We Teach Who We Are Pt 4 – Ourselves

The third reason for the complexities of teaching, an often overlooked factor is the fact that: we teach who we are. “Teaching emerges from one’s inwardness. As I teach, I project the condition of my soul onto my students, my subject and our day together.” Parker Palmer Days when I am stressed, distracted by other job demands, [...]

Good Feedback Causes Thinking

I loved this prezi that recaptured again what Assessment for Learning truly means. Within it is a video on giving feedback from Dylan Williams and in it he says something that was quite profound for me this afternoon… “Good feedback causes thinking.” As a Social Studies and Language Arts teacher, I struggle – as oftentimes offering feedback [...]

Report Cards: Autopsy or Physical?

This is definitely an on-going debate at my school. Report cards – how to we best report achievement? While many of you are in the throes of writing report cards, you may not quite have the time at the moment to venture into the “what ifs” of assessment. For many of you, report card theories [...]

Feedback as Information – not Evaluation

This week it really dawned on me how important it is to be willing and open to receive feedback. So many aspects of what we do as teachers is refined through feedback, and if we are unwilling to receive it, we are short-changing ourselves and those around us. When we put up walls to feedback the following [...]