STEM vs. STEAM

Acronym Alphabet Soup   Education is littered with a variety of acronyms.  “EOCs MSL,” and “Good PD fosters a solid PLC,” are actual sentences.  For anyone who isn’t shoulder deep in educational acronyms, these sentences translates to “End of Course tests Measure Student Learning” and “Good Professional Development fosters a solid Professional Learning Community.”  STEM…

Successful Pair-Sharing

There are many specific strategies you can use that contribute to effective and successful Pair-Sharing.   (1) Desk Arrangement. Desks need to be suitably arranged so students have physical access to their pair-share partner. Move the desks if necessary. Most teachers are sliding rows of desks closer together. Also, students need to face the teacher…

15 Reasons to Pair-Share

Pair-Shares are super important for multiple reasons. Here are fifteen reasons. Each one of them justifies the use of Pair-Shares.   (1) Every student orally answers every question. Pair-Shares go beyond having students think of an answer. Now, all of them are actually saying the answer aloud. Think about it. Every student orally answers every…

Common Core Literacy Standards

  The Common Core State Standards include literacy standards that are to be used in history, science, and other technical subjects. These standards focus on developing literacy outside of the English classroom beginning in the 6th grade. There are three major components to these: Reading in History; Reading in Science and Technical Subjects; and Writing…

Six Qualities of a Good Teacher

Anyone who has been teaching for a few years knows that teachers face huge amounts of stress. It comes unremittingly from 20-120 students all demanding attention, and from administrative requests for meetings and paperwork, and parental requests about how Johnny’s doing. In the midst of this, a teacher has to prepare daily lessons, correct assignments,…