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The New 3Rs Academic Transformation
The Right Systems, The Right Resources, The Right People
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by Blaine Helwig
Nov 17, 20228 min read
Why Does Failure Continue?
I find the title of this blog interesting because as humans – I would hope that when folks perform poorly at some manageable task or...
406 views
by Blaine Helwig
Oct 12, 20224 min read
Instructional Coaches - What do they do all day?
Organizing large groups of people to efficiently complete any complex human task is challenging. In antiquity, for example, the Giza...
90 views
by Blaine Helwig
Oct 2, 202216 min read
Bilingual Acquisition – Language Learning Tips
Due to age and perspective, adults immediately recognize that the mastery of a second language is an incredibly pragmatic and useful...
54 views
by Blaine Helwig
Sep 27, 202219 min read
So, You Want To Be A Principal???
About twenty-five years ago, I was a passenger in a car returning to Austin. I was part of a three-member structural engineering team on...
103 views
by Blaine Helwig
Sep 8, 20227 min read
Atomic Habits – Repetition, Mastery, Pedagogy
After years of visiting Title 1 elementary charters and traditional public schools, I am constantly amazed at the minimal number of...
129 views
by Blaine Helwig
Sep 2, 20226 min read
Avoid Self-Inflicted Professional Wounds
As a seasoned campus and central office administrator, I have witnessed first-hand a handful of incidents involving educators that not...
31 views
by Blaine Helwig
Aug 20, 202221 min read
Solving the Mystery of Poor Student Math Performance
NOPE! The usual suspects of endless blame are not the reason poor academic math results in American public schools. In fact, a...
134 views
by Blaine Helwig
Aug 8, 20228 min read
An Elem. Assistant Principal’s Goal – "Grow and Go!"
I was an elementary assistant principal for almost two years, and I repeatedly heard the AP position accurately characterized as, ‘Grow...
2,461 views
by Blaine Helwig
Jun 30, 20224 min read
Chocolate and Title 1 Academic Inequities
Awhile back, I attended a national charter school founder’s lecture about his experiences opening new schools across the country. After...
51 views
by Blaine Helwig
Apr 8, 20227 min read
New Teacher Tips by “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
“The Marvelous Mrs. Mazel” is an Emmy winning Amazon Prime video series (4 Seasons) about a New York City divorcee who pursues a career...
167 views
by Blaine Helwig
Apr 2, 20228 min read
Two Questions that Stymie Most Title 1 Administrators
In the last 30 years, the author has visited approximately 250 Title 1 elementary campuses as a teacher, principal, central office...
273 views
by Blaine Helwig
Mar 23, 20226 min read
Emulate Before Innovating: COVID or No COVID
Every time we boarded an airplane to travel, my wife would open the airline magazine and complete the three levels of Sudoku puzzles: ...
94 views
by Blaine Helwig
Aug 14, 20214 min read
‘Fix’ Fluency --- or, Comprehension ‘Breaks Down!’
Word fluency will drive comprehension proficiency since the students can read and not deplete their ‘CPU’ trying to decipher the most...
366 views
by Blaine Helwig
Feb 7, 20215 min read
Teaching to the Test - A Better Understanding of the Phrase
I have heard the expression – Teaching to the Test – for many years, but I had not deeply considered the thinking behind the phrase until...
688 views
by Blaine Helwig
Oct 5, 20203 min read
Eliminating Differentiated Instruction is the Title 1 Campus Goal
Back in the spring of 2016 when I was an elementary principal, I attended a district professional development session on a new teacher...
142 views
by Blaine Helwig
Sep 16, 20205 min read
Trickle-Down Teacher Training Versus Bubble-Up Gap Elimination
The macroeconomic theory of trickle-down corporate tax cuts has been a mainstay for conservative politicians and economists for nearly a...
275 views
by Blaine Helwig
Aug 13, 20206 min read
Effective Daily Classroom Management – Come Rain or Shine!
Half a century ago, my father, older brother and I watched a herd of horses driven into a rectangular corral from an open field. My father w
157 views
by Blaine Helwig
May 13, 20205 min read
Distance Learning – Pandemic Lessons Learned
The pandemic has brought to light many underlying issues in our society. Some incidents were surprising; for instance, I was astounded...
49 views
by Blaine Helwig
Feb 12, 20203 min read
Baiting Educators for an Emotional Response
Happens far too frequently in our public schools. A student will use profanity or do something outrageous to get an emotional response...
104 views
by Blaine Helwig
Dec 17, 20195 min read
It’s the Gaps, Stupid! – Part 1
The famous American political phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid” is attributed to James Carville and coined during Bill Clinton's...
82 views
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