A Math Conversation About Grades

Walking slowly through the upper hall – light pouring in through the generous glass – dust dancing with invisible currents, a truly bright and serene moment interrupted by a group of thirty or so smiles and stories walking towards me. I’m thinking it’s a class on their way to the library. No problem – I […]

What are schools for?

Training? Preparation? Umm, learning? Learning, in my experience, is rarely discussed in schools. If brought up in conversation it is almost immediately morphed into “student achievement” or some other term that dodges a close and sincere examination of what constitutes learning. Learning is a process – not a thing. It is fluid and nonlinear – […]

Purpose of Teacher Evaluation?

This post is inspired by a training workshop designed to introduce folks to a new teacher evaluation rubric. In this training we were asked to write words that represent the purpose of teacher evaluation onto sticky notes to discuss and use to create a statement describing the purpose of teacher evaluation. Many notes were created […]

RPT: Curriculum & Maps

A RandomProfoundThought: I’m noticing an uptick of talk recently about “curriculum.” The classic definition of the word seems to describe courses – or a plan of courses: More and more we educators hear the word in the context of activities, modules, units, assessments and such, that is, the stuff that happens in a course and classroom. Has […]

Mo’ Better Teacher Evaluation

Since we can’t seem to get away from formally evaluating teachers – here are some thoughts on improving the process: Teacher evaluation and professional growth is an essential factor in the health and culture of a school and its collective of learners. As such it must be a clear and understandable part of every teacher’s […]

Change That Rethinks: Different or Better?

A few days ago I was asked to respond to this prompt, … interested in change that rethinks or reinvents and ultimately replaces old practice, that’s built on the more fundamental understandings that we have about how kids learn in ways that stay with them way past the assessment (assuming there is one.) So here’s the […]

The S.O.A.R. Model for Student Porfolios

I work with a group of teachers and around 90 students in what can be described as a project-based program (though it really is much more than that). Now, as we finish our second year together it seems like the right time to suggest and propose a digital portfolio template for our students – one […]

10 Steps To Help Create Effective Group Presentations

It seems as if more and more of my work is collaborative in nature – including presentations to either my colleagues or at conferences. Students also have to frequently design and give presentations as groups or as partners. Reflecting on some presentation work with both students and colleagues has led to the creation of this […]

Words and Things (and Assumptions)

An excerpt from the book “And What Do YOU Mean by Learning?” by Seymour Sarason: Two people may say they are patriotic [or any other concept] only to find that when they pursue what they mean – what the concept includes or excludes, what actions it supports or indicts – they come to a parting of ways. […]

The Mathematics of Gratitude

I’m fortunate to work closely with two math teachers smart enough to realize that math is Beautiful, Everywhere, and Typically taught in a way that hides its beauty and its universal value. The three of us work with several other teachers in an interdisciplinary learning environment that, by design, forces teachers and students to often […]