Oh Captain My Captain
/You are creating systems, environments, and/or learning episodes for kids who have never had such experiences. And they are showing up, engaging, and learning.
Read MoreMCRSD believes in the model of Teacher-Led Schools. Teacher-leaders are empowered and supported to make the decisions that best support teaching, leading, and governance on their campuses. Learn more about our teacher-led school model here.
The following resources are created and compiled to support our teacher-leaders with their important work.
You are creating systems, environments, and/or learning episodes for kids who have never had such experiences. And they are showing up, engaging, and learning.
Read MoreAs we all move forward, may we reflect back on this past year and celebrate the things that matter—relationships, growth, and connection.
Read MoreThe more time kids spend in school, the less creative they get. There are lots of reasons for that, and none of them I blame on actual teachers. Point to packaged curriculum, high-stakes assessments, pacing guides, blah, blah, blah. Yawn.
Read MoreMr. Rogers modeled curiosity, and he scaffolded it. (Wow, those sound like teacher words.)
Read MoreBut if you consider that the first descriptor of our first pillar, Caring Culture, is: "We know our students. From their favorite color to their preferred learning styles, we are in the business of knowing and caring for every one of our students..." That is our commitment to creating a "highly personalized algorithm."
Read MoreI wish I had known the impact I was making on him all of those evenings driving home feeling like I had failed. I was using the wrong assessment to judge myself.
Read MoreHere's the thing, if those philosophical truths aren't getting the results promised, or if they are causing stress and attacking your self-efficacy, it's probably time to let go and move on to something else.
Read MoreBy looking through this very human-centered lens, I hope we can all see how much growth is all around us and celebrate ourselves and one another for our contributions to it.
Read MoreWhen you are super close to the work it is easy to see the cracks and weaknesses. It's easy to become frustrated with slow progress when you are the one slogging through long days and long weeks.
Read MoreJoy comes from within. And when you take time to affirm yourself for the difference you make, joy is more likely to surface and begin to pour out.
Read MoreBurnout becomes more accelerated when we stop feeling that the efforts we make are not worth the impact they get.
Read MoreBut we are living in difficult times, and we are doing difficult work. A collective focus on practicing joy might be a good thing.
Read MoreThis is why above all, inspirational instruction must be multimodal, multidimensional, and of course, multicultural.
Read MoreWe are on a mission to do something different here. We are re-imagining education. By focusing on inspiring instruction in a safe, supportive, and caring environment, our students will be equipped for the life they dream of.
Read MoreWhen we ask the right questions and apply the culturally responsive assessment practices, we find out some of the most "below grade level" students are chocked full of skills and knowledge that can be leveraged for rigorous, meaningful instruction.
Read MoreIn a very high-level, broad definition, "student agency refers to learning through activities that are meaningful and relevant to learners, driven by their interests, and often self-initiated with appropriate guidance from teachers."
Read MoreAnd so we tinker with the system. Get a little more creative, a little less structured, and a little more woo-woo than other school systems. But is a little enough? Are you willing, able, and motivated to go further?
Read MoreThere are all sorts of important brain juices (technical term) activated by creating things, especially when you do it with others. They slosh around up there and make us happier and healthier.
Read MoreSo here we are, smack dab in the middle of a pandemic that will forever change the way the world operates. But education as a whole is doing what education does, jamming our traditional instructional methods into new models or tools.
Read MoreIt is clear that traditional distance learning methods will continue to put our students behind their peers, making it more difficult for them to compete economically and socially.
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