Hey all. I hope you're doing "ok" during this crazy time we're all living in. My "day job" has me working day and night trying to support teachers as best I can and I certainly haven't forgotten about anybody outside the Heart of Missouri area. If there's anything I can do for you, drop me a note and I'd be happy to help in anyway I can. In the meantime, I'll be LIVE tomorrow at 1pm talking assessment with my colleague and teachers in our region. You're welcome to join in and we hope to see you there. Check out that page or the comments on this post to get the link or join in.
Edunators
Edunator, [ej-oo-nate-or] noun 1. One who educates with extreme passion and refuses to let any obstacle stand in the way of student success.
Edunators are teachers uniting together to "Teach Like the Terminator!" by systematically eliminating the obstacles to learning we face in our classrooms. Perceived irresponsibility, inaccurate grading practices & and disengaged students are the true obstacles while Intervention, Collaboration, Reflection and Relationship building are the Weapons of Mass Education!

It's been over a year since I shared anything on this page. No real reason, mostly just the full time gig and family not leaving much time for side-projects. Well, that and a lot of uncertainty about this whole "Edunator" thing.
I recently did something kinda cool though some of you might enjoy. I wrote and performed a Hamilton inspired, Taylor Mali infused "Education Rhapsody". Lots of audience participation, skits, etc.
Lots more videos on the YouTube Channel but I'll drop this link here. Made a few people cry even. :)
Thank you all for the work you do everyday. "Fail forward and courageously pursue" (as our T shirts said).
https://youtu.be/02nrtwV_1fk
"Tribute" at the 2020 Powerful Learning Conference. First public performance of "Tribute" as a part of "The Ed Research Rhapsody" at the Powerful Learning Conference at Margaritaville in Osage Beach, MO. Email...

"Despite our best efforts, we do them based on habit – years of just trying to survive the workday massively outnumbered, overworked and underappreciated." | The Two Things Teachers Focus on Most....Instead of Learning https://buff.ly/2VZKkPu via
The Two Things Teachers Focus on Most....Instead of Learning - Edunators Edunators is a website dedicated to helping teachers overcome the obstacles that prevent them from focusing on learning in the classroom. We take pride in oversimplifying the complex and discussing some of Education’s biggest ideas in a more conversational tone.
"You’re right to treat it as a behavioral one, not an academic one. Task completion is behavior and since ultimately behavior is a form of communication, we have to ask “What is this student telling us by not doing the work?” or put differently “Why aren’t they doing the work assigned?”
What do we do when students refuse to complete assignments? https://buff.ly/2TWVfrg via
What do we do when students refuse to complete assignments? - Edunators Edunators is a website dedicated to helping teachers overcome the obstacles that prevent them from focusing on learning in the classroom. We take pride in oversimplifying the complex and discussing some of Education’s biggest ideas in a more conversational tone.

"12) “You can’t save them all.”
Maybe not. Probably not. But if I don’t try, I’ll never know which one’s I can, right?"
21 Things I Hate to Hear Teachers Say https://buff.ly/2QSKyEt via
21 Things I Hate to Hear Teachers Say - Edunators Edunators is a website dedicated to helping teachers overcome the obstacles that prevent them from focusing on learning in the classroom. We take pride in oversimplifying the complex and discussing some of Education’s biggest ideas in a more conversational tone.

"It was a “practice test with a variety of multiple choice, matching and constructive response type questions. Some of which would appear on the test, either identically or in another form, others would not. For shame. If you’re going to give such an assignment, why bother doing all of the assignments and activities you had prior to this? Why should I bother taking notes over a class lecture when I’m going to be handed a study guide outlining everything I need to know?"
Lets Talk About "Study Guides" https://buff.ly/2RzXtQV

Great formative assessment strategies, opportunities to move, AND high levels of engagement!
5 Alternatives to Traditional Hand Raising Question & Answer Strategies https://buff.ly/2RALGSm via
8 Classroom Games to Play with Students https://buff.ly/2CnPxre via

The latest newsletter will come out on Tuesday! See what you've missed or sign up today!
Newsletters - Edunators Edunators is a website dedicated to helping teachers overcome the obstacles that prevent them from focusing on learning in the classroom. We take pride in oversimplifying the complex and discussing some of Education’s biggest ideas in a more conversational tone.
Want to help other people (including students) ? Spend less time trying to be interesting and more time being INTERESTED. Jon Acuff

"Having ruled out those potential causes for this inexcusable act of defiance, I conclude “This kid must just be a jerk” or “kids today are different…I blame heavy metal music” and proceed with the following."
One Way to Handle Defiant Students - Edunators Edunators is a website dedicated to helping teachers overcome the obstacles that prevent them from focusing on learning in the classroom. We take pride in oversimplifying the complex and discussing some of Education’s biggest ideas in a more conversational tone.
My latest - What do we do when students refuse to work?
"If your principal handed you a worksheet of one-digit addition problems...the task would be simple enough that you’d go ahead and do it with a puzzled look on your face. However, if that same principal handed you 40 pages of advanced calculus, you’d probably have a few more questions. Sadly to many of our students, the “grade level” coursework we hand them feels...out of context, and too difficult to apply sustained effort or even attempt."
https://www.edunators.com/becoming-the-edunator/step-5-assessment-for-learning/what-do-we-do-when-students-refuse-to-complete-assignments

If I'm missing something, please let me know. But these "Remote learning" days feel an awful lot like homework to me, and that creates a variety of problems.
E-learning days? #SnowThankYou #SaveOurSnowDays Mark Clements of Edunators.com discusses the growing trend of districts replacing snow days with E-Learning or so-called “Remote Learning” days. Is this a dr...
Sometimes the difference between a good teacher and a great teacher is the degree to which they're able to commit themselves to providing almost constant, specific feedback to struggling students (both behavioral and academic). It's exhausting, but necessary.

