0 The UClass Adventure Continues

This is what your UClass search page will look like. UClass* is bringing me on a 21st-century adventure as I navigate multiple actions and analyses that contribute to this invigorating start-up....

0 School Reconfiguration: My Thoughts

A dedicated, diverse team of community and family members, educators, and leaders have been meeting to discuss a potential elementary school reconfiguration...

0 Speak Up!

Martin Luther King said it well when he remarked,“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” ― Martin Luther...

0 Too Many Emails: No More!

Yes, it's true I send too many emails.No one will deny it.Up until this point, I've realized this fact, but I've been obliged to send those emails since...

0 Fourth Grade: Classroom Teaching Focus

A typical weekly schedule for the fourth grade fall semester. One challenge elementary school teachers face is how to structure and manage the day, week, and year for optimal learning. Teachers of...

0 Time Matters

The way time is used in schools makes a big difference.Year after year I'd hear teachers lament during the first two days of school that there just wasn't...

0 New MA Evaluation System: The First Eval Meeting

I continue to study and analyze the new Massachusetts' Educator Evaluation System.  Why? I study this system because I believe it has the potential...

0 A Successful Year to Come: Opening Day

Not unlike the enthusiasm and cheer at Opening Day at Fenway Park, Opening Day at Wayland Public Schools was met with humility, cheer, celebration, humor, and wisdom.The large staff of educators from...

0 Win-Win-Win: Leaders, Educators, Students/Families

Today I'll be involved in a meeting related to a system-wide effort.  As I think about this meeting, I am wondering about the following question:How...

0 Urgency?

A couple of years ago Austin Buffum gave a wonderful presentation to our school system about RTI and teaching children well. Buffum emphasized the need...

0 Time-on-Task With Students Matters

The time we spend on task with students matters in classrooms. Knowing and understanding the services available helps all teachers best target and schedule...

0 Reality Check: Obama is Standing for Students

Since when did an effort to ensure that students receive a high-quality affordable education in exchange for their financial aid become unconstitutional...

0 Special Educator-Classroom Teacher Collaboration?

Over my tenure of 28 years in the classroom, one debate that has been a constant is the debate related to the best systems for special educator/classroom...

0 Teachers/Students: Navigating Multiple Leaders, Colleagues, and Initiatives

As I dropped my son off at college yesterday, I was wondering how he'll navigate the multiple classes, initiatives, clubs, and sports he'll be involved...

0 Report Cards that Matter

Have you ever sat down at a parent conference to discuss a report card only to realize that the measures don't match your mission or pursuit as a classroom...

0 Book Sort

Today I'll make time for the dreaded book sort. I have about 1,000 beloved books in my classroom, and it's time to sort through them all so that the books...

0 Welcome to Fourth Grade!

This is the way I'll start fourth grade this year.  Welcome to Fourth Grade!This is your learning community.What is a learning community?  A learning community is the collaboration of students,...

0 What We Need to Hear from the President

Reviewing the range of responses to President Obama's plan to reduce college costs, and the questions that are being raised on Twitter, it seems important...

0 Farm Days Field Study: Details

Drumlin FarmLearning doesn't just happen between the four walls of the classroom. In fact, some will argue that most learning happens outside of the four walls of the classroom.  That's one reason...

0 Maker Station: STEAM Grant

LearnLaunch LinkOur STEAM WPSF grant is beginning to take shape.Susan Cherwinski, @SusanCherwinski, and I found a time in the schedule, requested approval, started a crowdshare idea/links collection doc,...

0 MA Educators: Are You Asking These Questions?

It's a big year for MA educators, and these are some questions they may be asking:What's my evaluation system timeline?When will I meet with my evaluator...

0 School Dreams Focus the Path

The last night of a glorious vacation was met with the familiar pre-school year dreams, one after another. These dreams are commonly experienced by students,...

0 Streamline Educator Evaluation Systems

As I think about the new Massachusetts' educator evaluation system, I want to promote streamlined efforts.  To streamline these efforts means that...

0 How to Prevent Creaming in Higher Education Performance Regimes?

One of the most prominent concerns raised about President Obama's proposed performance-based funding plan for higher education is that it could reduce...