Schools Are Not Businesses. Why Do We Treat Them Like They Are?

by Heather MacCorkle | Oct 11, 2020 | Education, Essays, Learning, Teaching

“We really have a great product,” I have heard superintendents say. “We have several offerings for the students,” others have said. What is this? A car lot? A factory? For all the talk about differentiation, personalized learning, SAMR (a model for integrating tech...

If This Is the “New Normal,” When Does It Begin to Feel Normal?

by Heather MacCorkle | Sep 27, 2020 | Education, Learning, Teaching

They promised we would “get used to it,” but we haven’t yet, and it’s so exhausting. Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels.com “Resistance is futile,” Picard warned us about the Borg, and right now I feel like I’m starting to become part of the...

This Is What Happens When an English Teacher Has Writer’s Block

by Heather MacCorkle | Sep 20, 2020 | Education, Essays, Learning, Teaching

It’s not pretty. Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash The key to having your voice “heard” is to use it often, but this week’s post topic eludes me. Perhaps it’s fatigue. Maybe it’s this feeling that I’ve already said too much. Still, I yearn to be part of the...

2 Ways That Waiting for the First Day of School Is Nerve-Wracking

by Heather MacCorkle | Aug 29, 2020 | Education, Essays, Learning, Teaching, Virtual Learning

Some Advice to Help Calm Your Nervous Mind Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash I was recently honored by a request to do an interview as a teacher representative of my district regarding school reopening. It was a surprise for many reasons: receiving the...

I Did It Again. I Made Something Too Complicated.

by Heather MacCorkle | Aug 27, 2020 | Essays, Learning, Teaching

The novel study portfolio project I have planned needs a lot of work to be effective for the students. The project should be fun, thought-provoking, and memorable – not painful. Holy Post-It® Notes! This is what I did to a very good book. To introduce the novel...

Teaching a Hybrid Class? Bell Ringers Might Save Your Sanity.

by Heather MacCorkle | Aug 27, 2020 | Education, Learning, Teaching, Virtual Learning

Last year, bell ringers featured prominently in my instruction for about a month. This year WILL be different. Right?  What Are These Bell Ringers of Which You Speak? Most teachers will already know the term, but the explanation below is for those who might know...