teachers

The Longest Summer Ever: My first attempt at retirement

~ mrsprairie ~ 2 Comments

I keep telling people I’m “retired,” but honestly? It still feels exactly like summer break. Just… longer. As in, the longest summer ever.

You’d think after decades in education, my body would know the difference between “July freedom” and “you actually don’t have to go back in August.”
But no.
Every morning I wake up expecting that telltale flutter in my chest… the quiet mental checklist of meetings, walkthroughs, agendas, and responsibilities.

Instead, nothing. Just the soft, strange realization:
Oh. Right. This is my first attempt at retirement.

My Endless Summer?!

Summer That Never Ends

Let me be clear: I’m not complaining.
There are parts of this “forever summer” that I am embracing with full, unapologetic enthusiasm:

  • No alarm clock.
  • No makeup.
  • No “professional clothes” (whatever those were… I’ve fully forgotten).
  • An alarming number of weekday PJ days… a freedom I never knew I needed.

But there’s also this odd internal clock that refuses to reset.
After a lifetime of school-year cycles, my brain keeps insisting,
Any day now… we go back.

Except we don’t.
Not this time.

My Secret: I Haven’t Really Left School

Which brings me to my confession:
I cannot stay off LinkedIn.

I scroll through it like a retired detective scrolling old case files, muttering, “Ah, yes, I remember that initiative…”

I feel like a Peeping Tom in the international-school community, quietly watching from the bushes while everyone shares learning highlights, leadership reflections, new jobs, updated titles, conference photos, PD takeaways, mentoring moments.

Everyone else is in the proverbial “staff room,” buzzing with the energy of a new academic year.
And I’m standing outside the window like,
“Oh wow, look at that inquiry-based learning celebration! Good for them!”

I’m not in it anymore, but goodness, I still love it. And I can’t seem to walk away from it completely, or even partially.

Where would I be without #tieonline?

Lost-ish, but Fine-ish

So how’s retirement going?
Honestly: a mixed bag.

Some days, I feel unmoored, like I left the dock but forgot to bring the paddles.
There’s no calendar telling me where to be, what to do, or who needs me.

And as silly as it sounds, that can feel a little… lonely.
Or aimless.
Or like I’m waiting for school to start again after a really, really long July.

But then there are the other days… the ones when I think,
“Oh wow, this is actually lovely.”
When the coffee tastes better than it ever did at 6:00 a.m.
When the day unfurls slowly.
When I remember that the whole point of this “longest summer ever” is to rest, reset, rethink.

And, maybe most importantly, to just be.

Laurel Lake (TN) sunset walk

Retirement or Rewirement?

Part of me wonders whether I’m even doing retirement right.
Is it supposed to feel like this?
Is there a handbook? (And if so, does it come with rubrics?)

But maybe this is what a first attempt is supposed to be:
a gentle, sometimes awkward experiment in re-learning yourself outside of job titles and school-year rhythms.

Maybe this “longest summer ever” is the season I needed without ever knowing it –
a season to soften, slow down, and wander a little.
A season to unlearn urgency.
To rethink purpose.
To rediscover curiosity without having to turn it into a workshop, slide deck, or strategic plan.

For Now, I’m Letting Summer Last

I don’t know what comes next.
I don’t even know how long this first attempt at retirement will last.
Knowing me, I might press “rewind” and jump back into something new before long.

But for now?
I’m living inside the longest summer ever… pajamas, coffee, LinkedIn lurking, and all.

And maybe that’s not just okay.
Maybe it’s exactly right.

From Mountain Trails to Savannah Paths: Lessons in Learning and Leading

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The landscapes may change, but the heart of learning stays the same.

