This post is the second in a series of three about building a classroom culture that supports PBL. Please refer back to my last post for the first part of these series. Step 2: Stress-Testing The Support Structures - CHALLENGE Once students have had a chance to lay the foundation for group work though low-stakes activities like games, it is time to up the stakes. This next step requires you to provide them with some sort of challenging activity or task that will require them

Students come to class the first few days with boatloads of anxieties. Depending on their age, these stressors could be caused by being apart from the their parents, reforming social groups after a summer apart, still being stuck with their parents, or just the fear of not yet knowing what their year will be like. Knowing this, it always surprises me when teachers immediately launch into academics the first day or assign homework the first night. Taking a group of students an

"I never let schooling get in the way of my education." - Mark Twain Welcome to the inaugural post of Teacher Camp, an education blog that will serve as one part chronicle of my career as a trainer, coach and TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) and one part resource for the beleaguered educator. My hope is that people will use it to gather ideas and strategies to help them develop as educators and professionals. First, a little about my credentials and back story. I am curre