktop of every computer I work on in the school, plus one on my H: drive and my flash drives...err...make that flash drives. … Continue reading How do I love Bloom’s Taxonomy…let me count the ways…
My Drama class consists of a group of misfits all in one room with the sole goal of working together and creating a piece for an audience. It isn't a spectacular, award winning show, but it is usually funny, organized, and the kids show dedication and perseverance. Throughout this journey each semester, my students don't … Continue reading My Drama class’s growth mindset can change your class’s growth mindset
In my forties, I have not been able to endure any kind of major dental work, other than a routine cleaning, without the support of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas. Even with that gaseous wonder, I still feel a slight panic when they cover my face with a rubber dam and inject the freezing. My … Continue reading Going gradeless is like a root canal