In my earlier blog, Insight from a Hike: A Story About a Personal Journey and a Metaphor About Learning (March 2020), I shared how hiking in the Colorado Rockies became more than just a physical activity for me, it became a metaphor for learning and personal growth. I started with familiar trails, set small goals, took breaks when I needed to, and celebrated the little victories along the way. Every hike taught me something about perseverance, self-awareness, and the importance of setting a pace that fits the journey you’re on.
Now, my path has led me from the structured trails of Colorado to the open savannahs of Kenya. Here, the landscape is vast, unpredictable, and full of unknowns… much like the journey of lifelong learning. On safari, there aren’t many marked trails or clear signposts. You have to rely on observation, intuition, and adaptability to find your way.

When I think about learning… real, deep learning… I keep coming back to the lessons I’ve picked up outdoors. Whether it’s a slow hike up a mountain or a wide-open safari, the patterns are the same: uncertainty, observation, and collaboration. These experiences remind me that the way we move through the world is the way we learn, and that’s exactly what the ISK Big 5 capture. I’m proud of how our community has embraced this shift. We’re not just talking about skills in the abstract anymore; we’re starting to really see the Big 5 alive in our learning, in our behavior, and in the way we show up for each other, both inside and outside the classroom.

On a well-marked trail, it’s easy to feel confident; the next step is obvious. But on the savannah, the path isn’t always laid out for you. You have to navigate through uncertainty, trust your instincts, and adjust along the way. Learning works the same way. It’s rarely a straight line. Being a strong Self-Manager means staying grounded even when things feel unclear. It’s about knowing what you need, being responsible for keeping yourself moving forward, and finding the resilience to push through when you might feel a little lost. Growth happens when we stop waiting for certainty and just start walking.

On safari, your success often depends on what you notice… the flick of an ear, a shift in the wind, the stillness that wasn’t there a second ago. Learning asks the same of us. As Thinkers, we have to stay curious, ask the kinds of questions that open new possibilities, and reflect on what’s right in front of us. Sometimes the biggest insights don’t come from the loud and obvious; they come from the small details we take the time to notice. Good learning, like good exploring, starts with paying attention.

And nobody goes on safari alone. You lean on your guide’s experience, the sharp eyes of your fellow travelers, the quiet teamwork of a group tuned into the same goal. Learning thrives the same way- through connection. Being a Communicator means listening deeply and sharing ideas in ways that bring people in, knowing that what we say and how we say it matters. Being a Collaborator means building on each other’s strengths, asking good questions, and sometimes compromising so we can move forward together. Exploration, whether it’s across the savannah, in a classroom, or in a big life transition, always gets richer when we’re willing to see through more than just our own eyes.

At the heart of all of this is a mindset that goes beyond managing ourselves, thinking critically, or working together. It’s about what we choose to do with all of that learning. Being a Changemaker means using what we know to make a positive difference… not just for ourselves, but for the communities and the world around us. It means investigating the world, recognizing different perspectives, and taking action with care and purpose. Whether we’re hiking a trail, stepping into a new chapter, or coaching others along their own paths, the real impact comes when we decide to leave things better than we found them.

Although I might enjoy the solitude of a mountain hike, a safari is impossible to do alone. You rely on others… their eyes, their instincts, their energy. When I think back on the safaris I’ve been lucky enough to share, it’s the people that stand out. I learned the importance of patience, how you can sit for what feels like forever, just watching for the slightest flicker of movement deep in the bush. I listened to stories of past adventures that made the experience even richer. I saw a real hunger to learn, not just about the animals, but about the environment, the people, and the bigger picture. I watched how often conversations turned to wondering: How can we show up in ways that help, without letting our privilege get in the way? And through it all, what stood out most was the sense of gratitude and humility. Being out there reminds you how small you are — and how much bigger the world is when you take the time to really see it. That’s what the Big 5 are about too. It’s not just about learning for yourself; it’s about learning alongside others and using what you know to make a difference.

In the end, it’s not about reaching a destination. It’s about learning how to walk, how to notice, how to listen… and how to leave something better behind.

A, E, I… oh, Q!

