Tips for Differentiation

Here's a great set of Top Ten Tips for Differentiation.  Enjoy!

The Impact of Negative Words

In my book, Classroom Motivation from A to Z, I share a quote from Derwin Gray, a retired NFL player.  He said, "Negative words are like hammering a nail into someone's heart; even if you pull it out by saying I'm sorry, it still leaves a scar.".  This story shares a similar sentiment. 

Lessons Learned from Differentiated Instruction

Here's a great article about a middle school teacher's experience with differentiated instruction.  It is worth the three minutes it will take you to read it!

Tic-Tac-Toe for Differentiation

Last week, I linked to a list of differentiation strategies.  One of those mentioned was the use of a tic-tac-toe board to detail a variety of activities for students.  It's one of my favorites, because it allows you to include activities tailored to multiple intelligences, readiness levels, or topics.  Here's a page that includes a downloadable word template of a tic-tac-toe board.  

Never Give Up on Your Dreams

Quick Video for Leaders

Just for leaders!  A wonderful quick video on achieving results.  Justin is a great friend and he does wonderful work.  Take a look.   

Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Here's a great (albeit a bit older) infograph about effective vocabulary instruction.  Check it out!

The Art of Teaching

The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.  
Mark van Doren

Effective Homework

Are you receiving my e-newsletter?  This month's topic is Strategies for Effective Homework.  If

you've already signed up, you should have 
received it yesterday.  If you haven't signed up, use the link at the right.  I'll resend it every day, so be on the lookout!  

Characteristics of Effective Questions

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe describe seven essential characteristics of effective questions.  How do your questions measure up?

1.     Is open ended

2.     Is thought-provoking and intellectually engaging

3.     Calls for higher-order thinking

4.     Points toward important, transferable ideas

5.     Raises additional questions

6.     Requires support and justification

Recurs over time

The Difference You Make

He who opens a school door, closes a prison.  Victor Hugo

Questioning Skills

Here's an archive of my newsletter on Quality Questioning.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to plan your questions.  You may adapt them during the lesson, but simply "going with the flow" will not help students understand the content at a rigorous level. When teachers carefully craft their questions, a higher level of understanding is achieved than when all of the questions are spontaneous.

For more, click here. 

14 Free Resources for Primary Source Documents

This is a great blog post with 14 free resources for primary source documents.  I think you'll find them very helpful.