I’m from New York so it should come as no surprise that I am not very good at waiting. As a result, I struggled (and still do) to give my students ample wait time during class discussions. Apparently, I’m not alone. In 1972, Mary Budd Rowe found that the silence that followed elementary science teachers’ …
Ever since I was a child, the summer was my favorite time of year. One reason was because it allowed me uninterrupted blocks of time to read. Even today, I keep a list of books I plan to read over the summer. Since Memorial Day is around the corner, I thought I would share some …
When Angela Duckworth was a NYC math teacher she noticed something that I think will sound familiar to most teachers: it wasn’t always her most talented students that performed best in her class. She had a hunch that there was some quality that made those students successful and that doing well in school and life …
When you watch a typical math class, you see a lot of rapid fire questioning going on. Teacher: Number 1? Student: Five and ¾ Teacher: Number 2? Student: 3 and ¼ Teacher: Number 3? Student: 2 and ½ Teacher: Anybody get a different answer? Student: 2 and ¼ . Teacher: Good. Next problem? Now in …
“Ms. Placa. Is this right?” I must have heard that sentence a million times when I began teaching. Many classrooms create a culture where the teacher has all the answers and the students seek approval from him or her. This sometimes works out well for things like learning about conventions or notations that the student …
Students in NYC recently finished taking the state math test. As a result, I’ve spent the past couple of weeks watching a lot of test prep going on in classrooms. One of the strategies I see being used over and over is the use of key words. I admit that I was guilty of using …
I’m embarrassed to admit this, but until recently I was relatively unaware of all the great blogs and websites dedicated to the teaching and learning of mathematics. I love having so many perspectives on education a click away. Michael Pershan has a great site dedicated to compiling, analyzing and discussing mathematical errors students make. In …
In an earlier post, I talked about the gap between the work being done by researchers and the work being done by teachers in classrooms. Today, I’d like to talk about a resource that I think is a good example of a tool that connects research and practice. The Common Core Standards have received a …
Learning Trajectories: A research-based tool you can use right now Read More »
Articles titled “My profession no longer exists” and “A warning to young people: don’t become a teacher” have received a great deal of attention recently. Clearly, they are resonating with many teachers who seem to agree that the profession is being devalued and demeaned. What’s sad to me is that while I continue to …
Transforming the Teaching Profession: It starts with RESPECT Read More »
I started my Ph.D. program thinking I knew a lot about teaching and learning. After all, I spent 7 years in a classroom, went to many professional development sessions, attended courses, and read a lot of books and articles on education. However, having the luxury to step away from the classroom and really immerse myself …