Real Talk Intervention

Accountability measures force us to take students not just from where they were to somewhere better but all the way We have been very vocal here at Real Talk Intervention about our support of school accountability measures, standardized testing in general, and the high school STAAR EOC tests specifically. Last month we took action and spoke before the Texas legislature in support of school accountability, specifically against HB 1333 The Teaching Over Testing Act. When we returned to our school from that trip, word of what we had done traveled fast. Many of our colleagues cheered on us, others weren't such fans of our opinions though they appreciated our moxie. But what really struck us was the reactions of the students - ours and other teachers - who watched the video of our testimony. A group of students came to both of us, stood before us, and said "Thank you. Thank you for telling them we weren't ready to graduate." Once students exit the doors of our high...

May is #happyteacher month at Real Talk Intervention! Standardized testing is behind you, and before you lies the most rewarding time to be an educator - June, July, and part of August. It's time to recharge those batteries by thinking about what you really LOVE about your profession. What makes you a #happy teacher? Stefanie and I share some tricks and tips from our eleven years of working with at-risk students that we've found make our lives, and our students' lives, just so much happier on this week's podcast. Special shout out to one of my favorite podcasts Happier by Gretchen Rubin  for the inspiration and formatting of today's episode. It's a fanisode! Never miss an episode of Real Talk Intervention by subscribing on iTunes or Stitcher.

April is a tough month. The weather is getting beautiful, teachers and students are getting burnt out, and end of the year assessments are looming. We spent the month of April casting a critical eye on education - from teachers to the government - and now we're casting that eye on ourselves. It's time for some Real Talk - why do WE do the things we do in the classroom? We ask each other about some of the questionable practices or mistakes we've seen each other make over the years. We are two very different teachers, in two very different contents, who make very different mistakes. If you're an optimistic innovator in the classroom who finds herself in tears at the end of some days like Stefanie or a grumpy cynic who rolls her eyes during professional development like Sarah you'll hear your voice, and your experiences, in this one! Listen to us here . Music courtesy of The Creative Commons. http://www.bensound.com

Today's special episode was recorded live and on location inside a Senate meeting room as we prepared to give testimony against Texas House Bill 1333, colloquially known as The Teaching Over Testing Act. This bill, which aims to reduce the number of standardized tests given by Texas to the federal minimum while also drastically reducing the emphasis these tests have on school accountability, has been well received by the state anti-testing movement. We, however, stand with the many civil rights groups , the Texas Association of Business , and the many, many nervous and silent teachers who know that the anti-testing, anti-accountability movement's well-intentioned, but misguided, efforts damage the hard work educators are doing to create a more equitable society across Texas. To give a voice to all the educators across Texas who feel as we do, we traveled to the state legislature with the support of a non-profit educational foundation group called Texas Aspires  to...

The human face of the school accountability movement is one no one wants to see. The human face is 18 years old. He has attended school for 90% of his Mondays through Fridays. She has ridden the bus for twelve years. Attended all the classes. And done it all with the entirely reasonable expectation that at the end of this journey lies the cap, the gown, and the high school diploma. And even the hardest of hard liners on the school accountability movement does not want to tell that student that at the end of these last twelve years there will be ... nothing. No one wants to tell anyone they can't achieve dreams. Particularly not politicians.  So things get ... tricky. A little schizophrenic. Requirements for graduation? Or are they more like guidelines really? In this week's podcast we discuss high school graduation requirements, and how Texas politicians are avoiding the public relations nightmare of thousands of students being denied high school...

Let's be real - there can be a LOT of complaining in education. You're sitting in the teacher's lounge, just trying to eat your noodle cup and chat about last night's episode of The Bachelor, when in comes THAT teacher. That guy who's always mad; the lady who yells at her students every day at 2:45 like clock work. And you feel for them. You do. You used to be that teacher. Heck, some days you ARE that teacher. You listen to them sympathetically - because we've all been there- , but you really wish you could just say - "Okay but why are you doing that?" Why are you making life more difficult for yourself with that policy, with that assignment, with that rule? If you would just change your mindset, switch your perspective, bend just a little bit your life would be easier, your students would be happier, and you wouldn't be so stressed out all the time. Well this is Real Talk Intervention - and we. went. there. Are the things you're doin...

Its April, and that means just one thing - less time spent outdoors in the beautiful spring weather, and more time spent inside preparing detailed test reviews before your STAAR exam in May, your class's final exam, or, if you're SUPER lucky - BOTH! Test reviews are that special kind of terrible - not only are they frequently no fun for teachers or students, but they also usually feel extremely ineffective. The kids who need to do them usually don't, and often no matter how much effort we put into them we don't see the fruits of that labor result in increased test scores. Well here it is you guys! We may have fancy district titles on our two-page job description, but we actually do all day, every day is TEST. REVIEW.  On today's very special podcast we're talking about our most successful test review strategies, the research behind them, and how a few tweaks to your test reviews will ignite your test scores right now. Listen to our special epi...