Sometimes it scares me to think that we have taken the most human profession, teaching, and have reduced it to simply letters and numbers.  We place such an emphasis on these scores, because of political mandates and the way teachers and schools are evaluated today, that is seems we've forgotten why our profession exists:  to change - improve - lives.  But, as speaker and author Dr. Joe Martin says so well, "No teacher has ever had a former student return to say a standardized test changed his or her life."

There is no substitute for a teacher who designs authentic, participatory, and relevant learning experiences for her unique population of students.  The role of the teacher is to inspire learning and develop skills and mindsets of learners.  A teacher, as designer and facilitator, should continually evolve with resources, experiences, and the support of a community.  It is becoming increasingly clear that we don't necessarily need to transform the role of teachers, rather create a culture that inspires and empowers teachers to innovate in the pursuit of providing optimal learning experiences for their students.

The growth mindset is crucial in one's openness to learning.  But to change education and prepare students for their futures, we need to adopt an innovator's mindset...We must focus on creating something with the knowledge that's been acquired.

The world only cares about - and pays off on - what you can do with what you know (and it doesn't care how you learned it).

I believe that the majority of educators want to create engaging and effective learning experiences for their students to achieve the desired learning goals.  No teacher wakes up in the morning and says, "I can't wait to go to school and be mediocre!"

Word Wise

Referred to by the British as the Coercive Acts, these proclamations are known in the U.S. as the Intolerable Acts.  These were complicated times, and people took sides.

Primary source

Stamp Act Compare and contrast the British and American points of view of the Coercive/ Intolerable Acts.  Which side would you take?  Were both sides justified in their actions? Who was most affected by the Stamp Act on paper goods?  Why might this matter to the situation at hand?

George Washington's famous surprise attack in Trenton, New Jersey, on Christmas Day meant he had to lead his troops across the icy Delaware River in the dark. From the Mount Vernon website: By the time that most of the soldiers had reached the launching point for the boats, the drizzle had turned into a driving rain. And by 11 o’clock that evening, while the boats were crossing the river, a howling nor’easter made the miserable crossing even worse. One soldier recorded that “it blew a perfect hurricane” as snow and sleet lashed Washington’s army.

Art Appreciation What do you notice?  What do you wonder?  Write a story.

Victory at Trenton

Amazing Facts

Be Washington:  It's Your Turn to Lead Get ready to play the interactive theater game of Be Washington, directly from the folks at Mount Vernon.  The teacher will direct you in joining the game about the Second Battle of Trenton.  Will you make the same choices as General Washington?

...And to All a Good Night!

It was great!  I loved how all of you guys knew your parts...Your touring was awesome!  ...That was one of the best classroom presentations I have ever been too [sic].  I was SHOCKED!

My favorite part about it was when we learned about the sizes that a bat can get...I think you did a super job!