“Um, Ms. Smith, is there some extra credit I can do to bring my grade up?” Such an annoying question, right? And yet, many teachers succumb. They find or create something the student can do to earn a few extra points. Especially when those...
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All kids should love school. Yes, they should. But we all know that they don’t. In fact, many hate it. By high school, many students have become disenagaged. And we’re losing some really bright minds along the way. Jake’s* story: My...
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In theory, most educators likely agree with the philosophy behind Mastery Learning—that there are specific standards that matter most in each course and that our goal is to make sure that each student truly masters, or reaches proficiency, on those...
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David Aderhold, a superintendent in New Jersey recently put an end to HS mid-term and final exams in a well-intentioned attempt to ease pressure on increasingly anxious kids–pressure also discussed in this recent NY Times opinion piece and the film Race to Nowhere. Aderhold’s decision...
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