5 Minute Power Speeches – “Ideas for Inspiration & Change”

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Because these are prepared remarks by the speakers, I will not try to provide an abbreviation of words and pauses specifically chosen for effect. ??I have chosen a couple of “golden lines’ for each- standout quotes. Video of the full panel will be made available by Representative Hughes after the conference is over. ??TEACHERS OF […]

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Listening to Educators: An Interview With Summit Organizer Jay Hughes

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By James Comans, Editor at MSEDBLOG On July 22 and 23, educators and community stakeholders from around the state will converge at the Jackson Convention Center for the ??“Summer Education Forum.” It is to be “a completely open and free zone for ideas, inspiration and appreciation” concerning Mississippi’s public schools. With??keynote speakers, discussion panels, and […]

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Koonlaba: What do you think about teacher-bloggers?

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I was fortunate to be published in the Spring 2016 edition of the Delta Kappa Gamma Collegial Exchange. The piece was titled, “Finding My Teacher Voice: Why I Became a Blogger.” I was intrigued by the idea that blogging doesn’t just come as second nature to all teachers. In the article, I explain how I […]

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New national report investigates teacher evaluations; MSEdBlogger key writer

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The Network for Public Education published a report today entitled “Teachers Talk Back: Educators on the Impact of Teacher Evaluation.” Tupelo??teacher and MSEdBlog editor Amanda Koonlaba was one of the eight educators who??wrote the report. The “Teachers Talk Back” report chronicles a study from??the fall of 2015, in which NPE investigated teacher turnover and frustration […]

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Koonlaba: What do you think about these ways to never praise a student?

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I recently read an article titled, 3 Ways You Should Never Praise Students. I can’t remember how I stumbled across this post from 2012. However, since reading it I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the way I use praise in my classroom. In fact, it was so thought-provoking I shared it in my […]

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Koonlaba: What do you think about students showing their work in math?

This article, titled Explaining Your Math: Unnecessary at Best, Encumbering at Worst, discusses the difference between “knowing” and “doing.” It points out how reformers often argue that students can quite often “do” a problem but never actually understand or “know” the actual concepts. Students have been required to justify their answers. However, the article argues […]

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Koonlaba: What do you think about “batch-processing” your tasks?

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This article titled, 5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Non-Teaching Time, didn’t immediately catch my attention. However, as I skimmed the page, I noticed a photo of four identical salads sitting on a counter top. It was obviously a photo of food-prepping. I thought to myself, “I do that. I food prep.” I […]

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