Sheldon Soper is a New Jersey middle school teacher with over a decade of classroom experience teaching students to read, write, and problem-solve across multiple grade levels. He holds teaching certifications in English, Social Studies, and Elementary Education as well as Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the field of education. In addition to his teaching career, Sheldon is also a content writer for a variety of education, technology, and parenting websites. You can follow Sheldon on Twitter @SoperWritings and on his blog.
The Implications of Grading Without Zeros
For most of us, grades were always a part of school. Work was assigned, it was completed, and we were given a score reflective of our efforts and understandings. At regular intervals, these scores were compiled and sent home on report cards to inform our parents or guardians of our progress.
Making Overused School Assessments More Authentic
Over the course of teachers’ careers, there are times when they find themselves in a creative rut. Whether it’s a particularly dry topic or content that just isn’t igniting that creative pedagogical spark, it can be challenging at times to create engaging assessments for students.
Thought-Provoking Podcasts That Will Make You a Better Educator
It can be easy to fall into a rut and let the same school routines, conversations, and initiatives box in your educational perspective. Podcasts are a great way to introduce fresh ideas and viewpoints into your educational diet that you otherwise may have missed.
A Bulletin Board that Empowers Students to Help Each Other
One of the best pieces of advice I got as a young teacher was never do something for a student that they can do for themselves. This is not to say that we teachers shouldn’t be courteous and respectful – go ahead and hold a door or pick up a dropped pencil - but when it comes to things like classroom procedures, reading directions, or working with content, students should be the ones putting in the effort.
How to Increase Classroom Transparency
Designing classroom structures and workflows that are more transparent helps demonstrate to stakeholders just how much great, innovative work is taking place in the service of student growth.
Getting Involved with a Digital PLN
Teaching is, by nature, a collaborative and community-driven profession. Over the past few decades or so, this need for professional teamwork has evolved into the concept of Personal Learning Networks (PLNs).