Reflections of an Educator

Super Tuesday, March 7, 2012, is right around the corner!  If you are interested in demonstrating the importance of civic engagement with your students, you may want to start a conversation by sharing a Super Tuesday map, explaining the difference between a caucus and primary, or dive into the Republican candidates on the issues.  One word of caution: be sure to preview the "on the issues" resources prior to sharing anything with students; depending on the age of your students, some topics may be better off avoided.  Have fun! "Super Tuesday: Romney, Santorum, Paul and Gingrich in one-day, 10-state battle for GOP nomination" - from the New York Daily News Super Tuesday Delegate Map - from Detroit Free Press Caucus vs. Primary - video from WCSH in Portland, Maine From candidate to elected official - webinar on 3/5/12 from 12:00-12:30 via Discovery Education Candidates on the issues: Candidate Bios - New York Times Candidates on the Issues - New York Time...

In " The Middle School Plunge ,"authors Martin West and Guido Schwerdt hypothesize all the reasons under the sun that middle school is a plunge in student achievement in math and reading.  For sure, the change in standard deviation of math and reading achievement is concerning, however students are more than their math and reading scores.  In a time fraught with social pressures, emotional turmoil, parental and peer pressures and increased academic rigor, middle school is a uniquely special place.  Students in middle school are unlike any other age group of students, which is why organizations such as the Association for Middle Level Education exist.  What Mr. West and Mr. Schwerdt fail to address (and perhaps they did measure this but did not report out on it) is the impact of structure of schools. Many middle schools are in name only - they follow the old "junior high model" of scheduling students as though they are mini high school students.  Providing s...

As a school administrator, it is easy to be bogged down in minutia, details and forget the big picture!  In order to stay positive and remember all the great things occurring in our school each week, I am publicly making a commitment to reflecting upon my week in middle school, and to weekly, share the Top 5 Awesome Things that happened in school this week!  (The challenge now, is to sustain this.)  Though a simple and quick reflection, looking back through my calendar and reviewing events allows me to stop, pause and remember all the awesome learning and teaching going on!  Focusing on these events will allow me stay positive and recognize staff and students alike for their awesomeness! Top 5 Awesome Things At Stony Brook This Week: January 28, 2012 1.      Our Geography Bee School Finalist took the state-qualifier test. 2.      Math teachers challenging accelerated math students by trying something new and...