Author name: Ian

by Don Weafer My twin brother once said, “Don’t talk to me about proficiency when I’ve got kids under the desks pretending to be chickens.” I hold his warning close when I work with teachers because it captures the struggle of educational transformation as well as anything I’ve heard. When great ideas encounter chickens, the chickens […]

by Kate Gardoqui This article originally appeared in Education Week. I was at a Maine Teacher of the Year event when a colleague leaned toward me with a smile. “Oh, you do the nature stuff, right?” she asked. “That sounds so fun!”I smiled and nodded, cringing inside. It’s so much more than fun, I wanted to say. I teach

by David Ruff Historically, school districts have been marginally successful when engaging their communities by inviting members to “join the conversation” and “provide their feedback.” This is done, of course, with good intent; it opens the doors. Unfortunately, while the doors are open, too few historically-marginalized community members have the desire, knowledge, or willingness to walk

by Courtney Jacobs and Steve Sell Why bother creating performance-based assessments if I have a set curriculum? Also, a state-wide accountability system? At the heart of these questions is a concern about the lack of engagement and empowerment educators and students can feel when teaching and learning from a “canned curriculum.” In working with educators across New

by Mark Kostin When I was a graduate student in the early 1990s pursuing an educational leadership and policy degree, I was introduced by my adviser to a unique (at least, to me) community involvement process. Each year a few high schools would reach out to the university’s extension service, of which I was a part,

by Dr. Jennifer Jo L. Dufort Carol Dweck introduced the world to the concept of growth mindset in 2006 with the release of her book, “Mindset.” Growth mindset is scientifically anchored by an understanding of neuroplasticity, the capacity of the brain to change its structure through the process of learning and problem solving. Dweck’s studies have

by Jean HaegerWe’ve all been in meetings that are painful: the same predictable voices drone on and on; discussions go in circles, leaving everyone scratching their heads; decisions get made and no one is quite sure how. But meetings don’t have to be this way!By following a few simple guidelines for designing agendas, any meeting

by Reed DyerEducators never have enough time to collaborate, so when we do get together, we should do whatever we can to make the meetings worthwhile. Unproductive meetings need to go the way of the mimeograph and smoking in the teacher’s room.If it’s true that “well begun is half done,” I offer four simple steps