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Shrinking budgets, saving energy
photo by Stevie Rocco “Schools, once known as energy wasters, are embracing conservation in increasing numbers....
By Debra Shapiro
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I’ve applied for several teaching positions, and the thought of an interview (assuming I’m lucky enough to get one) makes me nervous. How ...
By Mary Bigelow
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Tips for the first days of school
The first days of school offer teachers an opportunity to set a positive tone and convey to students that their classrooms are supportive learning env...
By Claire Reinburg
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I once worked with a principal who encouraged us to check off the comments boxes on progress reports and report cards. Most of these were rather gener...
By Mary Bigelow
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My neighbors just drove off, heading towards the first day of kindergarten for their daughter. I love to see the excitement on children’s faces as t...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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What do students already know?
Last year, I started giving pretests at the beginning of each unit. The students were upset because they didn’t know many of the answers, even thoug...
By Mary Bigelow
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Teaching with technology (revisited)
In case you haven’t seen it yet, the July issue of Science Scope is themed around technology....
By Mary Bigelow
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I’ve been reading about the revised Bloom’s taxonomy, with “creating” now being at the top. The examples I saw for this level ...
By Mary Bigelow
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Back in the 1990s, when I was a technology director, a school board member asked me “What technology should our students use to prepare them for...
By Mary Bigelow
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Summer can be a time of rest and renewal and an opportunity for teachers to fit in professional pursuits like reading that new book, taking a workshop...
By Claire Reinburg
Blog Post
Connecting with families over the summer
At the end of the school year I gave each preschool student’s family (about 58 of them) a note and a self-addressed stamped envelope in the hopes th...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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I was recently at a workshop where the presenter used the term “bell-to-bell teaching.” As a student teacher, I was embarrassed to ask wha...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
What can I do on the last few days of school? This year (my first as a teacher), my exams were over, projects were completed, and my grades were turne...
By Mary Bigelow