Pedagogy - Teacher | thenew3rs 2/4

‘Fix’ Fluency --- or, Comprehension ‘Breaks Down!’

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...

361 views

Teaching to the Test - A Better Understanding of the Phrase

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...

664 views

Effective Daily Classroom Management – Come Rain or Shine!

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

Word Problems: Student Benefits and Effective Teaching Tips

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...

211 views

Baiting Educators for an Emotional Response

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 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

Pick a Number. Any Number. Now - Why is that Number Important?

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...

113 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...

48 views

Major Student Disruption – Identify Triggers, Plan, then Deescalate!

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....

108 views

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...

57 views

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!...

102 views

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...

66 views

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...

70 views

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...

94 views

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...

3,266 views

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...

49 views

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...

50 views

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...

356 views

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...

70 views

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...

58 views

The New 3Rs Academic Transformation

The Right Systems, The Right Resources, The Right People

© 2017-2024 by The New 3Rs Academic Excellence and Transformation