The Unexpected Advocate: Tackling Inequity One Equation at a Time!

How Growth-Based Grading Transformed My Classroom My Journey to Growth-Based Grading Over more than two decades of teaching, I’ve come to understand that true education is about fostering each student’s growth—not by focusing on where they start, but on how far they progress relative to their starting point. As society evolves, so too must our instructional methods to meet the changing needs of students. My most profound professional transformation began when I transitioned from teaching at an affluent, majority-Anglo high school in western Washington to a high-poverty, majority-minority school in eastern Washington. This experience fundamentally reshaped my perspective on equitable teaching and grading, especially in addressing growth and achievement gaps. When I arrived at my current school, the student learning challenges I observed were immense. Many students, predominantly heritage Spanish speakers, faced multiple barriers both within and beyond the school system. Are Spanish-spea...

  Professional Unprofessionality: Transforming Classrooms Through Authentic Connection The Unexpected Journey of Educational Engagement As I reflect on my two decades of teaching, I've come to realize that the most powerful moments in education happen far beyond traditional textbooks and rigid methodologies. My journey has been a testament to the transformative power of what some might call "unprofessional" teaching - a approach that prioritizes human connection over sterile instruction. The Potato Incident: A Lesson in Cultural Bridging Let me paint a vivid picture of one of my most memorable classroom moments. In a classroom where language barriers often feel insurmountable, I encountered a frustrated monolingual student struggling to express her mathematical confusion. Her exasperated cry of "no entiendo papas!" (I don't understand potatoes) became an unexpected teaching moment. Most educators would have reached for a translator or moved on. Instead, I s...

Navigating the Promise and Challenges of Project-Based Learning in STEM Project-Based Learning (PBL) has become a buzzword in education, often hailed as a transformative approach that ties classroom learning to real-world applications. As a STEM educator, I have seen firsthand the potential of PBL to engage students by incorporating their lives, interests, and future aspirations. When done effectively, PBL allows students to solve problems as they might in a professional setting, bridging the gap between abstract concepts and tangible applications. Research supports this notion, showing that meaningful, rich learning experiences promote long-term retention of concepts. However, while I’m a staunch advocate for the principles of PBL, implementing it in a high school STEM classroom, especially with traditionally underserved student populations, is not without its challenges. Here, I’ll explore the promise of PBL, the obstacles I’ve encountered, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way....

  Unpacking the Debate: Heterogeneous vs. Homogeneous Math Classrooms at My High School Education is a deeply personal profession, and for those of us at Warden High School, it’s more than just teaching equations—it’s about reshaping futures. Over the years, I've had many conversations with colleagues and experts who challenge our approach to ability-tracking students into specific math classes. Some advocate for the progressive move toward heterogeneous grouping , where students of all skill levels learn together in the same classroom. While this idea is rooted in equity and inclusivity, I remain a staunch defender of our current system of targeted placement. Here's why—and why I welcome the ongoing debate. The Core Argument for Ability Tracking In our district, 74% of incoming 9th graders score at the lowest level on their 8th-grade Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA), indicating they lack foundational pre-algebra skills. These students come from a middle school that employs a...