The Learning Curve (#TLC) is a column on teaching and learnig in the college and high school classroom.
In his TED presentation, Jacob Collier conducts an orchestra through a song they don’t know and haven’t rehearsed. He builds each part systematically, telling the musicians the notes and techniques to use. Collier revises and affirms as the sections come together. He teaches a few lines, allows the orchestra to play, then moves on. It’s … More Why the Best Teachers Are Actually Conductors
We often think about disabilities in isolation — as if someone won’t share limitations with a person possessing a different diagnosis. But the most interesting thinking comes from putting different ways of living in conversation. These discussions unearth common ground and help us build a more inclusive world. Conversation propels imagination, and imagination builds solutions. This … More Where Do We Thrive? A Teacher’s Theory
Recent trends in education have moved away from studying complete novels or plays. Instead, the curriculum may offer two scenes from Romeo and Juliet or one chapter from The Scarlet Letter and invite students to analyze key literary elements. This excerpt practice takes literary works out of context and fails to build reading endurance. Students … More #TLC: Reading Endurance Depends on Student Voices
I’m a working poet ready to endlessly discuss poetry. I keep a big pink binder in my classroom with hundreds of poems photocopied for student use. Students can flip through and choose poems that speak to them. I love listening to them react aloud as they glance over poems — “Whoa, what’s that mean?” or … More #TLC: Understand a Poem in 6 Real Steps
In the past six years, I have taught all varieties of high school English — including AP, Dual Enrollment, creative writing, and journalism. While some may find the college-prep classes prestigious and appealing, I enjoy the standard grade-level Englishes because they allow me to move slowly and deliberately through plays and novels. In upcoming posts in … More #TLC: Dramatic Reading in the English Classroom
A teacher’s work never stops. Some of us may get summers off, but how are we spending our time? Attending professional developments, planning for the next year, sorting through our classroom supplies. My brain is always buzzing with ways to improve my craft. I decided to attend the Teaching That Succeeds Virtual Symposium. And I … More #TLC: 3 Practices That Help Students Build Meaning
As educators, we are often asked for a teaching philosophy or teaching statement. Here’s mine: I am inspired by the power of clear communication. Whether it’s the precise description of scientific data or the luxurious reflection promised by poetry, language helps us understand our world and imagine a better one. I want students to learn … More #TLC: Grace, Patience, and Authenticity
I am no stranger to the dread of poetry. When my students enter class and see “Poem of the Week” emblazoned on the warmup slide, the groans and sighs begin. “Poetry? I hate poetry!” Many students fear and despise poetry because it makes them feel stupid. They imagine, or have been led to believe, that … More #TLC: Rigor, Energy, Delight: A Poetic Practice
So much of modern advice for teachers involves tuning in to students’ anxieties, fears, and moods in such a way that you are told, “Never cold-call a student,” or “Don’t give a student anxiety by asking them to read an unfamiliar passage out loud.” I think this is a misdirected or perhaps misapplied approach to … More #TLC: Bravery in the Classroom
As we monitor COVID-19, many schools and universities are transitioning to “remote instruction,” a fancy name for online learning. While online education is developing, it is far from the scholastic dream teachers and administrators cherish. In the future, I have no doubt that online instruction will be dynamic, empathetic, and effective — combining all the … More #TLC: 8 Tips for Online Teaching
On the first day of every semester, I always carry extra baggage. In spring, summer, and fall, I must replenish my office and bring in all the graded final assignments. As I trace the familiar path past the library and through Starbucks, I sag under the weight of several canvas bags filled with tea, travel … More #TLC: Two-Way Teaching
On the Blink 