Justin Tarte's Blog (77)

What motivates you, me and students?

As a human being I am inclined to believe that we are self-motivating and self-driven. We yearn to explore and discover as much as possible

about the magnificent world around us. We derive our energy and power

from our self-motivation and drive, and without this ability to discover

and explore on our own, we will most certainly become zombies.

Now, to some people, becoming a zombie… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 9, 2010 at 6:27am — No Comments

A chance to grow...

Last year I approached my building principal about starting a book club. The main goal of the book club was to help teachers grow both personally and

professionally. To my astonishment, not only was my building principal

supportive of my idea, he also provided the book club with the financial

backing to purchase almost one thousand dollars worth of books.

As…

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Added by Justin Tarte on August 9, 2010 at 6:22am — No Comments

The utilization of classroom assessments...

A year and a half ago I started my Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership. As a teacher, this program has been influential in helping

to shape my philosophy of education. In particular, I have really begun

to analyze and critique the assessment policy I use in the classroom.

Last school year I was part of a committee that was reading and evaluating

the ideas presented in Rick Stiggins' Assessment for Learning model… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 9, 2010 at 6:20am — No Comments

The unspoken hero of education...the sharing of experiences and knowledge

Last night as I was sitting in my doctoral class I was reminded why I thoroughly enjoy the cohort format of educational leadership classes.

By no means am I the smartest, most intelligent or most knowledgeable

person in my class. To be honest, I would say I am probably closer

toward the bottom of the class in terms of my educational experiences

and knowledge. As weird as it might sound, I am completely okay with

being toward… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 9, 2010 at 6:17am — No Comments

Teachers...it is time for you to step up...

Educators in America and around the world face a daunting task. Educators are asked to teach every student regardless of their ability,

their desire to learn, and their family or socioeconomic situation. As I

am sure you are aware, education can also be one of the most rewarding

careers in the world. However, in order to be a great educator you must

accept the responsibility of affecting the lives of children. Last

year I read… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 9, 2010 at 6:15am — No Comments

What are we so afraid of?

When was the last time you left your house without your cell phone? Can you remember the last time you did not access the internet in a 24 hour time frame? When was the last time

you opened a book to find an answer? If you are anything like most

Americans, I would be willing to bet you never leave your cell phone at

home (at least knowingly), you access the internet several times a day,

and… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 9, 2010 at 6:13am — No Comments

7 proven strategies that WILL engage your students...

Over the last 5 years as an educator, I have learned so much about student motivation and student engagement. Recently, I started reflecting on my current practices and strategies I have used to engage

my students over the years. The program I am with has doubled in size

from roughly 140 students to over 280, so I feel confident these

strategies can, and will work.

1. Don't just care...really…

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Added by Justin Tarte on August 8, 2010 at 5:39am — 1 Comment

Good ideas spread...and win - what are your good ideas?

As mentioned in previous posts, I have really tried to utilize my summer to better myself. I wanted to refine my skills as a progressive

educator who is able to meet the needs of students in a meaningful and

influential way. As such, I have concentrated on new ways to integrate

social media and technology into my classroom instruction. All of the

ideas and suggestions I plan on using started out as ideas. In

particular, they… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 6, 2010 at 8:22pm — No Comments

Why the current educator evaluation process not only doesn't work...it is hurting America's education system

If you have been in education for one year, you have most likely experienced the educator evaluation process. Depending on what school you work at, and in which district you work, your experience could be completely different than that of another. I think it is fantastic that individual schools and districts retain the right to do things in a manner which is best fitting for their students and their community, however when an educator evaluation… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 5, 2010 at 4:21pm — No Comments

Human nature - why sometimes we should fight to ignore it...

I will preface this post by saying I am only 15 pages into the book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, by Diane Ravitch. Despite not being too far along in this book, I feel empowered to share my experiences thus far.

In my short 5 years in education I have learned many things, however for

this post I will concentrate on just one. There is one thing for

certain in education...and that is, there is… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 4:06pm — No Comments

Bring on the learning revolution!

A fabulous resource to educators is available, and the best part about it...it is free! Visit the website http://www.ted.com/ and watch videos about "ideas worth spreading." I chose this

particular video by Sir Ken Robinson because I feel Robinson makes a

wonderful point about education. When we talk about education we need

to forget about the evolution of the school system, but rather we… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 12:13pm — No Comments

Do you recognize the many pieces to the puzzle?

Over the last several weeks I have had the opportunity to speak with several different people who are the

leaders/coordinators/directors/supervisors in their respective

departments within my school district. This opportunity has given me a

new found appreciation for the many intricacies of a large suburban

school district.

As a current classroom teacher I plan my lessons, go to school, teach

students, grade… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 12:11pm — No Comments

Do you speak their language?

How often do you hear students complaining about a teacher who told them to put their cell phone away, or turn their iPod off? If your school

is anything like my school, then I am sure you hear this on a daily

basis. Integrating technology into the classroom has been a hot topic

over the last several years, and as our society continues to embrace new

technological advances, Education 2.0 will hopefully continue to… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 12:07pm — No Comments

Is merit pay for teachers best for students?

If you walk into a teacher's lounge, and your goal is to get the teachers really fired up...then ask them how

they feel about merit pay! Teachers across the nation are torn in their

beliefs when it comes to merit pay. For every teacher that supports

merit pay, there is a teacher who firmly disagrees with merit pay.

Educational reform would not be complete without some kind of overhaul

in the way…

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Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 12:06pm — No Comments

What should busy administrators be reading (or watching)? - Leadership Day 2010

This is my first time participating in Leadership Day 2010, and I must say I am really excited to be a part of this fantastic movement. As

educators, I would argue we all need to be inspirational and progressive

leaders in our own right; however in education's current form we have

building administrators and central office administrators as our

leaders. Their jobs are extremely difficult, and I can honestly say

most people… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 12:05pm — No Comments

Why we shouldn't treat schools like factories, even if it is more cost effective...

If you have ever walked into a factory that produces a finished good from raw materials, it is frankly an

amazing process. Dating back to the early 1900's, Henry Ford

revolutionized the world and the way it manufactures goods. How could

one argue with a process that can take different materials and

products, and in one smooth motion put them together to produce a brand

new flawless product…

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Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 11:48am — 1 Comment

Why leading from the middle is the future, and why being compared to a pez dispenser is okay...

As education continues to evolve and change, it is necessary for our educational leaders to adapt and change

as well. All too often we see schools and districts that lead with a

top down approach. Even though this type of leadership has proven to be

successful in certain circumstances, the level of effectiveness drops

off over time and any future potential positive impact dissolves.…

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Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 11:46am — No Comments