Bond with James: June 2017

Thursday, June 29, 2017

High School Science Teacher Vlog #3 | My Decision to Return to Teaching

I decided to make this video because people always ask me why I made the decision to leave higher positions and return to teaching. I returned to the classroom during the 2016-2017 school year and taught science (biology and environmental systems) at a Title 1 high school.  Prior to that, I was a campus assistant principal (at the same school) and prior to that, I was a district-level science instructional specialist for high schools. 


Friday, June 23, 2017

High School Science Teacher Vlog #2 | Curriculum Design: Backward Planning

Join me as I discuss my poor curriculum design process as a new teacher and how I eventually developed those skills; which helped me later on in my career (as a district instructional specialist and campus assistant principal). 
If you are unfamiliar with the Backward Design process or wish to advance your career as an instructional leader (administrator, department chair, or instructional coach/specialist), then I recommend reading the book, Understanding by Design, by Wiggins and McTighe.  Furthermore, the framework serves as an excellent curriculum model to assist you in the development of your yearly curriculum.

The book goes into much more detail than what I shared in the video. For example, the book describes how teachers should unpack (and repack) their learning standards.  It also talks about mistakes of curriculum development - coverage and activity-oriented design; which is referred to as the "twin sins" of traditional curriculum design.  The book is also packed with K-12 examples and a few templates (additional templates are available in supplementary UbD resources).

Purchase the book, Understanding by Design, by clicking here.

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Monday, June 19, 2017

High School Science Teacher Vlog #1 - Summer Update

Join me as I begin my YouTube teacher vlogging adventure! The purpose of my vlogs will be to share with others the weekly life of a high school science teacher. Whether you're looking to become a teacher, or you're a novice teacher or a veteran teacher, hopefully, you will find something of value from each vlog. Perhaps with enough time and experience, I can turn it into a daily vlog. Subscribe, and Bond with James, so that you don't miss updates!