I recently had the opportunity to sit and chat with Shane from The Ed Podcast, a show that focuses on conversations surrounding the teaching life and profession. It was a great experience, and one that I think documents pretty well where I am in my career at this moment in time. Listening to podcasts like … Continue reading Turning the Tables on The Ed Podcast
Why Would Anyone Want to Become a Teacher – My Interview with a Substitute Teacher
Jim Stewart Allen is a standup comedian from Tacoma, Washington. He has also been a substitute teacher for the past three years and loves it. As a part of our Why Would Anyone Want to Become a Teacher? series, we asked Jim a few questions to try to figure out why he does what he … Continue reading Why Would Anyone Want to Become a Teacher – My Interview with a Substitute Teacher
3 “Super Factors” of Effective Instructional Coaching
Many schools are developing instructional coaching programs with the intention of improving the quality of instruction in the classroom. One effect of this growing phenomenon is that improving K-12 teaching and learning is no longer solely the responsibility of the principal, but is distributed across a host of leaders (Neumerski, 2013). The purpose of this … Continue reading 3 “Super Factors” of Effective Instructional Coaching
What Students Think of Their Teachers Matters
As the great Dr. Rita Pierson said in her TED talk, "Kids don't learn from people they don't like." This idea is easy for anyone to support with their own anecdotal evidence. When you look back at your school years, with whom did you learn the most? Can you still remember their names? For me, … Continue reading What Students Think of Their Teachers Matters
After 100 Years of the Same Teaching Model It’s Time to Throw Out the Playbook
Thank you for visiting educationrickshaw.com! My name is Dr. Zach Groshell and... I wrote this blog a while ago and I no longer agree with many of the points in here! I could delete it, but then I'd never be able to go back and compare what I used to think with my current beliefs … Continue reading After 100 Years of the Same Teaching Model It’s Time to Throw Out the Playbook
Why Would Anyone Want to Become a Teacher – My Interview with a Newly Qualified Teacher
Lorraine is a newly qualified teacher of middle school math and science at Khartoum International Community School. She was actually a teaching assistant/student teaching intern in my Year 5 classroom for a year while she worked towards her certification. We recently sat down and talked about her thoughts and feelings about the profession as part … Continue reading Why Would Anyone Want to Become a Teacher – My Interview with a Newly Qualified Teacher
10 Great Resources for Teaching Mindfulness
In addition to presenting about BLE design at the AEC Conference 2017 in Nairobi, Stephanie and I had the opportunity to attend a mindfulness workshop by the amazing Robyn Harwood (@rsharwood1). Since this powerful experience, I've begun to explore how teaching mindfulness can impact my community of learners. Here are some of the resources that … Continue reading 10 Great Resources for Teaching Mindfulness
5 Reflection Activities to Help Students Glow and Grow
This post is now quite old! Check out my newer posts, my workshops, and my podcast. After a recent mindfulness training by the amazing Robyn Harwood (@rsharwood1) at the AEC Conference 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya, I started beginning the day with structured and intentional mindful breathing exercises to help my students find some inner peace … Continue reading 5 Reflection Activities to Help Students Glow and Grow
Guest Article on TeachersMatterMagazine
Last year around this time, I was invited to the AEC conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I took two institutes that really blew my mind. One of those was led by the fantastic Karen Boyes, and it focused on getting students to do the thinking and take control of their learning. I'm happy to announce … Continue reading Guest Article on TeachersMatterMagazine
Some Kids Pet Baby Birds, Some Kids Squash Them.
https://twitter.com/KICSyear5/status/897402590631251968 My first week of teaching this year is officially done. And, like every year, I am overwhelmed by the potential that this year has in store. What's always amazing is that each class that comes into my care has such a different character profile than the year before. My new students bring with them … Continue reading Some Kids Pet Baby Birds, Some Kids Squash Them.