Suzanne Heim

@educator4ever36 State law in NC requires the pledge to be recited daily.

Parents - do you know if your child’s public school still recites the pledge every morning? Ask your child and let me know! It came up on another post and I think most schools have just quietly retired it.

How did we get to a point where students can miss 50+ days of school, struggle with basic reading and math, and still get promoted to the next grade? Then we act surprised when they’re years behind later on.

I'm watching the education sphere, and I'm nervous that when discussing the ideal use of AI and new tech in the classroom, there's zero consideration that no-AI might, in fact, be the ideal

Recess is the answer to a lot of problems at school. Kids learn how to solve disputes, use their imaginations, exercise, etc. When recess ends, kids start to dislike school. It’s an easy fix.

One of my best friends is a public elementary school teacher in Missouri He’s been teaching there for 6 years and each year his class has the highest test scores out of all of the teachers in his grade and the school as a whole He’s not supposed to do this but he doesn’t follow the curriculum he is required to use because according to him it sucks (he’s probably right) and thus he stopped using it after his first year Since that decision, his students have been excelling, again, scoring the highest out of the other classes and school The response from his administration and other teachers? Admonishment, ridicule, and judgment Now, yes, he’s technically supposed to follow the curriculum and understandably he is in the wrong for violating that But since he consistently provides fantastic results, wouldn’t you think that his school would at least ask him what he’s doing to see if maybe there is a way to integrate some of his methods because clearly they are working But no - everyone tells him to follow the curriculum, even though those that are following it, aren’t getting the same results he is getting This is one of those instances where the bureaucracy that is so intertwined in schools is a detriment

No. Not powerful. Teachers are not parents, social workers, therapists, clergymen, pals, or confidantes. Stop asking them to be anything other than teachers.

Dear university education professors, Here are some books that should be mandatory texts in your programs. X friends, add one text that you think is essential for soon to be teachers. I'm focusing on books based on research, but model application.

“You say public schools have enough money. Well why are teachers buying their own supplies then?!” Allow me to explain:

THE ONLY BIRD THAT DARES TO ATTACK AN EAGLE IS A CROW, BUT THE EAGLE NEVER FIGHTS BACK. HERE IS WHY: 1. The crow is the only bird bold enough to sit on the eagle's back and peck at its neck. Relentless. Annoying. But the eagle... stays calm. 2. The eagle doesn't flap. Doesn't fight. Doesn't waste energy. It does one thing: It rises. 3. The higher the eagle soars. The thinner the air becomes. The crow? It can't handle the altitude. 4. Eventually, the crow gasps. Loses strength...And falls off.Not because the eagle attacked But because the eagle ascended. 5. Let the crows talk. Let them peck. You don't have to respond. Just keep going higher. 6. They can't follow you forever. Your growth will suffocate their noise. So don't engage. Elevate. 

I cannot get enough of the research on classroom seating arrangements It's just a prime example of how progressive, "student-centered" education promises much but ultimately fails When desks move from groups to rows, on task behavior DOUBLED Conversely, rates of disrupted TRIPLED when desks were placed in groups

Unit 0: Learning How to Learn is done! I’m sharing the booklet with a few disclaimers. The booklet includes the following sections: ✔️Part 1: Memory ✔️Part 2: Retrieval Practice ✔️Part 3: Learning Myths ✔️Part 4: Metacognition ✔️Part 5: How Our Brains Learn ✔️Exam Revision Guide

This is from a few years ago, but wow… open.spotify.com/episode/6UCmol…

Ideally, no classroom in America should have more than 20 students.

When schools require teachers to offer retakes & accept late work, they ALSO need to provide teachers the extra time those requirements take.

When Admin and Counselors pressure teachers to accept late work after grades are due so that students can pass, that devalues the work in the classroom by the T and ignores all of the reminders, time and assistance they gave the student and their parents.

When a teacher chooses to leave the job, do not rush into filling the position. Rush into fixing the reason they left.

Don’t confuse fun with engagement. Just because students are smiling doesn’t mean they’re learning. Just because they’re intrigued doesn’t mean they’re thinking deeply. Sometimes engagement can look boring.

Teacher knowledge is king.