The IgnitED Teacher Blog

Scaffolding Instruction to Support Diverse Learners

The concept of scaffolding can actually be tied to Lev Vitgosky’s Zone of Proximal Development. Vygotsky believed that a learner’s developmental level consisted of two parts: the “actual developmental level” and the “potential developmental level. Scaffolding can be described as the bridge that is used to connect what a student already knows to the new learning that he or she will acquire. It is essentially connecting the new to the … Read More →

3 Reasons Why Teachers Struggle with Tier 2 Interventions

Having students that are working at multiple grade levels can be stressful for even for the most seasoned teacher. It really shouldn’t be a surprise when teachers struggle with implementing Tier 2 interventions. The response to intervention model is very clear about what steps to take when students are not making progress with Tier 1 instruction. Yet, schools with large populations of high need stundents continue to struggle to ensure … Read More →

Breaking the Pedagogy of Poverty Cycle

I have always taught in low income or as some would call them high poverty schools. Over the course of 17 years my view of my role at these schools has drastically changed . When I finally moved up to a high stakes testing grade level I used to love being the underdog and then coming out on top. Then all of a sudden at the beginning of the 2008 … Read More →

Hurricane Harvey: Who Will Care For the Teachers?

Tuesday morning was just like any morning except on this particular Tuesday morning Hurricane Harvey had made landfall on the the coast of Texas. After a night of pouring rain I went outside to make sure that the trenches that my son and I dug to help the water drain were working. After being outside for a while I immediately noticed that the there were huge gusts of wind. I … Read More →

Classroom Management for Diverse Classrooms

All too often when teachers discuss classroom management I hear, “When I was in school…..blah, blah,blah….” When a teacher begins his/her statement with “When I was in school” my eyes immediately roll because I want to ask the teacher are you teaching your mini clones? Don’t get me wrong I can understand these teacher’s frustrations but every generation is different. It just baffles my mind to hear these teacher’s view … Read More →

Anecdotal Notes and Tier 2 Instruction

You can say that I’m the master of disaggregating data. I’m that teacher who can’t wait for the results of any test because it gives me starting point. I love data. When there’s not any data or enough data I feel lost. Sadly I realize that this is not the case for many teachers. Most teachers that I have worked with have a basic understanding of using data to drive … Read More →

The New Face of an “Ineffective Teacher”

After the debacle I had last year I returned from summer vacation with something to prove. Little did I know my administrator was thinking the same thing. Not in a good way. I’m a firm believer that a persons actions always speak louder than their words. My principal’s actions were saying a whole lot! So, it was no surprise when I was called into his office and was told that … Read More →

What Does The Pledge of Allegiance Mean?

The pledge of allegiance is and always will be a controversial topic. With the increasing focus on inclusiveness based on linguistics, race, gender, and religion trying to find a balance can sometimes be difficult for advocates on both sides of the aisle. The end of the school year is a stressful time for teacher because we have so much to do. It’s not unusual for teachers to bump heads at … Read More →

To Know My History is to Know Me

My classroom is a safe space for students to pretty much talk about anything. Last week as the students walked into the classroom they were talking about what subjects that they liked. I didn’t really pay much attention to the conversation until Julia looked at me and said, “I like Social Studies and I’m really good at it.” I smiled and nodded in agreement. Shortly after Julia made her statement … Read More →

Bribery in NOT Classroom Management

“Miss Williams, what will you give us if we do good on our test?” said one of my students. My response was, ” A pat on the back.” When teachers implement an ineffective classroom management system most teachers will resort to trying to bribing students into good behavior. I have seen teachers give students multiple pizza parties, ice cream, candy, toys, and other items to try to get students to … Read More →