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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
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
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
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
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
Jul 8, 20203 min read
Word Problems: Student Benefits and Effective Teaching Tips
The daily teaching of math word problems is essential if students are to become adept problem solvers. The consistency of a daily routine...
214 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
by Blaine Helwig
Dec 16, 20197 min read
It’s the Gaps, Stupid! – Part 2
Small Gaps Widen to Larger Chasms While hiking the 500-mile-long El Camino in Spain a couple of summers ago, a small pain ensued on the...
81 views
by Blaine Helwig
Oct 7, 20193 min read
Pick a Number. Any Number. Now - Why is that Number Important?
I am thinking of a two digit number between 30 and 40 that is both an even number and a multiple of 8. Can you guess the number? As...
114 views
by Blaine Helwig
Aug 29, 20193 min read
Align, Teach, Practice and Do Well!
A middle distance runner competing in a 3,200 meter or 5 kilometer race practices and trains differently than a long distance runner...
49 views
by Blaine Helwig
Jul 12, 20193 min read
Major Student Disruption – Identify Triggers, Plan, then Deescalate!
If you are a teacher, it will be impossible to avoid major student discipline problems. It will happen at some point in your career....
109 views
by Blaine Helwig
May 19, 20194 min read
Keep a Minor Student Disruption – Minor!
A couple years before I retired, I was teaching fifth grade mathematics at my Title 1 elementary school – despite the fact that I was the...
57 views
by Blaine Helwig
Nov 28, 20184 min read
Practice without Improvement – A Title 1 Invariant!
“How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” This old joke is amusing and timeless because of the obviousness of its one-word punchline: Practice!...
102 views
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