Carolyn Allison

…and duties as assigned

Week two: 8,640,000 Decisions! According to a 2021 Education Week article, teachers make approximately 1500 decisions per day. Even before school begins, we attend to decisions about the delivery of instruction, a host of logistical details, and the ongoing needs of students. Not including weekends, late evenings spent grading, or prep work during the summer,Continue reading “…and duties as assigned”

…and duties as assigned

Week one: The Starting Line In 1986, fresh out of graduate school, I landed my first teaching position in an up-and-coming district in Colorado Springs. More than 100 other applicants competed for that same position. My starting salary, with master’s degree in teaching secondary science, was just over $24,000. It had been my dream toContinue reading “…and duties as assigned”

…and duties as assigned

…and duties as assigned sets out to invite civil discourse about the range of responsibilities and versatility of skills expected of today’s U.S. public-school teachers. Using stories drawn from personal experience and amplified using Fermi Problem reasoning, these posts serve both as a tribute to the collective innovation underlying our universal free and public educationContinue reading “…and duties as assigned”

Inquiring About Inquiry

So glad to have had the chance to return to Navajo Prep to lead an inquiry about inquiry. Together we explored teaching strategies, thinking routines, and task developments designed to increase student curiosity and thinking. Teachers engaged as inquirers to seek information and develop questions and goals to guide their own professional learning throughout theContinue reading “Inquiring About Inquiry”

Stories and Reflections from an Imperfect Practice- Part One

“The question holds the lantern.” John O’Donohue, Celtic poet Have you ever botched a great inquiry lesson using a poorly planned sequence of questions? Here’s an epic example of my own palm-to-forehead struggle to facilitate learning using the wrong questions. During my first-, or second-year teaching IB science, I created an opportunity for sixth gradersContinue reading “Stories and Reflections from an Imperfect Practice- Part One”

Points of Hope Around the World

I am creating an interactive map featuring short descriptions of fabulous community and personal projects completed by students around the world. My goal is to include an example or two from every authorized MYP world school, presented as “points of hope” on a global map. By making visible examples of these projects and their impactContinue reading “Points of Hope Around the World”

The Harvest of Learning

This time of year, I find delight in the harvest after a busy summer in the garden. Each time I visit my deep beds I return with a bucket of produce… tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, basil, beans, such rich reward for months of tending. Teaching is much like gardening. We prepare the soil by fussingContinue reading “The Harvest of Learning”

Portals of Self-Discovery

A couple of years ago I worked with a student I’ll call Jade as a mentor throughout the personal project experience. Using conventional methods of judging achievement, Jade struggled in school. Her grades were poor, as was her attendance; it would be easy to assume the personal project would not be her thing. Still, sheContinue reading “Portals of Self-Discovery”

“Inspiration Porn”

As the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games come to an end, I appreciated reading Gwen Knapp’s article “Paralympians Know “Inspiration Porn” When They See It” in this morning’s New York Times. Knapp brings awareness to the term “inspiration porn,” originally coined by the late Australian activist and journalist Stella Young and used to describe behaviorsContinue reading ““Inspiration Porn””

Launching Student-Designed Projects

For world school educators in the northern hemisphere, I’m curious … Is it too soon to mention community and personal projects in a blog post? 😊 Because of my special fondness for these experiences, I’m going to answer my own question with a resounding “NO!” In fact, these first days of the school year areContinue reading “Launching Student-Designed Projects”