~ mrsprairie ~ 2 Comments

When I was in elementary school, I was tested to see if my IQ was high enough to be considered for the Gifted Program. I think I was singled out as a potential genius more for my EQ than for my IQ. I wasn’t super smart or anything, but I knew how to figure things out, how to read people, and how to please teachers.

This has remained true throughout my personal and professional life. I’m never the smartest person in the room, but my EQ reminds me that I’m okay with that. I appreciate learning from and with others. I love to laugh while working hard. I care about others and am curious about their superpowers.

In COVID times, a different type of quotient has emerged from the EQ bucket and has begun to grow legs, the Adaptability Quotient (AQ). 

Our world has become more complex, more uncertain, and more ambiguous. Each day it seems we are navigating relationships and responding to situations that feel different than ever before. 

According to Amy Edmondson, a professor of leadership and management at Harvard Business School, your IQ might help you get through exams to become qualified in your chosen field of work; your EQ might help you connect with your interviewer, get the job, and build relationships with coworkers and clients; but it’s your AQ that will ensure you can keep up with innovations and new ways to work in an everchanging future.

The Creative Thinking Institute

I believe these are skills that can be honed and grown, no matter your age or stage. In fact, the 6Cs from New Pedagogies for Deep Learning use progressions that help users better understand where they are in those specific competencies and what it looks like as they keep growing their AQ. 

Below, I have included just a few of the competencies where I see what having a high Adaptability Quotient (AQ) looks like. 

from the 6Cs Learning Progressions by NPDL

What can we do?

As educators, we need to help students not only build their AQ muscles, but we need to be explicit about what it looks like when they are being adaptable, when they aren’t showing the skills of being adaptable, and why this will help them throughout life.

Of course, we first have to start with ourselves. Take a look at the competencies above. Which of these do you feel confident in? Which do you see room for growth? How might you consider a goal to work towards? Who could join you as an accountability partner? Maybe a class?

Self-Awareness and Self-Reflection

Under the Communication competency, I am committed to checking for personal bias. I know that this is an area of growth for me. In fact, in a recent meeting, I recognized that my own biases might be interfering with my ability to make a specific decision and asked for a barometer check to ensure that my decision-making was fair and accurate. 

Hey! Will you look at that?!

I used my IQ to remind me that I might be wrong. I used my EQ to humbly recognize that my thinking might be biased. I used my AQ to remain open and curious about other perspectives.

Maybe I AM Gifted after all!

How about a Round of Empathy: In 2 Parts

~ mrsprairie ~ Leave a comment

Background: My husband is a high school Social Studies teacher. I am a Curriculum Coordinator at the same school. We have 2 high school children (a sophomore and a senior), who attend this school.

Part 1: Empathy for Teachers

This past Friday morning, I was pouring a cup of coffee in the kitchen. My husband was holding a virtual synchronous class with one of his AP World History classes in the same room (his workspace is in our kitchen). I could tell he was getting frustrated. 

Who am I kidding, we are all beyond getting frustrated.

Earlier in the week, he shared a discussion post using Parlay to ask students to choose which option they preferred as a way forward to prepare for the AP exam as a class and to comment on one other student’s post. 

Parlay Discussion Post

Goal: Try to decide how we look at AP World History Review from April 12th – March 21st 

Option 1: Start to use the review videos released by the College Board. The videos typically are created by AP readers/teachers who approach the review unit by unit. The units are divided into subunits with lots of instructions about how/why the content could be incorporated into writing for the Modified, 2020 APWH test.

Option 2: Continue to use a variety of resources to review the content of each APWH unit. The activities include a variety of shorter videos and vocabulary activities. 

Discussion Question

Which option do you like the best? Give a rationale as to why you think this option would work best for you and/or the class.

Peer Feedback Instructions

You are expected to respond to at least one other student’s discussion answer. You can politely disagree with them (give a rationale for your disagreement) or concur with them (give a rationale for your agreement).

Some students did not complete this simple task. Others completed it with seemingly little care. Maybe the students were thinking that the teacher knows best and they will review in whatever way he thinks is best for them. For many of them, this is their first AP course. They don’t know what they don’t know.