#16) "When I was in school...."
"You don’t get to teach who you were. Or the students you remember having in class with you. The truth is, it was a long time ago and you were a kid, so you probably weren’t fully aware of what was going on anyway and are likely mis-remembering. And this isn’t purely about age. If you just started teaching and you’re 23, you were in 4th grade 13 years ago. The iPhone didn’t exist."
https://www.edunators.com/becoming-the-edunator/step-2-culture-for-learning/21-things-i-hate-to-hear-teachers-say
21 Things I Hate to Hear Teachers Say - Edunators Edunators is a website dedicated to helping teachers overcome the obstacles that prevent them from focusing on learning in the classroom. We take pride in oversimplifying the complex and discussing some of Education’s biggest ideas in a more conversational tone.

As the midwest prepares for the "Snowpocalypse", or perhaps a "Nopocalypse", I was thinking about the concept of snow days. How does your school handle them? Does anybody who has these "eLearning" days feel like they're really LEARNING? ? Or ?
https://www.edutopia.org/article/beginning-end-snow-days
The Beginning of the End of Snow Days Districts around the U.S. are working out policies and procedures for having kids work at home when inclement weather closes schools.

I couldn't agree with this any more if I tried. Focusing on the negative is simply "admiring" the problem. Identify a problem, put together a plan, try something new, evaluate and reflect, repeat as necessary.
D'oh!

A step-by-step guide for those of you returning to school this week. | Turning Things Around: Making Your Worst Class Your Best Class https://t.co/nzKk0U95yT
Turning Things Around: Make Your Worst Class Your Best Class - Edunators Edunators is a website dedicated to helping teachers overcome the obstacles that prevent them from focusing on learning in the classroom. We take pride in oversimplifying the complex and discussing some of Education’s biggest ideas in a more conversational tone.

Merry Christmas Edunators! Hope everyone is enjoying some much needed time off and taking the opportunity for some personal reflection. I've got a new newsletter hitting your inbox tonight with some reflections, but in the meantime, I thought a few of you might find some of the ideas in this new post useful!
Turning Things Around: Making Your Worst Class Your Best Class https://www.edunators.com/becoming-the-edunator/step-2-culture-for-learning/turning-things-around-make-your-worst-class-your-best-class

"You're messing with something we've spent an unbelievable amount of time and energy creating...and you're trying to screw it up...gossip is when a negative is discussed with anyone who can't solve the problem, (so when) you have a problem...hand the problem up the food chain in leadership, but the receptionist can't solve this problem for you."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFpANOYMkjk
No Gossip Policy | Dave Ramsey How does Dave Ramsey feel about gossip? Watch this epic rant. It may be human nature for people to talk about each other, but that doesn’t mean you have to p...

As we gear up for end of the semester awards, I find myself in the familiar position of hating them and questioning their very existence.
Check the latest...& I'd love your feedback on this whole podcasting thing!
Podcasts - Edunators https://buff.ly/2B3jjkx

A little over a month ago, I put a rubber band on my wrist. I don't imagine I'm taking it anytime soon. Why you might ask? Sign up for The Edunators' Newsletter and find out how this silly thing is changing my world view. https://t.co/zZYsq9nghC
Why look at data if you have no intention of making changes to your practice? Without data, all you have is an opinion. Without action, you're just holding charts.
"Books will soon be obsolete...Our school system will be completely changed in 10 years." - Thomas Edison, talking about the motion picture in 1913.

15 Ways to Build Positive Relationships With Students https://buff.ly/2Kx9pvT via

8 Classroom Games to Play with Students https://buff.ly/2Rk5XqQ via
8 Classroom Games to Play with Students - Edunators Edunators is a website dedicated to helping teachers overcome the obstacles that prevent them from focusing on learning in the classroom. We take pride in oversimplifying the complex and discussing some of Education’s biggest ideas in a more conversational tone.

Every idea in this article I can get behind, as a father of a pre-schooler & educator. But I'm really just sharing this because my wife Kim (who teaches ECSE) will rejoice in every sentence of this. :)
"When Bouffard talks to parents, she tells them, “Don’t worry about a gorgeous facility. The most important things to look for is how the adults interact with children. You want to see them engage with children in a way that is positive, nurturing and genuinely curious.”
Thanks for sharing Jenni Hayes! Jen Anderson Meyerhoff, it's a good one. :)
Why Preschool is the 'Most Important Year' In a Child's Development A child's experience in preschool sets the foundation for her educational journey, but not all schools know how to deliver what's best, according to author Suzanne Bouffard.

My latest post -
Being yourself, treating kids with respect, and taking a genuine interest in their lives is always my first advice. But that doesn't mean we can't get a little gimmicky every now & then. :)
15 Ways to Build Positive Relationships With Students https://www.edunators.com/becoming-the-edunator/step-2-culture-for-learning/15-ways-to-build-positive-relationships-with-students
15 Ways to Build Positive Relationships with Students - Edunators Edunators is a website dedicated to helping teachers overcome the obstacles that prevent them from focusing on learning in the classroom. We take pride in oversimplifying the complex and discussing some of Education’s biggest ideas in a more conversational tone.

Happy Thanksgiving . I'm grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your professional growth & your student's learning. Thank you all!