Tutoria at South County Blended

In the last few months I have had the great privilege of working with Jade Wang as she and her students learned what Tutoria is and how it could be implemented in the classroom.  And then I witnessed it rolled out at South County Blended Community or Tech or (its full name an enigma even to its teachers).  The first steps were tentative but before long the students were building beautifully crafted temas (lessons) and then began the process of teaching these temas to their peers.

And me.  I was lucky enough to be taught by several brilliant, engaging students in Jade's class.  Alexys taught me about tears.  I learned not only about the different roles and types of tears there are, but how they are produced, and why they are important.  Alexys was an amazing tutor and she told me afterward that this work in researching her topic made her want to do more as a student in science and that she aspires to a career in the medical field.

Tutor Alexys

Carlos taught me about the effects of marijuana on the brain.  Lest anyone get the wrong idea, Carlos made it clear that the purpose of choosing this tema was not simply the obvious interest of the plant, but it was to scratch an intellectual itch, to solve a puzzle that had always intrigued him.  So now I know why chemically a pot smoker craves Doritos.

Tutor Carlos

And then there was Summer.  Summer had attended last year's four day institute on Tutoria at the County Office and said that she strongly believes that Tutoria has bonded students even closer.  "The positive effects of this have been amazing."  For the record, Summer presented the skeleton of her tema to me and I hope I get a chance to be tutored on it by her or one of her peers.  Her tema focused on the effects of music on the brain (made me recall Oliver Sacks' brilliant book Musicophilia  which I read many years ago).

Tutor Summer

To sum it up--Wow!!  Students discovering a passion for science and a gifted teacher helping them translate that into powerful teaching and learning.  Jade helped students in  refining their research and organizing their thoughts (Alexys told me that this is a particularly challenging but rewarding part of the process) and finally, presenting it to their peers.  And the occasional visiting Instructional Coach.

Jade Wang at work

Thanks Jade and all the students at South County Whatever.  You all rock!!

March is Women's History Month

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March is National Women’s History Month and while we celebrate the heroism of the many trailblazing women in history who have made a difference in how women are viewed around the world, let’s not forget about the women we surround ourselves with everyday.


Who inspires you?

In honor of Women’s History Month, the New York Times asked their spring Student Council — 25 teenagers from all over the United States, as well as from China, South Korea, England and Canada — to search the Times and find the most interesting pieces they could on the broad topic of gender.


Using both Times search and Times Machine, they unearthed everything from a 1911 report on the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire and a 1972 Times review of “Free to Be … You and Me” to current articles, videos and essays on Hillary Clinton, campus rape debates, gender pronouns, abortion, Title IX, parenting, and the struggles of the transgender community.

As your students skim the selections below, they might choose the two or three articles that interest them most, then answer some of these questions:



What do these pieces have in common? What patterns do you notice?
What do they say about the lives and roles of women and girls? About men and boys?
How are ideas about gender changing? What do you think about those changes?
What connections (PDF) can you make to one or more of the articles you chose and your own life?
Why does any of this matter?


For more Women's History Lesson Plans, Discussion, and Research Ideas check out these links.

For Women's History Lesson plans click here.

For ideas to incorporate women across the curriculum click here.

6 short films and teaching resources for the women's role in the Arab spring...click here

Here's what Happens when you photoshop the men out of politics.

 Share any other great resources you are using with your classrooms this month to focus on women's contributions.