However, let’s look at it from the teacher’s point-of-view. 

As a school, we are pretty deep into our COVID-19 Distance Learning experience. Not China-deep, but Asia-deep. We are in the second phase of our thinking now that we know this will be our reality for the remainder of the school year. Here’s what that looks like:

Phase II Focus:

  • Essential learning and assessing
  • Letting go of the “nice to know” curriculum
  • Engaging and motivating projects/activities/performance assessments
  • Not burning out (teachers or students)

So, with this in mind, I know the teacher from this story was considering these aspects as well as other relevant data. For instance, students have made it clear in surveys that they appreciate any chance to collaborate with their peers, take part in discussions, and have some choice/ownership of their learning. Parlay was a new tool that he thought would be fun for kids, let them interact with each other, and give them a voice in the decision about how to review and prepare for the AP exam.

What the students didn’t know was how much time it took to learn the tool, set it up, create the post, try it out, revise it, and publish it for each class.

The discussion was posted on Monday. There was a reminder on Wednesday, and by Friday morning’s synchronous class, well, let’s just say that my husband had to use his teacher voice.

He was honest. He was vulnerable. He let the kids know that he was frustrated and working a heck of a lot harder than they were. He actually listed the steps he took to create the discussion board and the time it took from his weekend. 

Remember earlier when I said they don’t know what they don’t know? This is the empathy part. 

In class, teachers have the toolbox that they have been digging into for years. In Distance Learning, it’s a whole new toolbox. Students don’t know that. Students don’t realize that teachers are learning new tech tools, new ways to communicate and collaborate, rethinking units, and completely redesigning assessments.

I think it’s more than okay to be honest and vulnerable with our students. I also think that students who understand exactly how hard their teachers are working to create meaningful learning experiences at home will be more engaged and more motivated. 

During your check-ins with students this week, open up to them about how hard this is and what you have learned. Show them. It’s not about gaining sympathy or making them feel guilty. We are all human. When they see just how much you are doing for them, I hope some of them might try a little harder, give a little more.

How do you share your own learning and your own struggles with students? Let me know!

Ginny

Hoping to post Part 2: Empathy for Seniors soon!

Analyzing Authentic Assessments

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As we continue to practice aligning assessments to standards, it’s important to not only reflect on student data but to plan for improving results for all learners. Framing our conversation (aka using a protocol) about student data will help us focus on the learning targets and how the assessment actually provided evidence of mastery of the targeted standards.

Steps for Framing a Team Conversation

Within one week of giving a common assessment, set aside 30 minutes of your team’s common planning time (teachers will need to mark their class’s assessments before the team meeting). If you are a one-person team, then ask a critical friend, an administrator, or an instructional coach to join you for some analysis fun!

Screen Shot 2017-09-03 at 12.11.32 PM.png
I hope that my colleagues know that I am always eager to join a conversation about learning!

As a team, consider the following questions, from In Praise of American Educators, to determine the validity of the assessment, its alignment to the standards, and how the data will be used to improve results for all students. Your team may decide that other questions should be added to frame the conversation. Add those, too.

 

Screen Shot 2017-09-03 at 11.30.40 AM
The reproducible below is found in the book above.

 

Possible questions to consider, from DuFour’s book:

Screen Shot 2017-09-03 at 11.47.57 AM

Once the team feels that they have a better understanding of the students’ current learning of the targeted standards, then consider what these results mean to the next unit of study as well as how this unit will be revised for next year. Those reflective notes should be added to the unit documentation as well as the assessment. The ATLAS UbD template is a perfect spot to add strategies for differentiation and notes about the unit.

 

Screen Shot 2017-09-03 at 11.49.41 AM.png
This is our template for Stage 3 in ATLAS. Some teams also use Google Docs for Stage 3.

 

Finally, check out Solution Tree’s free resources for tools to help your team work collaboratively and with purpose, information about upcoming webinars, and a video library from the experts in learning.

