Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

An award-winning English and Social Studies teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, Calif., Larry Ferlazzo is the author of Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Challenges, The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide, and Building Parent Engagement In Schools.

Teaching Opinion We Must 'See Our Students as Asset-Filled Beings'
Adeyemi Stembridge, Ph.D., Dr. Larry J. Walker, Carmen Nguyen, Julie Jee, Shawna Coppola, Kevin Parr, and Andrew Sharos share ideas on how we can focus on the assets, instead of the "deficits," of our students.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 15, 2019
23 min read
Education Opinion What Can Teachers Do to Highlight Student Assets & Not Their Deficits?
The new question-of-the-week is: What can teachers do to help highlight student assets and not their deficits? In other words, what can teachers do to help create that mindset for themselves when they look at students?
Larry Ferlazzo, December 12, 2019
1 min read
Teaching Opinion Everything You Wanted to Know About Student Motivation, But Were Afraid to Ask
This post includes four videos Katie Hull Sypnieski and Larry Ferlazzo did with Education Week on the topic of student motivation, and it includes many other related resources.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 11, 2019
1 min read
Professional Development Opinion Instructional Coaches Should 'Center on a Strengths-Based Approach'
The five-part series on instructional coaching is "wrapped up" today by Cathery Yeh, Amy Sandvold, Tamara Hewlett, Becky Corr, and LaChawn Smith.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 10, 2019
17 min read
Teaching Opinion Instructional Coaching Conversations Must Be 'Built on Relationships'
Today's post includes answers from Kris Allen, Stephanie Affinito, Barry Saide, Diane Sweeney, Ann Mausbach, Dr. Jenny Grant Rankin, and Wendy Murawski, Ph.D., on how instructional coaches and teachers can best work as a team.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 8, 2019
20 min read
Teaching Opinion 'Instructional Coaching Can Be Frustrating at Times'
Lisa Westman, Dr. Debbie Silver, Dr. Carol Chanter, Heather Wolpert-Gawron, Kristin Rouleau, and Keisha Rembert share their commentaries on effective instructional coaching.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 3, 2019
19 min read
Teaching Opinion Instructional Coaching Must Not Lead to an 'Us vs. Them' Mentality
Laura Robb, Rita Platt, Michelle Shory, Ed.S., Irina V. McGrath, Ph.D., Cindi Rigsbee, Tonya Ward Singer, and Margie Kirstein contribute their suggestions about effective instructional coaching.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 2, 2019
25 min read
Teaching Opinion 'Effective Instructional Coaching Keeps Kids at the Center of the Work'
Sydney Chaffee, Cindy Garcia, Carrie Johnson, Roxanna Elden, Tatiana Esteban, Heather Register, Ashley Blackwelder, and Dawn Mitchell "kick off" a five-part series on instructional coaching.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 1, 2019
23 min read
Education Opinion How Can Instructional Coaches & Teachers Work Best Together?
The new question-of-the-week is: How can instructional coaches work best with teachers, and vice versa?
Larry Ferlazzo, November 26, 2019
1 min read
Teaching Opinion It's a Great Lesson When Students 'Want to Continue Their Own Learning'
This two-part series on best social studies lessons is "wrapped up" today by commentaries from Rachel Johnson, Dawn Mitchell, Julie Stern, Cynthia W. Resor, Andrew Sharos, Lori Oczkus, and Keisha Rembert.
Larry Ferlazzo, November 25, 2019
20 min read
Teaching Opinion The Best Social Studies Lesson Is When History Comes 'Alive'
Carina Whiteside, Denise Fawcett Facey, Deborah Gatrell, and Mark Honeyman discuss what they think were their best social studies lessons that connected with their students.
Larry Ferlazzo, November 24, 2019
15 min read
Education Opinion What Has Been Your Best Social Studies Lesson?
The new question-of-the-week is: What has been the best social studies lesson you have taught and why do you think it was so good?
Larry Ferlazzo, November 21, 2019
1 min read
Teaching Opinion 'Fair Means Providing What They Need'
This four-part series on "fair" versus "equal" is being "wrapped up" today with answers from Rick Wormeli, Pedro A. Noguera, Ph.D., Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Ph.D., and Dr. Sheila Wilson.
Larry Ferlazzo, November 20, 2019
20 min read
Teaching Opinion 'Equitable Practices Elevate Everyone'
Dr. Debbie Silver, Gloria Brown Brooks, Tasha Moyer, Barbara Blackburn, and LaChawn Smith discuss if "fair" means "equal" in the realm of education.
Larry Ferlazzo, November 19, 2019
19 min read