Articles for Teachers
Thank You For an Incredible Year!
As we close out a year of delivering the very best of Jill’s tips and tricks into your inbox every week, we just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for all of your continued support! Because of you, we can continue Jill’s legacy of supporting educators across the...
Novelty Is Killing Mastery | For Teachers
I often find that teachers struggle to build mastery with their kids because we are falling into the old trap of believing that novelty beats routine and practice. The problem with always trying something new - going to Facebook, Pinterest, or Teachers Pay...
Too Much Background! | For Teachers
Not long ago, teachers in a district I was working in were talking about how they’d love to teach a lesson, but they’re hesitant because of all the teaching time they’d need to spend building enough background knowledge. Maybe you can relate? But consider this: what...
Another Overrated Education-ism | For Teachers & Coaches
One of the things I hear teachers say quite a bit is that in order for kids to be able to write, they have to read. And yes, technically that is true. But a lot of times when teachers say that, what they really mean is that they are going to delay teaching writing...
Why Accelerated Reader is So Misused in the Classroom | For Teachers & District Leaders
I’ll admit it: I have concerns about accelerated reader. Now, don't shoot the messenger! Just consider the following: Accelerated reader doesn't track skills. If you're using it to figure out whether kids are growing skill wise, it's not equipped to give you that...
The Bane of Existence for Skill Building | For Teachers
We realistically need about 47 minutes to cover this issue properly, but since nobody has time for that, let’s get to it! I want to talk about the difference between a skill and an activity. A skill is the ability to do something. An activity is an...