Have a great week!

Ginny

Happy New School Year!

~ mrsprairie ~ Leave a comment

Students and teachers across the world are beginning a new year. How do I know? My Facebook feed is inundated with Back-to-School pics- and I love it! Here are a few from my feed over the years. Don’t tell my kids!

2009
2009
2012
2012
2016
2016

When our kids would tell us about their first few days of school, it was clear how the year was going to go. The teachers who spent time getting to know their students by building relationships and building routines were more likely to be the teachers that helped our kids feel cared for and feel confident.

It doesn’t need to take a lot of time to begin on the right foot. It can be as simple as standing at the classroom door, shaking each student’s hand, looking them in the eyes, making a quick introduction, and welcoming them to class. The old don’t-smile-until-Christmas advice has never been good for anyone.

Who are your students?

Over the first few weeks of school, the connection you make with students will impact the rest of the year. First impressions work both ways. Tell them about yourself as a student and a learner when you were their age. Better yet, show them a picture of YOU at their age. Here I am at different stages of awkwardness.

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Let them know what your dreams were for your future. Where you thought you’d be. How you got where you are now.

Have a laugh, reminisce, then focus on them.

As much as it is a great ice-breaker for them to get to know each other, I recommend that you also get their info on paper (or digitally). Maybe through a discussion post or journal entry on your LMS, or a Google Form, or even a shared Google Doc. This may be the most important data you collect all year.

Focus your questions on these 3 topics (including a few examples):

Your students as people…

  • What is their background?
  • Where is home (especially important to those who are international)?
  • How would their family and friends describe them?
  • What do they need you to know about them?

Your students as learners…

  • What type of teacher do they respect?
  • How do they learn best?
  • How do they ask for help when they need it?

Your students as the future…

  • What are they passionate about?
  • What is happening now in their world that excites them?
  • What is happening now in their world that worries them?

Finally, let’s get back to you.

How are You Modeling Lifelong Learning?

As we get to know our students and they get to know us, we need to think about how we are modeling learning as learners ourselves. We need to build our own learning networks and share, with students, what we are learning as well as how we are using that learning. If we expect students to be learners, we must be learners.

Facebook and Twitter have made this easy. If you teach science and use the NGSS, then there’s a Facebook page for you. If you teach PE, then there are pages for you. If you use Seesaw, then there are pages for you. Honestly, if you teach it, someone is posting about it!

Here is a Google Site that I made last year with links to pages that are worth adding to your learning network. Leave me a comment if you have others that I should add.

My thoughts and energy are with you all this year. It’s going to be GREAT!

Learning Walks Grow Learning

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Are Learning Walks part of your school’s culture? What do you look for on a Learning Walk? How can Learning Walks improve every school’s climate?

These were some of the questions asked of our team (several years ago) when Martin Skelton came in and got us “Looking for Learning!” His advice allowed me to step back and notice the learning environment, as well as my routines and daily objectives. Fast-forward a few years and in comes another wise consultant who deepened my understanding of looking for learning through Learning Walks. It was clear that teachers could make small tweaks to what they already do to encourage visiting students, parents, administrators, and the community to see what their students were learning, not just what they were doing.

What Do You Look For on a Learning Walk?

On Learning Walks, you look for learning. What does learning look like? That’s the harder question. There are a few simple ways that I look for learning in our school’s hallways.

  • I look for authentic student work displayed along the corridors.
  • I look for the process of the work, not just the final product. Where did their learning begin and where are they now?
  • I also look for the purpose of the learning (the objective or “I Can” statement).
  • I also look for reflections of the learning, either written by each student or a shared class reflection.

Within the classroom, I look for learning in many different ways. It’s important to first get a feel for each individual classroom’s environment. If each classroom was expected to have the exact same set-up and the exact same routines, then teachers’ creativity and passion would be stifled- we don’t want that. However, if you were a new student and this was your first visit, what would you need to look for to know that you could learn in this room? There are a few simple ways that I look for learning in classrooms.

