Do you really know if a child is ready for the next instruction? Teaching Tool – Conceptualizes and connects appropriate instructional designs to the learning needs of a diverse array of children, including motivation for learning, reinforcement, retention and transfer … Continue reading
Growing a Teaching Tool – Readiness for Next Learning
The Need to Grow Teaching Tools
In 1970 the baby boom bulge was in full bloom and there was a national teacher shortage. Recruiters from all over the United States visited the University of Iowa campus with employment contracts in their pockets. By May 1, I … Continue reading
Connecting Great Teachers with Children is Getting More Difficult Everyday
Perhaps Charles Dickens gazed into a crystal ball and squinted at public education in Wisconsin in 2013 when he penned these words to begin A Tale of Two Cities in 1859. “It was the best of times, it was the … Continue reading
Snow days are a tough call
When I was a working school superintendent, I would rise in the dark on mornings when significant snowfall was predicted and drive the back roads to discern if school buses would be able to drive their morning routes. My priority … Continue reading
In the Politics of Education, Self-Interest Rules
Never bet against self-interest. Simple enough, but what does this statement mean? In any human interaction, each individual will have a set of intrinsic needs that will bias and shape the manner in which they act in any and every … Continue reading
Teaching to the Right Objective
We learned these things when we were children in school. Carson City is the state capital of Nevada. Carson City is named after Kit Carson, scout and trail leader for John C. Fremont’s expedition to California in the 1840s. Fremont … Continue reading
Vocabulary Powers the Future
Annie Savoy provided us with an educationally sound closing line for many arguments. “…it’s a fact. You could look it up.” (Bull Durham) We have danced around the proposition that a college degree is the goal of American public education … Continue reading
Unforeseen
What should you do when you reach a decision and the decision stinks? You’ve done it and so have I. We know how it feels and as uncomfortable as it is, we usually understand that we have few options for … Continue reading
Build Background Knowledge for Children Without
When I say these words to an adult, “… there is a way of walking with crutches so that your arms hold your weight and not your shoulders,” I can quickly separate those who have experience with walking with crutches … Continue reading
Messing Around with Teaching
At some time in a teaching career, a veteran mentor says something that causes you to pause, think, smile and remember. It happens many times, but each time is a new experience because each time gives you a new pearl … Continue reading