3 Lessons from the Trenches: A Course-Alike Team Start-Up


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Written by Colleen Haag, biology teacher

As I reflect on our team’s journey over the last two years, I’m reminded of the Tough Mudder I completed with some close friends. If you don’t know what a Tough Mudder is, it’s 12 miles of obstacles designed by British Special Forces to test physical and mental strength and reward teamwork and interdependence. Tough Mudders are messy courses full of ramps, ropes, hoops, ditches, and more, but with the purpose of challenging you to step, crawl, run, or jump outside your comfort zone. There is no way these courses can be done alone, and there are no programs that can prepare you for one. In a Tough Mudder, you and your group must be constantly learning by doing, embracing the mess, and becoming a better and more efficient team. In the beginning of my Tough Mudder, I had a number of individual goals (e.g., finishing without getting hurt), but at some point during the event, I started thinking and caring more about the success of my team.

In many ways, Tough Mudders remind me a lot of building a professional learning community (PLC). 

In 2021, I joined the Central Bucks biology collaboration team at CB East High School after 18 years of teaching eighth grade. This was just after the pandemic, and bringing the school back together as a community was the top priority. We had many messy obstacles to face, but we were going to overcome them together and come out stronger.

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5 Qualities to Look for in a Professional Development Partner


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District and building administrators have a dizzying array of professional learning options to choose from these days. It’s a big investment for any decision-maker, but an essential one. Forbes estimates $18 billion is spent each year on K–12 professional development in the United States. That’s a national statistic, though. Your decision of which PD to purchase is personal. So let’s dig in.   

You are a school leader with your finger on the pulse of what’s working in your building, as well as what areas are opportunities for growth. You care about each and every member of your faculty, and you are passionate about developing their skills so that all students get the very best opportunity to learn. Your commitment to your staff and your students is an excellent reason to proceed with caution when choosing your professional development provider. Here are five qualities to keep in mind when making your decision. 

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Five Critical Skill Sets and Their Instructional Implications

Presenter linkElliott Seif
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Elliott Seif is the author of Teaching for Lifelong Learning: How to Prepare Students for a Changing World.

What skills will help increase the likelihood that students will be successful in both school and life? What abilities will help prepare students for living in and adapting to a world of uncertainty? From major societal and technological shifts to climate change, AI, and more, students today live in a rapidly transforming world. 

In addition to metacognitive skills, such as time management and planning, I believe that there are five key “learning to learn” skill sets that will increase school success and better prepare students for a lifetime of change. Read more

On Teaching Techniques and Methods (Part Two)

Presenter linkElliott Seif
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On Teaching Techniques and Methods: Reflections of an Experienced Teacher (Part Two)

By Ralph Rhodes, retired social studies teacher, Council Rock High School, Pennsylvania

Edited by Elliott Seif, author of Teaching for Lifelong Learning: How to Prepare Students for a Changing World

Editor’s note: Many years ago, I worked with Ralph Rhodes who, upon his retirement from education, wrote this paper with the intention of passing on some of his teaching insights to others. His words of wisdom are divided into two separate blogs—the first one on teaching techniques and methods and this blog, part two, on “who you are” as an educator. 

I have edited his work to make it more general and fit with today’s times, but there is a lot of wisdom about teaching at any level presented here. Enjoy! Read more

On Teaching Techniques and Methods (Part One)

Presenter linkElliott Seif
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On Teaching Techniques and Methods: Reflections of an Experienced Teacher


By Ralph Rhodes, retired social studies teacher, Council Rock High School, Newtown, Pennsylvania

Edited by Elliott Seif, author of Teaching for Lifelong Learning: How to Prepare Students for a Changing World

Editor’s note: Many years ago, I worked with Ralph Rhodes who, upon his retirement from teaching, wrote this paper with the intention of passing on some of his teaching wisdom to others. I have divided his reflections into two separate blogs—this one on “doing,” i.e., teaching techniques and methods, and the second on “being” or determining who you are in the classroom, which will be posted at a later date.

I have edited his work to make it more general and fit with today’s times, but there is a lot of wisdom about teaching at any level that is presented here. Enjoy!
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