teaching
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Years That Answer
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” –Zora Neale Hurston in Their Eyes Were Watching God Dear wonderful readers, You may have noticed that over the past couple years I’ve been up and down with the consistency… Continue reading
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Why May Matters More Than You Think (And How to Make the Most of It)
I’ve been trying to start this column for weeks, but each time I do, I remember something in my yard that needs doing. The serviceberry tree I just planted needs watering. I need to prep the garden beds so I… Continue reading
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My Favorite Time-Saving Valentine: Student Self-Assessment
Given the recent Valentine’s Day holiday, I wanted to share a quick post on a feedback tool that I truly love: Student self-assessment To understand my love of student self-assessment, think about the final draft of a major paper or… Continue reading
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The Core of My Approach to Better, Faster Feedback: The New Pyramid of Response
When I speak to teachers about feedback, I often open by asking my audience the following question: How many of you meaningfully discussed how to give feedback while training to become a teacher? Generally few, if any, hands go into… Continue reading
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My Favorite Pre-Break Lesson
Yesterday I got the question for the first time: We aren’t going to do anything today, are we? The question gave me a good laugh. It was Tuesday morning and the break the student referenced as a reason to kick… Continue reading
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Better, Faster Feedback Part 1: Feedback Literacy Revisited
One of the funny things about writing educational books is that, once published, each book stays a snapshot in time. The same is not true for the author though; the author continues to experiment and evolve, to try new things… Continue reading
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Let’s Talk About How to Give Better, Faster Feedback
I was at the National Council of Teachers of English conference* a couple weeks ago, and as I walked through the showroom I heard the pitch from edu-AI companies, over and over and over again: “Save time by providing instant… Continue reading
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All That Glitters Is Not Good Teaching
Keys to Engaging Lesson Design and a New Lesson Plan Drop! In their wonderful book 100% Engagement, Susan Barber and Brian Sztabnik begin by saying the following: There is a myth that says engagement is the purview of young, fun,… Continue reading
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Teaching the Why: A Quick, Effective Strategy for Increasing Student Engagement
I have a rule that I tell students on the first week: If you don’t know why we are studying something, why we are studying something in the way we are, or why I’m assessing you in a certain way,… Continue reading
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More Than a Name: Four Quick Tools to Increase Student Engagement by Helping Them to Feel Seen
My topic for the last few posts, Gen AI, may be the large, loud, and ostentatious elephant sitting in the corner of teachers’ rooms across the world right now, but I’ve found that many teachers’ rooms also have a second… Continue reading