The Million Word Reader Tour is officially rolling in our school district. Not only do we celebrate classes that hit the million word mark and beyond, but we commend and honor students who individually read a million words in a school year. These are the readers who have truly become self-determined, independent readers. They've really done a full 180 degree turn from being near non-readers to students who love to read. And, as you keep reading, you will find that getting those 6 zeros…

I know that my READ 180 students are those that sometimes experience frustration because they are below grade level. Many of them "hide" in their regular classrooms, not wanting to draw attention to themselves or have their challenges with reading revealed. I know each of you already understand this, but sometimes saying it out loud among other READ 180 teachers immediately creates a bond. I work hard to build my students' confidence by building meaningful relationships. I also know that…

This is a continuation of my previous blog post, where I recounted what I learned from this past year's National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference in Washington, D.C. In the first post, I compared my NCTM experiences to a nearby museum. In this one, I compare them to an opportunity granted to HMH employees. Not knowing what it would involve but craving a classroom experience, in late 2017 I signed up for an HMH class titled "Learning Creative Learning." It was a survey…

As part of our annual 180 Awards nomination and selection process, HMH is always proud to celebrate all of the gains and accomplishments of students around the country--and this year is no different.The following MATH 180 student winners were acknowledged by their teachers and HMH for their remarkable improvements and academic distinction in math. Each student winner received $500 and the nominating educators of each MATH 180 winner also received a $1,000 gift…

A few weeks back, I was in Washington, D.C., for this year's National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference--by far the largest annual math education conference. Being in D.C., there was one attraction I made a point to see: The National Portrait Gallery. In particular, I wanted to see one work by Kehinde Wiley, an artist mostly known for painting enormous and ultra-realistic portraits of African-Americans surrounded by rich, ornate patterns.Former President Barack Obama…

My first year of teaching after college was a breeze. I got a job teaching middle school science at the school in Tampa where I had my final internship. Was it a great year because the batch of students I had were so well-behaved? Was it because I had so much support from veteran teachers in classrooms nearby? A good administration? Whatever it was, I knew I had plenty of room to grow as a rookie teacher.Then, years two and three did not go so well. I became sad, upset, anxious, and frustrated…

It's that time of year to begin to ask yourself very specific questions about student performance. You've had the Mid-Year Gains meetings, looked at the data and summarized results for the Phonics Inventory. Inevitably questions begin to formulate. "What's the difference between accuracy and fluency?" "Why have they gone up in accuracy but not fluency?" "What does this all mean?" "How do I help my System 44 students with more targeted instruction and practice with fluency?" Accuracy-Fluency:…

It's the end of winter in southeast Texas and that means one thing to flower gardeners--there are blooms just around the corner. Before gardeners can enjoy those flowers, they have to do a bunch of winter clean up. Pulling weeds, fertilizing, and laying down new mulch are just a few of the tasks that need to be rather quickly so that there will be maximum foliage in the spring.The reading classroom is just the same this time of year--it needs a little clean up and maintenance in order for our…

Why do people collect things?  We collect things as reminders of special times. But if your house is like mine, you don’t have room for lots of unnecessary things.  And you certainly don't like having to dust around things either.  But, there is a prized possession in my house that I don’t mind dusting around--the 180 Outstanding Educator Award that I received last year. It will always have a special place in my house, no matter how many times I have to dust around it because it…

Signs All Around Words, at their core, are how we make sense of the world. There is a word for just about every concept, no matter how concrete or abstract. Vocabulary, then, might be one of the greatest tools to help our children purposefully navigate the world around them. While there has been much debate, research indicates that the best way to develop a child’s vocabulary is suspiciously simple: children need to talk, be spoken to, and ask many questions, but they must also read…