Tagged: Barbara Blackburn

How to Excel as a New Middle Level Principal

New principals can fall prey to “task overload.” What’s more, the transition from working with teachers as peers to working as a supervisor can be disorienting. Experts Ron Williamson & Barbara Blackburn share advice in six critical areas of the new job.

Virtual Field Trips Spice Up Learning

In today’s budget-conscious and time-stressed schools, virtual field trips are a great way to excite students without leaving the classroom. Teaching expert Barbara Blackburn shares a sample lesson idea and some good places to hunt for relevant field trips.

Misconceptions about Mindset, Rigor, and Grit

Using Mindset, Rigor, and Grit as examples, veteran teacher Cheryl Mizerny weighs the potential value of trendy pedagogical ideas while pointing out how easily they can be misinterpreted or poorly implemented by educators, to the detriment of students.

Three Tools to Support ELL Students

Teaching consultant Barbara Blackburn offers 3 simple, effective tools to support English Language Learners as they work with nonfiction text. The strategies, easily adapted to any classroom, include use of visuals, use of language, and layering meaning.

The Eight Essentials of Good Student Feedback

Quality feedback – written and oral – is crucial for students to continuously improve their work. Author-consultant Barbara Blackburn summarizes eight characteristics of good feedback that she believes “are essential practices for effective teaching.”

PAIRing with Parents to Improve Student Learning

Want to improve relationships between families and school? Teachers benefit when learning is reinforced and supported from home. Consultant Barbara Blackburn has tips on how to PAIR with parents and avoid school-side mistakes that weaken engagement.

Three Tips for Effective Grading

One hallmark of rigor in the classroom is an effective grading system, says PD consultant Barbara Blackburn. Teachers with ineffective practices often overvalue simple tasks and need to be clear about the “what, why and how” behind their grades. She analyzes a weak social studies grading rubric.

Use Writing Activities to Bond with New Students

“One of the most important factors in student achievement is a positive connection with the teacher,” says teaching consultant Barbara Blackburn. “An easy way to bond with kids is through writing.” She suggests two activities students will enjoy and you will learn from.

A New Toolkit for Classroom Rigor

In Rigor in Your Classroom: A Toolkit for Teachers, Barbara Blackburn has really done her homework, says reviewer Laura Von Staden. It is well referenced, thoroughly investigated and succinct and features tools and resources from teachers across the country.