NOPE! The usual suspects of endless blame are not the reason poor academic math results in American public schools. In fact, a...

Word fluency will drive comprehension proficiency since the students can read and not deplete their ‘CPU’ trying to decipher the most...

I have heard the expression – Teaching to the Test – for many years, but I had not deeply considered the thinking behind the phrase until...

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

The daily teaching of math word problems is essential if students are to become adept problem solvers. The consistency of a daily routine...

Happens far too frequently in our public schools. A student will use profanity or do something outrageous to get an emotional response...

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...

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...

A middle distance runner competing in a 3,200 meter or 5 kilometer race practices and trains differently than a long distance runner...

If you are a teacher, it will be impossible to avoid major student discipline problems. It will happen at some point in your career....

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...

“How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” This old joke is amusing and timeless because of the obviousness of its one-word punchline: Practice!...

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

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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

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