  • I look for today’s schedule.
  • I look for what we are learning today (and hopefully why and how).
  • I look for instructions of routines (How do kids choose books from the library? What are the steps of the writing process? How do we solve problems? What to do if you’re absent?).
  • I look for varied learning spaces. (Can some students stand or sit on the carpet? Does learning happen in different places in the classroom?).

Learning Walks can also be focused on a specific initiative. Emily DeLiddo of languageisliving.com, is a literacy consultant who narrowed my focus of Learning Walks to Literacy-Rich Environments. Emily drafted a Learning Walk that focused on 7 sub-topics: environment, halls, word walls, materials, charts, library, and environmental print. She recommended that we should share the Learning Walk document with teachers, revise it if needed, then chunk the sub-topics into doable actions. Since most of the teachers already had their classrooms set up for the workshop model, we could celebrate the positive documentation of ENVIRONMENTS.

Environ

This quarter, our elementary teachers are going to implement Learning Walks as part of their professional learning.

learning walk 3

Teams can decide when they’re ready for other teams to visit their team for a Learning Walk. Hopefully, this will allow teachers to be confident in their work, while also giving praise to colleagues.

learning walk 2

Each grade level has an Apple Tree (I know it’s corny; I can’t help it). They simply stick the apple (possibly the Word Walls apple) to their tree and the other grade levels know that they are ready to show off their Word Walls. Everyone has a different take on Word Walls and how to use them, so teachers can get lots of ideas from their colleagues that may help them learn a different way.

WW

Learning Walk1

Teachers will have a chance to share what they’ve learned from visiting other classrooms during staff meetings. It’s a great chance to take a few minutes from the agenda to celebrate learning.

How Can Learning Walks Improve Every School’s Climate?

Learning Walks, when used as a learning tool and never as an evaluation, will focus the entire staff on learning and feedback. They allow teachers and students to be more comfortable and confident with what is happening in the classroom. When the school community can easily look for learning in the hallways and classrooms, the school becomes a museum of learning and an art gallery of understanding.

Seriously… Kids Really are Counting On You! Inspire them and be a teacher worth remembering.

~ mrsprairie ~ Leave a comment

Imagine that you are a student. It is 6am, you’ve pressed snooze 3 times, and your first thought is of a specific teacher. How does that teacher make you feel?

  1. “I am so excited to go to school! My teacher is always happy to see us, and includes us in planning our units and projects. The time goes by so fast, because we are always moving around and doing interesting things that keep us on our toes and learning in new ways. I feel safe to make mistakes and don’t stress out when we have a test since the tests are fair and allow us to talk about what we learned.” – Sounds like a Master teacher!
  1. “I wonder what today will be like? Sometimes we learn really interesting things and have some fun; we even get to talk about our thoughts and ideas. Other times it seems that we’re all in trouble and don’t know why. Usually we can tell as soon as we walk in and look toward the teacher’s desk. Unfortunately, if it’s a bad day, we are stuck working out of the book and no one’s allowed to talk. It’s not fun to guess what kind of day it will be.” – Oh, boy, that sounds like a moody teacher.
  1. “Ugh, I don’t even want to go to school. All we do is the same thing every week. Read the pages, complete the worksheets, go over the homework, take the test, and repeat for 30 weeks. Sometimes we are lucky enough to get a project, but it’s the same project this class did last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. This teacher must be as bored as their students. I guess I just have to survive the year.” – This is the meh teacher. Most of us have had at least one of these- every year of middle and high school. It’s not you, is it? 

Are you a master? Are you moody? Or, are you… (shoulder shrug goes here) Meh? Trust me, your students see you in one of those categories. Understandably, expecting a master teacher every day may seem unrealistic. We all have a few bad days, but if you are not inspired to be the kind of teacher who inspires kids to have a passion for learning, then please remind me why you are a teacher?

