On Faculty Dress and “Professional” Attire
Background
One of the early annoyances I had to tolerate when I began commuting 10-miles a day to and from campus by bike was the faculty dress code of a dress shirt, slacks, dress shoes, and a necktie. Trying to stay presentable, without mud or …
I saw this at the London Transport Museum while in England over Spring Break, and it really made me think of the role of teachers.
be a learner, not a hero,” “be a listener, not a giver of advice,” and “be a bridge, not a beacon.
— Jocelyn Wyatt, <a href=“ …
Neckties for male faculty?
Just asking… for a friend…
Out of idle curiosity, #edchat, are male faculty at your school required to wear neckties?
— Eric Castro (@eecastro) March 20, 2016
The five keys to a successful team, according to research done by Google’s People Operations department (read: HR). It’s both a simple and a powerful list for …
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Not all of our ideas for learning activities are fully formed before we try them. This, for example, was a demonstration of group influence. What started as a one-on-one …
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In the above video, you see two pairs of students pulling on a rope; first individually then as a pair. Theoretically the effort should be additive and when they pull as …
Collegial Observation of PreCalc
Per our requirements, I observed a colleague’s class last week. For the first time (that I can recall, at least), I observed a Math class; I was interested in it because it’s a class of seniors and they were reviewing for a Unit test. Despite being …
The hidden curriculum is taught by the school, not by any teacher…something is coming across to the pupils which may never be spoken in the English lesson or prayed about in assembly. They are picking-up an approach to living and an …
Tenure Offer
Embedded below is the letter from my principal, in response to the report from the Faculty Development Board regarding my “tenure.”
FDB Letter From Principal by Eric E Castro
I am incredibly appreciative of this letter, not just because it offers …
Faculty Development Board Report
In late-January, I appeared before the Faculty Development Board for what is colloquially referred to locally as “tenure.” Embedded below is the report written by that board and submitted to the principal.
FDB Memo to Principal by Eric E Castro
The …
I often say cynicism is a refuge for cowards. That it is a toxic spiritual state; that is so clouds our ability to see faint possibilities and hope amidst the glaring problems, that we often wipe our hands of any engagement whatsoever. We allow our …
2015 Student Questionnaire Reflection
Looking through the Fall 2015 results of our Student Questionnaire, I once again see the disparity in what sophomores report versus what seniors indicate. Looking at my overall scores, I am pleased with results from this first year back in the …
If Tetris has taught me anything, it’s that errors pile up and accomplishments disappear.
How well do teachers model the behaviors that we wish for all our students? How do we educators rate as exemplars of commitment to the life of the mind, family, friends, civic engagement, and physical and emotional health?
— …
Collegial Observation by Katy Dumas
A colleague from within the department, one who teaches our required ancient world history class to freshmen and our Economics elective to seniors, observed my modern world history class with sophomores today. Her write-up of that class is presented …
Board Work
Following one of his regular drop-in class observations, our principal sent the following email:
I have never seen so much board work in my life but it was fun. Great information about the brain and students were engaged, asking great questions, …
The Difficulty In Summarizing
As part of this week’s blended-learning lesson, I had students do something that they complained about. Their complaints, however, are the type that teachers like hearing.
As they learn about World War I, I had students read the Wikipedia article on …
There is no deep understanding of the innovation process, which is complex and has not been well captured or formalized. There is no unified theory or reliable model for innovation. There is no innovation science.
— <p>Prof. …
It’s okay to expect students to learn the facts and terms needed to become experts in a discipline.
— <p>Michelle Miller, PhD, <a href=“ …
Collegial Observation by Math Teacher
This may very well be the first time that I’ve been observed by a Math teacher. I was interested in hearing her perspective on how class flowed, but what caught her eye the most was the way students acted. I do not require that they raise their hands …
FDB Reflection
Toward the end of January I went before our Faculty Development Board (FDB) again. We have what is falsely referred to as “tenure” but is really just a six-year contract, and then one appears before the Board again.
This was my third time going …