Teachers are unique in that we are always trying to hone our craft, yet we often don’t have the time or resources to do it effectively. How many times have you attended a stellar PD workshop and then never actually got a chance to implement what you learned effectively because there just isn’t the opportunity … Read more
We are constantly hearing about “classroom management”, but definitions of what that means seem to vary greatly. While some think it’s about behavior, others think it’s about culture, and some others even consider it academic. What’s classroom management? It’s a delicate balance between all of these factors. Classroom management is what we need to make … Read more
All teachers are expected to have a classroom management philosophy, but what does this actually mean (and what should it look like in a 21st-century classroom)? The answer to that question depends on three things: the teacher’s purpose, the learners’ needs, and a good understanding of how young people develop in a digital age. In … Read more
When people first begin thinking of the concept of Brain Breaks, they often think of children in an elementary school classroom playing some type of silly game. The fact of the matter is brain breaks are effective for anyone at any age, especially high school students who need short breaks just as much as anyone. You … Read more
The best part about teaching primary school students is that for those first years, so many of them are excited about learning. Every day is a new adventure and it isn’t as difficult to get student buy-in for whatever silly lesson you have planned for that day. This doesn’t mean that lesson planning for the … Read more
Utilizing small group instruction is not a new concept in education. However, in terms of student learning, there is often a grey area about what the best practices are for making this education model effective for individual students and lesson objectives. Using small group planning and instruction consistently serves a bit of a different purpose … Read more
As time marches forward in education, we are finding that students are becoming micromanaged to a fault. Whereas teachers have the responsibility of making sure that their students learn the specific curriculum and content material, it is creating a generation of students who don’t know how to take initiative and find out the answers to … Read more
Listen to Episode 13 of the Student-Centered World Podcast above, “What Do You Do With a Toxic School?” I once saw on Facebook the plight of a teacher who had a total administrative, unannounced observation the morning after returning from winter break. This is the stuff of school culture nightmares. That first day back from … Read more
April 2026 note: This is a very brief overview of ChatGPT, written shortly after its release. It discusses both how to use it and how to prevent students from using it. I encourage you to read up on AI data centers if you are not familiar with the controversies surrounding them. ChatGPT is an artificial … Read more
The Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation System is used in South Carolina for teacher observation and evaluations. ADEPT Observations are conducted by principals, instructional coaches, or other trained evaluators. Teachers are rated in each of five performance categories on a scale of 1 to 4. The evaluation system was designed with the belief that teachers possess … Read more
The Danielson Framework for teacher observations has become increasingly popular in school districts around the country. What sets the Danielson Framework apart from other teacher evaluation systems is the level of specificity used to construct teacher observation rubrics. By breaking down teaching into parts and providing a clear description for each, the Danielson Framework provides educators with … Read more
Many school districts have implemented the Marzano observation model of teacher evaluation. The Marzano Focused Teacher Evaluation Model was one of the first formal observations to be implemented in schools across the country. It was created to address concerns with teacher evaluations and provide specific criteria for what should be observed during an evaluation. The … Read more