Blog, New 3Rs, Education Equity, Numeracy, Literacy, Title 1

Keep a Minor Student Disruption – Minor!

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...

Is Title 1 Public Education 'Working'? – Depends on Perspective!

by Blaine Helwig

Dec 12, 20183 min read

Is Title 1 Public Education 'Working'? – Depends on Perspective!

I do not own a washing machine. Never have. I use the condominium laundry room with its ten washing machines and dryers to handle my...

Practice without Improvement – A Title 1 Invariant!

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!...

Bridge Resources and Their Academic Need

by Blaine Helwig

Oct 25, 20183 min read

Bridge Resources and Their Academic Need

About 15 years ago, I attended weekly central administrator meetings as an elementary program supervisor in a large urban Texas school...

Bad Teaching Day at School – Do not Dwell on the Past

by Blaine Helwig

Oct 12, 20183 min read

Bad Teaching Day at School – Do not Dwell on the Past

One Friday night about 15 years ago, I was resting on my couch after a long day at work when my cell phone rang. I looked at the phone to...

Handling a Student’s ‘Silent Treatment’ with Student Empowerment

by Blaine Helwig

Sep 29, 20187 min read

Handling a Student’s ‘Silent Treatment’ with Student Empowerment

When a child ignores an adult’s questioning using ‘the silent treatment’ and successfully avoids consequence or accountability for their...

Proactive Title 1 Principals: Active Management Supporting Teachers - Part 1

by Blaine Helwig

Sep 15, 20186 min read

Proactive Title 1 Principals: Active Management Supporting Teachers - Part 1

Over the last decade, Graham Elementary School in the Austin Independent School District's dramatic and sustained academic Title 1...

Proactive Title 1 Principals: Active Management Supporting Teachers - Part 2

by Blaine Helwig

Sep 13, 20187 min read

Proactive Title 1 Principals: Active Management Supporting Teachers - Part 2

Above all else at a public school, the first priority of teachers and administrators must always be ensuring children's safety....

The First-Year Teacher’s Cry – “Help! I Need Somebody. HELP!”

by Blaine Helwig

Aug 17, 20185 min read

The First-Year Teacher’s Cry – “Help! I Need Somebody. HELP!”

I was a first year teacher – TWICE in the same school year. I was hired as a second grade teacher, and I taught that grade level for a...

A Title 1 Principal Can't Buy Academic Success

by Blaine Helwig

Aug 9, 20183 min read

A Title 1 Principal Can't Buy Academic Success

In the 1970’s, my father started the first Christmas tree farm in South Dakota. A slotted hole was dug using a long steel spade shovel...

by Blaine Helwig

Aug 2, 20184 min read

“Drill and Kill” – Analyzed

Earlier this summer I was talking to a seasoned elementary teacher that is a standout educator and asset to the profession. She mentioned...

Another School Year Arrives - Academic Title 1 Woes Continue

by Blaine Helwig

Jul 27, 20184 min read

Another School Year Arrives - Academic Title 1 Woes Continue

In the early 1980’s, I was out of money, and I could not continue my engineering studies at the University of Texas at Austin. However, I...

Student Management Redirection – Shorter is Better!

by Blaine Helwig

Jul 21, 20183 min read

Student Management Redirection – Shorter is Better!

On my planning period, I walked down to the teacher workroom to check my school mailbox and make several Xerox copies. As I walked back...

Why is Effective Title 1 School Reform Not Happening?

by Blaine Helwig

May 5, 20184 min read

Why is Effective Title 1 School Reform Not Happening?

Federal and State money flows into the Title 1 public schools. The river of money flows regardless of academic results each school year,...

The Numeracy Power of Making 10, 100 or 1,000

by Blaine Helwig

Apr 27, 20183 min read

The Numeracy Power of Making 10, 100 or 1,000

We live in a Base 10 world. Base 10 is everywhere! Of course, a math person may counter with clock time – hours and minutes. Time is kept...

by Blaine Helwig

Apr 20, 20183 min read

Why Are Public Schools FREE?

This is an interesting question. Public schools are not exactly free, of course. Parents often must pay for any number of items for their...

Teacher Tips to Improve Homework Completion

by Blaine Helwig

Apr 13, 20184 min read

Teacher Tips to Improve Homework Completion

“Andrew will not complete his homework.” “At least half my class does not do their homework, consistently.” “I have called the parent...

by Blaine Helwig

Apr 6, 20182 min read

Why Give Kids’ Homework, Anyway?

As both an elementary classroom teacher and a principal, a few parents each school year have questioned the modern need for nightly...

Student Choice – Empowerment, but with Personal Responsibility

by Blaine Helwig

Mar 30, 20183 min read

Student Choice – Empowerment, but with Personal Responsibility

The choices made by students in their behavior have everything to do with their social and academic success in the classroom. Their...

Classroom Rules – Why, How Many and Which Ones?

by Blaine Helwig

Mar 23, 20183 min read

Classroom Rules – Why, How Many and Which Ones?

According to Exodus, Moses climbed Mt. Sinai, and God gifted him the Decalogue – Ten Commandments that provided a foundation of conduct...

Student Engagement – Active versus Passive Learning

by Blaine Helwig

Mar 2, 20183 min read

Student Engagement – Active versus Passive Learning

You are a public school teacher. You are about half-way through your science or math lesson. The door opens and the principal walks into...

School Culture – What Does It Really Mean?

by Blaine Helwig

Feb 23, 20183 min read

School Culture – What Does It Really Mean?

There are many industry specific words bandied about in public education that all too often, educators possess only a vague definition....

Scoreboards, Performance, Practice and Reflection

by Blaine Helwig

Feb 16, 20184 min read

Scoreboards, Performance, Practice and Reflection

The other night I was watching the latest release of ESPN’s 30 for 30 – a remarkable and interesting documentary series highlighting...

Math Word Problems, Skills and Practice: In this Case, it takes Three to Tango!

by Blaine Helwig

Feb 9, 20183 min read

Math Word Problems, Skills and Practice: In this Case, it takes Three to Tango!

Math word problems were difficult for me when I was a kid. At the end of thirty or so skill base computation problems on the exercise...

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