Education Archives - THOM GIBSON

27 Jun 2019

Answering The Web’s Most Searched Questions About Teaching

In this video, I answer the web's most searched questions about teaching. I stole this idea from One Happy Classroom who stole it from Wired Magazine. https://youtu.be/kfNGkqn6bNw 😁One Happy Classroom - https://youtu.be/fYQ1LGemQoY 🖥Wired - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLibNZv5Zd0dwjZFCTVZ8QdKq194CkwXjo 🌮My love for breakfast tacos - https://youtu.be/cQEk-c0cwB0 📋Jennifer Gonzalez podcast on better rubrics - https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/rubric-repair/ 💸My summer side hustle video - https://youtu.be/bQCFaWaoxNo 🌞Ways to make the most of your teacher summer - https://youtu.be/BzLX_sM0dwY 👔My last day of classes vlog - https://youtu.be/BzLX_sM0dwY

26 Apr 2019

Esports in the Classroom

EPISODE PREVIEW: https://youtu.be/g3YlTB3hfNA Esports, or competitive video gaming, is a booming industry. It's no wonder Mark Cuban would buy esports stock and sell NFL stock if given the choice. With such a growing industry full of opportunity, what role does esports play in education? I spoke with several people that are on the front lines of where esports and education intersect. We discuss: ⚫What exactly are esports ⚫What types of esports scholarships and programs are available at the college level ⚫How an esports program is so much more than just playing video games ⚫Why educators need to consider starting an…

10 Apr 2019

Why I Use SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE CLASSROOM

There's are a lot of schools that don't allow any sort of sharing of photos or videos of students on social media. My school does not have that policy and here are 3 reasons why I choose to share photos and videos of my students on social media as well as best practices regarding parent communication. 3 Reasons: 1 ) Students are on social media 2 ) Parents get a glimpse into the classroom 3 ) It helps other teachers 'Stories from the Classroom' Podcast **Something I forgot to mention in the video but I feel is common sense is…

20 Jan 2019

6 EDU-PODCASTS Every Educator Should Listen to in 2019

Here are 6 educational podcasts every teacher should be listening to in 2019! https://youtu.be/Me7pbJpMmnI The Wired Educator Vrain Waves Cult of Pedagogy StartEdUp Making Math Moments That Matter The Academy of eSports Shameless self-plug: The Thom Gibson Podcast

14 Jan 2019

5 BIGGEST MISTAKES I’ve Made As A Teacher

In the teacher social media space, there's been a lot of talk of how discouraging it could be as a teacher to see all these other teachers online doing amazing things in their classrooms while you feel you're just trying to make it through the day. I talk about why I think that happens but also wanted to share some of my biggest mistakes I've made as a teacher in an effort to avoid only sharing successes from the classroom. [This used to be a previous blog but thought I'd turn into a video reflection.] 1:16 - Feeling the need…

28 Jun 2018

Having the Same Teacher from Kindergarten to Graduation…

Think of your Kindergarten teacher. How do you think your educational experience would have been different if that teacher continued to be your teacher for every year until you graduated high school? In today's podcast I chat with Mark Rogers, who will be starting a 13-year experiment this year. The practice is called 'looping' where a teacher sticks with a group of students for more than one year. We discuss the following: • how he got into looping with students • why he's embarking on this 13-year experiment • what the challenges of looping are • what teachers can do…

03 Aug 2016

A Teacher’s Reflection on ‘Better’ by Atul Gawande

Our staff summer reading this year is 'Better' by Atul Gawande. Seemed like an odd choice for summer read for teachers but the general premise of the book is practical for any profession: What does it take to be good at something where failure is so easy? I love books like this AND Sara is a pediatrician so I was excited to get a peek into that world. Gawande broke the book up into three sections: Diligence, Doing Right, and Ingenuity. DILIGENCE He discussed a situation of malnutrition in Vietnam and the efforts that went into trying to fix it.…

10 Jan 2016

Week 18 – Fractions, Why Are You So Difficult!?

It's the end of the first week back. I got my new group of Robotics students, we began with some divisibility and exponents in 6th Grade Math, and we're exploring multiplying rational numbers in Pre-Algebra. Robotics Robotics is just a semester course so I have a new group this semester. Last semester was nine 7th-8th grade boys. This semester is eleven 6th grade boys, a 7th grade girl, and and a 7th grade boy. Really different dynamic, but almost all of them I've had in math class before. The semester feels like it's running a bit on autopilot since not…

07 Aug 2015

A Review of the NCTM’s ‘Principles to Actions’

Currently making my way through the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) publication Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success For All. It's pretty much a how-to for teaching math. They discuss eight aspect of effective teaching and learning. For each, I’ll share thoughts, questions, and aha moments. Establish math goals to focus learning Implement tasks that promote reasoning and problem solving Use and connect mathematical representations Facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse Pose purposeful questions Build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding Support productive struggling in learning mathematics Elicit and use evidence of student thinking. 1. Establish math goals to focus learning…

19 Jul 2015

A Belated End-Of-Year Reflection : Changes

This is part 1 of a 3 part blog on reflections on my 2014-2015 school year. I figured before I started planning for the upcoming semester, it'd be best to reflect on what happened. In this episode: CHANGES Before exploring the highs and lows of the year, I think it’s worth noting the changes from last year to this year. SHIFTS Went from Iduma Elementary School to The Khabele School Went from 5th grade to 6-8th grade Went from teaching math, science, SS, and ELAR to math and robotics Went from a school of 1000 to a school of 250…