Are you cutting the practicing of spelling words due to lack of time? Focusing only on creativity in writing? Giving a pass on poor spelling during math? Time to reconsider because you can't look smart by spelling dumb!

Ask yourself…How eager to learn would you feel if you: woke up on friend’s sofa this morning fought eight people for bathroom time pulled on yesterday’s clothing headed out with no breakfast This is the daily life of homeless students…every day. Now ask yourself: Are there any kids in your room who are homeless? The answer may surprise you…a lot.

Wwhy do so many elementary teachers believe that a classroom awards programs means dispensing M&M’s like a candy machine in order to get their kids to do anything? Just like adults, kids want to be part of a winning team. And teachers who know their business can form such a team every year without spending a penny on candy.

Last month I outlined why “No Child Left Behind” is unrealistic – why even intense, student-centered teaching can’t ensure that every child passes a standardized test at grade level. The consequences of poverty and the culture that accompanies it were a big part of the reason.

OK…that headline was hard to write. Hard, but necessary. Before you accuse me of abandoning the kids in my class and giving up on closing the achievement gap, let me explain. I will admit that I’m sometimes pretty hard on the education profession, both on my website and in these articles. I support teacher accountability and I expect a lot of myself and of my profession. So I think it is clear that I absolutely do not condone giving up on any child…but I also don’t condone living in an unrealistic fantasy.

Testing, both formal and informal, is here to stay. We just haven't come up with a better way to fairly evaluate proficiency. Everyone will be tested at some point - literally, "number-two-pencil" tested, not just "life-is-hard" tested - and best teaching practices must ensure that students are ready for this challenge. So....

Experience is the greatest teacher, and new teachers don't have enough time in the classroom to truly hit the ground running on day one; they just don't know how things at school really work. And for that, I blame the Education Department at your local four-year university.

This scenario is no different from what occurs at any company in the world...or any family, for that matter! Like determined people everywhere, those who hold strong opinions will use whatever influence they can to get their way. And their way is quite often "No changes on my watch."

School system differences provide opportunities for teachers who need jobs during tough economic times. Private schools are sometimes overlooked as an option for new graduates since many had no experience with non-public schools as a child.

Students learn more effectively when you get classroom management right; kids benefit, and teaching won't wear you out. A teacher can approach classroom management in four different ways...