EdVentures: Professional Learning & Doing

  The Case  Against  Small Group Instruction  “When students are stuck at the back table year after year, it’s no longer support. It’s a message that we don’t believe they’ll ever catch up.  Maybe it’s time we teach them like they can.” Ok. I have your attention! Before you pull out the pitchforks and storm my castle, read on. My intent is not to at all to say, “small groups bad.” This post is designed to share some thoughts and help teachers reflect on their targeted small groups and consider ways to improve equitable access to grade-level content for  ALL  students in the classroom.  Why do we do small groups? Small group instruction was never designed to become the main event in the classroom and planning for instruction should not start with planning for small groups. Small group instruction is most effective as a  supplement , not a  substitute  for core classroom instruction. When used effectively, small groups are responsive,...

A Summary of California Mathematics Textbook Adoption Preparation Available from Equivale Alliance To Request a Copy of the 77-page Guidebook, Please Click This Link. No Cost. No Commitment. As California’s 2025 math textbook adoption approaches, districts have a crucial opportunity to shape the future of their students’ education. The decisions made now will affect how math is taught and learned for years. This guidebook by Equivale Alliance highlights why preparation must start now, outlining eight critical considerations that will ensure the selection of high-quality, equitable instructional materials. Here’s why districts should begin planning and a snapshot of the guide’s key strategies. Why Prepare Now? Textbook adoption isn’t just about picking a new set of books; it’s a significant decision that impacts every classroom and student. By preparing early, districts can align instructional materials with both state priorities and the needs of their students. The updated California M...

 "Classroom strategies should not only support students but also help teachers efficiently measure both student strengths and needs at the same time." Here is a glimpse at an effective strategy for supporting phonemic awareness in primary grade classrooms while also giving the teacher a quick and accurate measure of student needs and strengths. A few suggestions to consider: Give students time to initially practice using the magnetic wands to accurately pinpoint the sounds in the Elkonin boxes. You may want to only focus on one sound location, but I have found it effective to bounce around the initial, medial, and final sounds to ensure you measure the broad scope of depth of knowledge and understanding. Be sure to have a notepad to record both general patterns and trends you observe during the activity and also track individual student progress to help you plan for small group instruction. You should not spend more than 5-7 minutes on the activity. You will find that the stu...

  The real power of data in education isn’t fully realized when it’s just about collecting scores and ticking off assessments. I spent a good portion of my time in my doctoral program focused on my emphasis—Assessment and Evaluation. Though often used interchangeably by educators, these terms have different, more than just nuanced, definitions and roles. I believe that since these two terms are often considered synonyms, the depth of knowledge and understanding of the term “evaluation” has basically been lost. The term “data-driven decisions” is ubiquitous in education and often a hallmark of a skilled educator. Data’s real worth, however, comes from the questions it makes us ask, not just the answers it provides. Research by RAND emphasizes this point: “having data alone does not guarantee effective decision-making” (Marsh, Pane, & Hamilton, 2006, paraphrased). This observation underscores the importance of advancing beyond mere data collection to a deeper, more strategic use ...

“True growth in teaching comes not from striving harder, but from embracing the ease of letting go and fostering natural curiosity.”   The Backwards Law?   The Backwards Law, a concept introduced by philosopher Alan Watts, suggests that the more we chase after something, the more we push it away, often achieving the opposite of what we desire. This paradoxical idea can be seen in various aspects of life and work. For instance, the harder we strive for happiness, the more elusive it becomes. This is because intense focus on a desired outcome can lead to increased anxiety and dissatisfaction, making the goal harder to achieve.   Consider happiness. When people constantly strive to be happy, they often scrutinize their lives for signs of unhappiness, becoming more aware of what they lack. For example, someone who compares their life to others on social media may feel more inadequate and less satisfied, despite their efforts to be happy.   Similarly, overworking in the p...