Category Archives: Reflections

Standing Up for Students: One Middle School Teacher’s Urgent Plea against Standardized Testing during the COVID Pandemic

Posted on April 15, 2020 by

We have officially been in our “Stay at Home” order for about four weeks. In addition, Michigan schools will no longer meet face-to-face this year. During my time at home, I have been doing some processing and reflecting on education … Continue reading →

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Routine Argument Writing Practices: Using Images to Spark Conversation

Posted on March 11, 2020 by

Students enter my classroom, milling about as they retrieve their writing journals from the bin, and make their way to their seats. While a few glance at the image projected on the screen at the front of the room, most … Continue reading →

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The TOLI Seminar in NYC

Posted on January 13, 2020 by

When faced with what seemed like unending snow days in the winter of 2019, I decided to take advantage of an invitation that always spoke to me – applying for the TOLI summer seminar in New York City. Because I … Continue reading →

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“Show and Tell” Using Peer Templates to Teach an Argument Move

Posted on December 2, 2019 by

My high school juniors sit, gazing at their Chromebook screens as they think about my challenge to “extend” their evidence. I can see and feel the tension, so I know it’s time for “Show and Tell.” Extending is one of … Continue reading →

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Inquiry, Immersion, and Interdisciplinarity on Beaver Island

Posted on September 28, 2019 by

This past summer, sixteen educators from Michigan districts as diverse as Utica, in Macomb County, and St. Louis, a rural district in Gratiot County, participated in a week-long, intensive workshop at Central Michigan University’s Biological Station on Beaver Island, taking … Continue reading →

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