The best part is that you get a chance to be better, every single day! All it takes is an honest conversation with your students. What do they love about your class? What would they like to see changed? Why? How? Students expect feedback to make them better learners. Shouldn’t we expect feedback to make us better teachers?

Be brave, teachers! Kids are counting on us to inspire a passion for lifelong learning. Workbooks and textbooks don’t cover that. Be better than that. Don’t you want to be remembered as a great teacher?

Take Your Passion, and Make it Happen!

~ mrsprairie ~ 2 Comments

What a feeling!

This song from Flashdance has been on my mind for the last few days, and I have a good reason for it. I somehow lucked out and was asked to help recruit teachers to join our organization. Now, some may say that the exotic locale of the recruiting fairs was the reason for my rejuvenation. They would be incorrect.

Picture this: 600 eager, international educators looking for a new adventure in a foreign land. Oh, the choices… Shanghai, Warsaw, Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur. Yes, yes, they all sound like marvelous places, but the true super stars were wanting to join us in the Magic Kingdom. They knew the real deal- ISG is shaking things up!

Recruiting fairs are stressful, frantic, and very judge-y (unfortunate, but true). The gates open, teachers slowly approach the recruiters, hoping to be chosen for an interview. Then, the interview happens in a hotel room (yes, weird) and is completed in 30 minutes or less. It is speed dating, but the 2nd date lasts 2 years- contractually! This means you have to choose wisely and go with your gut. Oh, the stress!

You can tell a lot about a teacher candidate when you ask them to describe a typical class. The magic happens when the nerves go away and they are transported from the hotel room to their classroom. Their eyes widen, their smile grows, and the passion they have flows out into the room. I was so invigorated with their storytelling, student-focused lessons, and love for their students. These are the candidates I wanted to spend more time getting to know. Passion is not taught or learned; it’s in your heart and soul. I totally get these teachers.

So, thank you to all the passionate teachers and administrators who eat, sleep, and breathe LEARNING and KIDS! There are lots of us out there.

Listen to Your Mother…I know I Did

~ mrsprairie ~ 6 Comments

My kids no longer want me to help them with homework. They think I help too much (their teachers might think that, too). I don’t feel that way, though. Most of our family’s homework time is spent relearning, discussing, and sometimes fixing homework. I want them to learn and to want to learn for themselves – isn’t that a skill I can help them with? I wonder about kids who don’t have teachers for parents – are they getting the most out of their home learning?

As frustrated as my kids get (with homework), I am reminded of my own days in middle school. I was lucky to have a great teacher as my mom. Although, at the time, I hated when she forced me to relearn, discuss, and fix my homework – the nerve of her! Here I am, becoming my mom – and I couldn’t be happier. She was doing the right thing – she was my real teacher, my best teacher.

There are many stories I can share about how I learned more from her than my actual teachers, but I will start with this one – I used it every year of my own teaching, because I treated my students as I would my own children – they deserved that.

 How to summarize without plagiarizing – Nancy Lange style

 Step 1- Read the text from which you’re getting your information.

Step 2- Read it again.

Step 3- Close the book (or exit out of and step away from device) and have a snack, get some exercise.

Step 4- From memory, write what you remember from your reading (dates don’t matter, only main idea, cause and effect, stuff worth knowing).

Step 5- Review, reflect, and revise your notes – partners are helpful.

Step 6- Throw it away! In class, we would have a paper shooting contest, or a paper airplane contest.

Step 7- The next day… rewrite your summary, revise, and feel confident that your words are yours (don’t forget to cite- seriously).

That’s it, it’s that easy- however, “how not to plagiarize” must be taught in school, by teachers, every year (probably every time they are summarizing others’ work). Pretend that the students did not learn that skill last year, last semester, last unit. Summarizing is a skill that needs practice and encouragement since there is so much informational text available at our fingertips.

Let’s help students learn this important skill- instead of trying to catch them plagiarizing. The ones you caught are the ones who weren’t taught – whose responsibility is that?

Here’s to you, Mom!!