CEC Blog

We'll Be Back!

Reality 101 is taking a short break for the rest of June.  But be sure to check back in July, when our blog host will be Gayle Solis Zavala, CEC's 2009 Clarissa Hug National Teacher of the Year. Gayle is an elementary-school special educator from Florida who specializes in teaching literacy. Read more about Gayle on CEC's Web site.

CEC wishes you a safe and relaxing summer.

Florida Dreamin’ and Slip-Slidin’ Into Summer

By Bill & Bobbie Donelson

OK, we said that we would only be there for you in May, but we just have to send out one last post in June to wish you well as you slip-slide into summer! We know that well-deserved vacations await you after a dedicated year of teaching. That’s why we live in sunny Florida year-round! We try to reinforce our own professional behavior with regular boating, dolphin watching, and manatee loving on the Indian River Lagoon. Our two wonderful wiener dogs, Max and Sweet Pea, also keep us sane.

Dr. Stephen Covey refers to this as “sharpening the saw.” We all need to take time for ourselves in order to relax, replenish our life energy, and tool up for new challenges. After a hectic time at work there is also nothing like a zany book of adventure from our favorite Florida author, Carl Hiaassen. Many a vacation has started by decompressing with one of his unique novels. Students love his new books, Hoot, Scat, and Flush as well!

The Benefits of Explicit and Systematic Instruction

By Bill & Bobbie Donelson

Welcome back to our May blogfest for new teachers! After you have taken a careful look at what has worked and what has not worked across the school year, you may have to consider new strategies. Some of the most powerful intervention techniques involve the application of explicit, systematic instruction. The National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum (NCAC) and National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) provide some excellent guidance in these areas.

The fundamentals of explicit instruction, also referred to as direct instruction, have evolved across the past 40 years. Explicit instruction has involved the marriage of research from effective schools and the science of behavior analysis. Extensive research in these areas supported the link between explicit instruction and positive outcomes for students (Hall, 2002).

End-of-Year Student Self-Evaluations

By Bill & Bobbie Donelson

Just as we have asked you, as teachers, to take the month of May to evaluate your efforts across the school year, this is also a good time to encourage your students to engage in the same self-reflection. Have students consider the things they did well this year and the skills they still need to develop.

You can also tie this into a positive classroom awards event. Once you have led each student through a self-evaluation, you can create class awards to highlight the strengths of each student. This demonstrates an appreciation of diversity and the positive characteristics of each student (e.g., wonderful math problem solver, extremely organized student, friendly smile award, good sense of humor medal). Dr. Bob Brooks, a noted author and speaker from Harvard, challenges us to find the “island of competence” in every child.

Putting the Finishing Touches on 2008-09

By Bill & Bobbie Donelson

What a challenging year we have all had! Politics, economics, and histrionics have plagued society and touched the schools in many ways. Veteran teachers and school staff have seen cyclical issues such as educational funding woes impact school systems for years. However, we are particularly concerned about the impact this is having on new teachers.

New teachers are particularly vulnerable when there is talk of layoffs or restructuring. However, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama on Feb.17, has saved jobs throughout the education sector. We hope that your job is secure and that the threat of such worries has not been a major burden to you this year.