Research shows that students who complete a mathematics course beyond the level of Algebra II more than double the odds of pursuing and completing post-secondary education (Adelman, 1999). Many districts now require completion of an Algebra I course prior to completion of 9th…

My Boys Can’t Sit Still on the Carpet! Most kinder and first grade teachers will agree a class group where the majority of students are boys will call for a much different approach to instruction, management and student outcomes.  But…

Creating a unit plan can feel like a daunting task, however, this process can provide you with an opportunity to consider your students and how they can develop mastery of content standards.  While district-level curriculum often provides you with a…

Each year districts throughout the nation spend millions of dollars on professional development, inservice training, curriculum materials and resources.  And why do they do this? Research has determined that teachers need a minimum of 50 to 80 hours of professional development before…

Preservice teachers are required to complete four Teacher Performance Assessments (TPA) as part of the Preliminary Teaching Credential requirement. These assessments are designed around tasks that a classroom teacher will typically do throughout the school year such as designing instruction,…

If you’ve been in education as long as I have you probably remember the days when 6 foot file cabinets were considered an asset in your class.  These giant storage containers were a blessing when having a paper trail was…

By Guest Blogger: Margaux Weighner The industry of printing is continuously evolving. 3D printing is an innovation that’s several leaps ahead of the 2D, flat and linear printing. The innovative machine could produce prints in three dimensions, making it possible…

The idea of the “first day” just seems overwhelming. As a teacher I am beyond excited to get into the math but realistically my students might not be there just yet.  They are more concerned about who they will sit…

Here’s a sign of a powerful professional development event, your laptop, and cell phone never leave your bookbag once.  The idea that a 1-day workshop won’t grow dendrites for teachers, has been exclaimed by researchers for decades, yet if the…

 Sparking students’ interest in the math classroom means you are letting students “own” learning.  The element of surprise is wrapped around the problem you pose to your students and productive struggle occurs when you step outside of the equation and…