This talk from Alan November got me thinking further to a post that I wrote called: Avoiding “Just Google it!” with your students. One of the points in Alan's talk refers to the need to explicitly teach web literacy skills to students in schools. Upon reflection, I too am short of some techniques in... Continue Reading →
A variety of teacher evaluation models and methods are used in schools around the world and teacher and school leader attitudes towards them differ considerably. From the teacher perspective, perhaps the greatest concern regarding teacher evaluation systems is their fairness. In some schools teacher evaluation comprises an extensive list of things that the teacher will,... Continue Reading →
There are some traits that I believe stand out above all in great educators and school leaders. These traits typify the ideal of having educators that are lifelong learners striving to be the very best that they can be and making a positive difference to students and the school community at large. Reflective, Student-Centered Educators... Continue Reading →
With a number of high profile decisions getting significant media attention in recent months from the UK's Brexit through to Colin Kaepernick's decision to sit through the US national anthem, the speed at which people publicly react to such decisions has really hit home and made me question what this means for us as school... Continue Reading →
Many important conversations in our schools are avoided at the expense of preserving what we may think are harmonious relationships. It is quite amazing how both teachers and leaders will avoid difficult conversations that are a source of frustration for the sake of keeping things amicable. It seems at times that school leaders are in... Continue Reading →
In another post, I presented a case why teachers should seek feedback from their students. In deciding to seek feedback from students, it is important that it is worthwhile for both the teacher and the student. Firstly, from the student’s perspective, they need to feel comfortable in having a voice in your class and know... Continue Reading →
Teachers are given a great deal of trust in giving feedback to students. Feedback is crucial to supporting students grow and develop in becoming lifelong learners able to take on the responsibility of making a positive contribution to society and the environment. Feedback that students receive from teachers is not just about their academic progress,... Continue Reading →
This notion of careful curriculum design and planning is something that I believe is vital to improving student learning in a school. This is particularly true given teacher differences with a school and between schools. In the context of this post, learning by ‘chance’ is to mean that learning happens completely randomly; it will largely... Continue Reading →
How do we most effectively promote the professional growth of our teachers so that it has a high impact on student learning? While significant efforts are made in so many schools to improve teacher professional growth and learning, I continue to question how can we do this better? Essentially, how can we ensure greater application... Continue Reading →
