As I walk around the room, I notice students talking—generally enthusiastically—about the book we are reading. They have a few discussion questions on a handout to take notes, which they dutifully fill out. What I don’t notice are any books open on their desks. In… Read More
Monthly archives of “April 2016”
Getting out of the way: A line of argument
One of my favorite essays in my AP Lang & Comp class is Amanda Ripley’s “The Case Against High School Sports,” originally published in The Atlantic. Ripley’s argument is particularly provocative as she questions the possible disproportionate value that schools place on sports versus academics. Conversation is… Read More
Getting out of the way: EdCamp-inspired discussion
The end of the week is finally here. I think I speak for most of my students and fellow teachers when I say that Friday couldn’t come fast enough. It’s been one of those weeks where every day I rushed to get things done, and… Read More
Making Thinking Visible: Initial Thoughts
I‘m currently reading Making Thinking Visible by Ritchhart, Church, and Morrison (2011). I’ve been thinking a lot about how to make thinking processes like writing and reading visible to students. Writing, for example, is part art but mostly craft. While some students think of good writing as… Read More
How to Embed Conversations: Another Micro-progression
A few days ago, I shared a micro-progression I created for students that showed them a progression of how to integrate textual evidence. The rationale—as inspired by Kate Roberts and Maggie Roberts’ Educator Collaborative session—is that students benefit from seeing the variations of skill development. Not all… Read More
Time to Re-evaluate: Why summer reading?
This morning when I opened my e-mail, my daily update from the NCTE Teaching and Learning forum was there. I look forward to seeing what conversations are going on about teaching and learning, and although I don’t actively participate (post), I do always read. And… Read More
Virtual Anchor Charts Meet “Micro-progressions”
During the closing keynote of Saturday’s Educator Collaborative Gathering, Kate Roberts and Maggie Beattie Roberts walked through a few tools that both teachers and students could use to amplify their learning. We are inundated with information, day in and day out, that sometimes it can be… Read More
PD in my PJs: What does a Curiosity-Driven Curriculum Look Like? (Pt 2)
“I think my head is going to explode.” And that generally sums up how I felt during the Educator Collaborative Spring Gathering yesterday—and that was just after the opening keynote! One after another, each session offered many things for me to think about. Yesterday was a day… Read More
PD in my PJs: A Morning with 10,000 Teachers (Part 1)
Yesterday I joined 10,000 other teachers from around the world for the Educator Collaborative’s Spring Gathering, a free virtual conference that brought together the talents of incredible educators who generously share their passions and expertise. So as I sat in the comfort of my family room—watching… Read More
Tricia Ebarvia 
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