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Teaching at the Edges: Welcoming Newcomers with Dignity, Structure, and Hope

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  Teaching at the Edges: Welcoming Newcomers with Dignity, Structure, and Hope On the third day of school, “Daniela” stood in my doorway—silent, backpack half-unzipped, eyes scanning for an exit. She’d arrived last week from a rural community and had been in and out of school for years. English was new. The bell, the rules, the crowd, the speed—new. When a classmate tried to help, another student rolled his eyes. “Why is she even here if she can’t…?” That moment is the dilemma many schools are living right now: How do we keep moving forward for all students while we also build a runway for newcomers—students with interrupted or limited formal education, carrying trauma that shows up as language risk, boundary-testing, and sometimes explosive behavior? This post offers a path: a trauma-aware, PBIS-inspired system that dignifies students like Daniela and protects learning time for everyone. What We’re Actually Seeing (Name it to change it) Mismatched norms: School routines ...
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Lessons From the Other Side of Parenting

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Lessons From the Other Side of Parenting:  What I Wish I Knew From the Start 🧠 Realizing I’ve Become the “Older Dad” This week, I was scrolling through Facebook when I came across a friend’s post—he was clearly frustrated with his 12-year-old son’s lack of responsibility. I started typing out a reply, and somewhere between the lines, I realized something surprising: I’m now the “older dad.” The one with grown kids. The one who’s already walked the road from diapers to high school graduation. And while I didn’t always get it right (far from it), I’ve learned a few things along the way—lessons I’d love to share with any parent who’s in the middle of the mess, wondering if they’re doing any of it right. You only get to do this parenting thing once. Sometimes it feels endless, even overwhelming. But it’s a season that—when it’s gone—you’ll miss deeply. So here it is: the parenting wisdom I wish I had taken to heart from the beginning. 👶 Infant Stage: You Can’t Always Fix It ...
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Why I Switched Grading Practices—and Why I Call It “Skill-Based Grading”

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  Why I Switched Grading Practices—and Why I Call It “Skill-Based Grading” When I set out to grade more equitably, I ditched the traditional curriculum map and rewrote everything around standards. That sounded good…until I tried to explain it to students and parents. “Standards Based Grading” felt abstract and overwhelming. So I rebranded it Skill-Based Grading. A skill is tangible. One standard can hide several distinct skills, and each needs its own entry in the gradebook. Example: Common Core Standard Skills I Grade Separately G-SRT.6 Write a trig ratio 1 idea G-SRT.7 Show sin & cos are complementary 1 idea G-SRT.8 Solve right-triangle problems                          3 ideas      • solve for an angle      • solve for a side      • use the Pythagorean Theorem in context Breaking standards into bite-sized skills lets struggling students see exactly...
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The Formation of Broken Multilingual Learners Stem Identities

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  The Data: According to research and data from the U.S. Census Bureau and educational studies, approximately 13.6 million students in the United States speak a language other than English at home , with Spanish being the most common heritage language. Among these, about 4.5 million students (as of 2023) are classified as English Learners (ELs), and the majority of these are heritage Spanish speakers. This means millions of students enter the school system as heritage Spanish speakers each year. These students often come from homes where Spanish is spoken, but their proficiency in Spanish varies, particularly in academic vocabulary. Their ability to succeed in both English and Spanish depends heavily on the educational supports they receive, as well as the type of program—such as dual-language, English-only immersion, or transitional bilingual education—they are enrolled in. The research of Thomas and Collier indicates that dual-language programs are most effective for these stu...
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Location: Moses Lake, WA 98837, USA
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The Biggest Problem in Mathematics Education Today!

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  The Hidden Barrier to Math Success: Confronting Learned Helplessness in Our Classrooms As a math educator with over 20 years of experience and more than 2,500 students passing through my classroom, I’ve seen the education system from many angles. I’ve taught in affluent and underserved schools, engaged with parents, collaborated with educators, and debated with college professors about what works and what doesn’t in education. One common thread runs through all these interactions: the urgent need to address why so many students struggle with math and, more importantly, what can be done about it. Lately, I’ve had more meetings with parents frustrated that their child is struggling with math, convinced the issue lies with my teaching. But as someone who has worked to refine my curriculum, instruction, and scaffolding strategies, I have to ask: What’s really going on here? The truth is sobering. It’s not just the curriculum, standards, or even the instruction. It’s learned helplessn...
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Location: Moses Lake, WA 98837, USA
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