New Series: "The Alphabet Guide to Virtual Teaching

I am launching a new blog series with my next post. I wrote the content for this guide while I was a principal for a statewide online school. I launched one per week during the school year as my reflection piece at the beginning of the team's newsletter. It spurred many conversations during the week and opened a dialogue with my teachers that otherwise might not have happened. While I am re-crafting some content to reflect a broader audience, I am certain the content is timeless and can be taken to heart for online, on-the-ground, and blended learning teachers at every level.

The reflective writing starts with the belief that no matter where the teaching and learning take place, the beginning is the educator and moves to each student one at a time. While there are myriads of conversations taking place about the authenticity and integrity of the mandate "No Child Left Behind," one thing rings true: teaching is done one child at a time no matter how many you have in your classroom kindergarten through postgraduate. You'll notice the slogan has never said no children left behind and the reason for that is clear.

My personal editorial comment is this: successful education is based on every individual student's needs. No approach, no theories, no fancy or simple tools, will do the job until we reduce class sizes. It doesn't matter how talented the teacher is or how forward-thinking the district if students are overlooked each day because a teacher is stretched too thin. Students with disabilities are assigned one-on-one interaction, not because they have handicaps, but because their needs are identified and it works.

Think about this: Johnny might have ADHD or partial sight loss, but the other children each come in with their own individual needs. The list is long and as unique as your students: abusive parents, hunger, distractibility, poor self esteem, giftedness, exhaustion. The teacher needs to work with each one of the students, not to change him or her, but to understand and elevate and care.

If you personally succeeded as a student, or your child is making progress and growing, a teacher cared. It's really quite a simple formula.

I hope you will enjoy the series and feel comfortable engaging in a conversation with me and others who stop by. Let me know you are "there" - it encourages my efforts more than you know.