Mr. Vilson

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

On Talking Teachers Down Off That Ledge [A True PLC]

October 2, 2012 Mr. Vilson

“I‘ve had it up to here with them. They just … oooohhhh …” She sobbed. I sat there in my classroom hoping to decompress from another long day with my sixth grade homeroom class when she walked in, needing a colleagues’ ear. “You think you’re coming in to teach. You plan, grade papers, and plan [...]

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Teachers Teach and Do The World Good [Why We Write Series]

September 25, 2012 Mr. Vilson

My lunch period usually consists of a walk around the way with a strawberry-banana-mango protein shake and a baked empanada, enough to hold me over until five o’clock dinner, usually uninterrupted by the passersby, especially not a former student yelling my name for the entire neighborhood to hear. “Oh my God, is that who I [...]

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Rarely Use The Word “Wrong” And Other Helpful Bits [Edutopia]

September 20, 2012 Mr. Vilson

An excerpt from my latest at Edutopia: 1) Rarely Use the Word “Wrong” Students need to know that you’re not going to press a buzzer every time they make a comment or ask a question, no matter how ridiculous. Starting the year off by accepting their errors and misgivings means that you get to know [...]

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Commit To Everything And All Things At Once (Or Rebel) [Future of Teaching]

September 17, 2012 Mr. Vilson

An excerpt from my latest: It might be the best description of the first week of faculty meetings for schools nationwide. The Common Core State Standards (and multiple intelligences, the workshop model, and the host of other initiatives I’ve seen) have brought along their own set of pseudo-experts coming in to tell teachers what to [...]

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On Setting Expectations In Your Classroom [For The Student You Once Were]

September 13, 2012 Mr. Vilson

“You’re not old now. You’re old when you start teaching your former students’ kids. THAT’S when you know!” We laughed. Mr. Herrera is the type of teacher who had a way of reminding people that we should laugh at the process of aging as teachers, especially those of us who love our jobs. This year, [...]

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Teaching Exponents In Eighth Grade, Part 1: [Old To The Now]

September 11, 2012 Mr. Vilson

Every so often, I’m inserting some posts on pedagogy, especially for those of us who aren’t as math-inclined. If you find this helpful, just let me know in the comments. Today, I’m differentiating between the old way I used to prepare the students for a lesson on exponents and the way I do it now. [...]

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Teaching Another 180

September 6, 2012 Mr. Vilson

Last night: Honestly, I’m nervous again. I know the routines, too. Sleep tight. Groom well. Come in with a tie. Introduce myself and the class I’m teaching. Announce names. Give out contact cards. Discuss the syllabus. Hope you don’t have a lot of time left over at the end. Leave without too much fanfare. Yet, [...]

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On Why IDGAF About Dress Code … Kinda [Future of Teaching]

August 28, 2012 Guest Posts

Excerpt: Having a dress code matters in far too many schools. I know of schools where, on dress down days, kids wear strictly primary colors depending on their affiliations, or look down on one another for inexpensive wardrobe. It also sets a tone, teaching students early that coming to school is like coming to work [...]

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Edutopia + Jose Vilson = Back To School [... And Another One]

August 27, 2012 Guest Posts

To my readers: Thanks to your support, I am happy to announce that Edutopia has invited me to write a guest blog for their website. (Full disclosure: they’re sponsored by the George Lucas Education Foundation. Yes, that George Lucas.) Here’s an excerpt from my back-to-school posted entitled “Cheat Sheet for the First Days of School”: [...]

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Why You Should Worry About Khan Academy, Not Just Math Geeks [Future of Teaching]

August 15, 2012 Guest Posts

Excerpt: The trend of gamifying our culture has had some benefits in other areas. Weight Watchers uses a points system to discourage customers from eating fatty foods. Nike+ has developed a specialized program (with shoes!) that help you compete against others through exercise. Klout uses equations to help rank people and brands through social media. [...]

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