Cal Teacher Blog

Thoreau's Lessons?

Cal Teacher Blog — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:33:00 GMT

These are my two favorite passage from Henry David Thoreau's Walden: Or Life in the Woods published in 1854. "We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake...(read more)

The Apple?

Cal Teacher Blog — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:42:00 GMT

I've been asked to write a series for The Apple website. So for the next few months please look for my essays at http://theapple.com . The series is titled "A Teacher's Transcript." See you there. Read More......(read more)

A Working Classroom Teacher?

Cal Teacher Blog — Sun, 25 May 2008 16:26:00 GMT

I subtitle my blog, “A Working Classroom Teacher” because that is what I am, working. Teaching is hard work and those of us who teach work very hard indeed. Sometimes the work is in the planning, sometimes in the instruction, sometimes in the guidance...(read more)

Settle Down?

Cal Teacher Blog — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:30:00 GMT

“Relax and quietly sit in your seat.” There is nothing more challenging for a teacher than starting class off on the right track. It often feels like trying to change the course of a steam ship with a wooden paddle. But it’s not impossible to start off...(read more)

Tell Your Stories?

Cal Teacher Blog — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:35:00 GMT

Kids love it when their teachers share stories about their lives. I’m not exactly sure why, but I can remember being a young student and loving to hear about the experiences of my teachers, the mistakes they made, and the lessons they learned. Taking...(read more)

For Love of Teaching?

Cal Teacher Blog — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:00:00 GMT

It is generally believed that teachers are supposed to love what they do and sacrifice for their job. We teachers are asked to spend our days educating other people’s children in everything from letters and numbers to Latin and neurons. We wipe noses,...(read more)

Engage?

Cal Teacher Blog — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:55:00 GMT

The single most important element of a successful classroom is a teacher who designs assignments that keep the students engaged in learning. It helps if these assignments are also fun to complete. Disciplines issues including acting out, tardiness to...(read more)

Spring Fever?

Cal Teacher Blog — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:31:00 GMT

It happens this time every year. No, I’m not talking about the exhausted crash and burn landing into spring break. I am talking about contract renewal time. That time of the year when teachers have to decide, “Do I really want to come back and do this...(read more)

Transparency?

Cal Teacher Blog — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Do your students understand your assignments? Do they know exactly how they are evaluated? Is your grading system clear and clean? Are you sick of students asking, “How much is this project worth?” Do you use a rubric for evaluation of student work? Do...(read more)

Swing Away?

Cal Teacher Blog — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:47:00 GMT

I teach an advanced production course to high school students. It’s a brutally difficult class, and I don’t try to make it easy for my students. Two groups of ten students each have two weeks or 10 class sessions (less than 10 hours) to create their own...(read more)

Teacher Reflection?

Cal Teacher Blog — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:07:00 GMT

I feel that reflection is something that an effective educator does instinctively for themselves. Take this blog for example and the fact the you are reading this blog post. We are going through the reflective process together without having to be taught...(read more)

Nuts and Bolts?

Cal Teacher Blog — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:40:00 GMT

I don’t write much about the nuts and bolts of teaching. Mostly thats because I feel like its already been covered… extensively. But I do think that there are four major areas that ALL teachers should focus on if they desire to be effective in the classroom....(read more)

Be Not Deceived?

Cal Teacher Blog — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:31:00 GMT

I am not sure of the exact statistic, and I am sure its different for different areas, but I’ve heard that a large number of new teachers quit the profession before applying for their clear credential after five years on the job. While I’m not surprised...(read more)

The Metrics? (part 2)

Cal Teacher Blog — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 04:01:00 GMT

(Read The Metrics part 1 here) How we measure our personal success with our students is very important. Our internal metrics are, to a degree, relative to the individual teacher. I have to be careful here because I do not want to suggest for a moment...(read more)

The Metrics? (part 1)

Cal Teacher Blog — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 17:31:00 GMT

I haven’t written in a while. I’ve had a few ideas, but nothing compelling enough to make me actually sit down and work it out. That, plus the introduction of new computers to my classroom have made me feel like a first-year teacher at the start of the...(read more)