Monthly Archives: January 2011

#36 How to Make Ideas Stick

Posted on January 29, 2011 by stevepiscitelli

This past Tuesday proved to be a magical day in one of my history classes.  I’d like to think EVERY day IS magical—but the reality is some days classes struggle.  Sometimes it is because the students have not come prepared; … Continue reading →

Posted in remarkable presentations | 2 Comments

#35 The Antidote for Toxic Meetings: Be Brief, Be Bright, and Be Gone!

Posted on January 23, 2011 by stevepiscitelli

“This is time I will never get back.” Such was the lament of a colleague at a recent meeting. Between mountains of statistics tossed our way, PowerPoint slides jammed with way too much information, and speakers talking at the audience … Continue reading →

Posted in effective meetings | 1 Comment

#34 The Student Perspective: What Do Effective Teachers Do?

Posted on January 16, 2011 by stevepiscitelli

Last week’s blog examined the question “What do effective teachers do?”  I listed and briefly described a number of effective characteristics I have observed (locally and around the nation) in my nearly 30 years of classroom experience. With the beginning … Continue reading →

Posted in effective teaching | 6 Comments

#33 What Do Effective Teachers Do?

Posted on January 9, 2011 by stevepiscitelli

During a meeting this past week, an age-old question presented itself once again. What makes a teacher effective? It has been posed ever since I have been in the profession. It comes up in state legislatures as well as the … Continue reading →

Posted in effective teaching | 5 Comments

#32 Grounded and Rounded

Posted on January 1, 2011 by stevepiscitelli

What is it that keeps a high school student centered, focused, and pleasant? For that matter, what keeps any of us grounded?  At a recent holiday gathering I was taken by the high school daughter of some friends. Taken by … Continue reading →

Posted in Balance | 5 Comments