...As a specialist in English composition and developmental English, I favor a linear approach to teaching writing. Students must have a strong grasp of the basic concepts of paragraph structure before they can begin to understand the more complex aspects of academic writing. Students learn writing skills best when they are taught in a progressive format. (read more)
...The questions test comprehension of the passages, but they also focus on problems in expression that are related to poor sentence structure, weak word choice, wrong punctuation. The reading section also requires students to develop a technique for moving back and forth between the passage and the questions. Many students lose their place then don't have enough time to complete the test. (read more)
...To earn this certificate, I was required to demonstrate knowledge of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, a precursor to the standards now known as the Common Core. As a student in this program and in my subsequent daily role as a teacher, I was required to adapt my lessons and objectives to... (read more)
...An educational system with implicit biases had conditioned me to fear math, so when my opportunities for advancement were contingent on an SAT score in the 99th percentile, I was forced to confront my insecurities and re-learn the subjects that I had long avoided. But I think that mastering math... (read more)
...I think it’s important to capture the excitement that children naturally have to learn. So often that gets overshadowed by a child’s inability to grasp a concept which then turns their scholastic career into not one of growth but something that’s more of a chore for the child and parent. Giving... (read more)