Are your classes 45 minutes? 60? 70? 90?  Mine are 45 minutes and I find that I often end my classes wishing that I had just a few more minutes to bring it all together.  But with that said I can see how 90 minutes could be a behavioral and lesson planning nightmare?  My question that I want to ask the class is how would you schedule your day if you could choose the system?  Longer or shorter periods?  Block scheduling versus traditional schedules? 

An interesting perspective is from Atlas Prep in Colorado Springs, it is a free charter school and it has 60 minute periods not 45, not 90.  And the best part is that once a week every teacher has the day off!  Meaning that they have to come to school but they just sit their take coach class if schedules, prepare lessons for the next week, track, and (GASP) look at data?  http://www.atlasprep.org/

There are many strategies out there to schedule the schedule.  I am wondering what does everyone else think is the optimal schedule for maximum academic achievement. 

Nick

The Boys at the Back

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Christina Hoff Sommers writes an opinion piece for the New York Times, The Boys at the Back, and describes the disparity between boys and girls in the education system, especially boys of color.  Although boys and girls generally score the same on standardized tests, boys generally receive lower grades and have a much lower graduation rate and enrollment in AP classes.  She largely attributes this to behavior, since behavior factors into many classroom grading systems, mine included.  Another poignant point that comes out of this article is the comment that we cannot simply write off restless and unfocused boys by stating that the workforce, or ‘real’ world, does not reward such behavior.  We have to remember that these are children, and not adults.  Furthermore, Sommers reiterates that “improving the performance of black, Latino and lower-income kids require particular attention to boys”.  More attention must be made to satisfying the needs and overcoming the challenges associated with educating urban boys if we really are going to turn Baltimore City schools around.  The achievement gap we so often talk about is not just between income brackets and neighboring counties, it exists right here in our classrooms.   

Now the real question is how is this accomplished? 

What are you currently doing in your classroom s to ensure the gender gap does not widen even more?   

The Secret to Fixing Bad Schools

What would it really take to give students a first-rate education?

This question has been presented to educators, administrators, policy makers, and just about anyone who has interest in our education system for years now. At a first glance some educators may think that this article has nothing to do with them because they may not be associated with a "Bad School." However, if we look past the wording in the title, this outstanding Opinion piece by David Kirp, a professor of public policy at U.C. Berkeley and really look into the substance of what they are doing in the public schools in Union City, NJ we will learn that when it comes to “fixing bad schools” there are no silver bullets. There are no quick fixes outlined here for anyone, there is simply hard work and leadership that encourages teachers to engage their students in meaningful ways with the content and beyond.

What is made apparent within this article is the concept that success can be accomplished anywhere when you are creative in your approach to developing strategies for the students. Additionally, more can be done when you have effective  talent leading and supporting teachers who work extremely hard to teach their students and realize their potential. If "bad schools" are up for the challenge they too can have their success story!

The article can be found at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/opinion/sunday/the-secret-to-fixing-bad-schools.html?ref=opinion&_r=1&