Mr. Vilson

These posts are focused on the more professional side of my writing. They include tips, resources, and stories from the classroom.

My Exclusive Interview with The Amazing Robert J. Marzano [Edutopia]

April 1, 2013 Mr. Vilson

Last week, I got an exclusive interview with Robert J. Marzano, Ph.D on his latest book, The Art and Science of the Art of Science of Teaching, Leading, and Instructurizing. Here’s an excerpt: The Art and Science of the Art and Science of Teaching, Leading, and Instructurizing: How Everyone with a Thought About Education Can [...]

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My Philosophy On Math Pedagogy, And Other Tidbits [Edutopia]

March 21, 2013 Mr. Vilson

Here’s an excerpt from my latest at Edutopia (including a diss on Robert Marzano and the like). It’s about engaging math teachers: Keep This Rule of Thumb: Complete, Consistent, Correct By “complete, consistent, correct,” I mean we should allow multiple pathways to a correct answer that a) allow for full understanding of a given procedure, [...]

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Hey, Bill Gates: You Evaluatin’ Me? (Part I) [Future of Teaching]

March 18, 2013 Mr. Vilson

Here’s the first in a two-part essay about Bill Gates’ interview with The Washington Post: He is correct in stating that students get evaluated all the time, from the first time they enter a classroom all the way through college and beyond. Getting a degree demands having plenty of tests getting thrown at you, high-stakes [...]

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If You Smell What I’m Cooking, Read This. [Future of Teaching]

March 11, 2013 Mr. Vilson

Clearly, we need to define what “teacher” means a little more, and “educator,” for that matter. We also need to understand what that means for teacher voice. I spark a discussion here: The term “celebrity teacher” is such a difficult one too, because it presumes that the spotlight should focus strictly on the teacher and [...]

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A Suspension of Time and School

March 5, 2013 Mr. Vilson

You weren’t supposed to come back. Even though you were on our school’s roster, rumor had it that your guardian put you in a different school, and you’d no longer half-bounce into my class, calling one of your friends a “nigga-what-the-fuck” for something they allegedly did to you. Before you came back, you only knew [...]

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The Dark Side of Teacher Leadership [Future of Teaching]

February 26, 2013 Mr. Vilson

I’m usually a fan of teacher leadership, but sometimes, it makes me nervous. Observe: I wonder if teachers who are deemed teacher leaders understand why so many of us put teacher in front of leader when speaking in front of teacher leadership. This falls on some of our colleagues too, who jump right into the [...]

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Leonard Cooper’s Genius And What He Represents [Future of Teaching]

February 18, 2013 Mr. Vilson

This is an excerpt from my latest offering at the Future of Teaching blog: Is it because so many either sympathize or empathize with a story about a kid who, already perceived as unintelligent due to his mannerisms, actually beats the competition? Is it because some of us have a very limited understanding of “knowledge” [...]

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My Love For School [And My Rancor For The System It's In]

February 14, 2013 Mr. Vilson

I started off the morning with a heavy dose of Stevie Wonder and Aventura, a random sampling of love songs I have on my iPod just to pass the time on the train. The building is super-silent at the time I get in there, perfect for getting my mind and papers ready for the 8am [...]

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A Quick Note on Student Voice [Because You Need To Hear It ... Again]

February 7, 2013 Mr. Vilson

A couple of days back, I saw an incident with one of my student ambassadors and a teacher. Nothing to write the Post about, but tempers flared, and misunderstandings ensued. Yelling and consternation spill over to the hallway. Frankly, a huge misunderstanding only inflated by the fact that other adults who felt like pushing the [...]

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Heart Matters When You Speak

February 5, 2013 Mr. Vilson

Excerpt from my latest at The Future of Teaching: Instead, what the audience got that night was me speaking from the heart. Sure, I prepared, but I hoped to convey the passion and love I have for teaching as I do in conversations with you, or in my own writing. Sometimes, while striving for perfection, [...]

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