Competency-Based vs. Outcome-Based Education
As a new principal, I realized that I have a tragic flaw when it comes to leadership. To flip an old cliché, my issue is that I often don't see the trees for the forest. I am a big picture thinker to a fault. As a teacher, focusing on the big picture and having a [...]
How Advisory Periods Help Build Relationships
Guest post. Relationships in Education All too often, our schools are focused on metrics of academic performance and based on standardized test scores. Because of this, the significance of interpersonal relationships in shaping a student's academic and personal trajectory often doesn't receive the attention it deserves. The advisory model in education, emphasizing the cultivation [...]
One School’s Journey to Whole-Child Learning
At one High School in Massachusetts, administration was searching for transformation. As in many schools across the country, educators are seeking a way to improve learning for students, to make the shift from a schedule driven by content, to one that enables students to build relationships, master what they're learning and be intrinsically motivated [...]
Creating a Competency-Based Curriculum
On the first day of class every year, I have a student volunteer come up to the front of the classroom, and I teach them how to putt a golf ball. I use tape to put a straight line on my floor, and I demonstrate how it is possible to putt a ball straight [...]
Strategies To Help Your Students Conquer Back-To-School Anxiety
Back to school. Those three words are exciting for many students. But for other students, those words bring up feelings of discomfort and anxiety. You may remember what it was like a few days before the new school year started. New supplies of book bags, pens, pencils, and paper. Wanting to see friends after [...]
RTI vs. MTSS
Most schools have a process or structure to evaluate, address, and monitor the needs of students. Sometimes, these processes are referred to as RTI (Response to Intervention). Other times, you may hear the term MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support). While these two approaches are similar, distinct differences set these two common structures apart. How [...]