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How would you teach if the life of your child literally depended on you teaching successfully? This is a true story of when I realized...
Gene Tavernetti, Ed.D.
Feb 1, 20173 min read
"Who says? Compared to what?"
Imagine trying to make a decision about what make of car to purchase. You see an advertisement for a particular make of car that claims,...
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Gene Tavernetti, Ed.D.
Nov 29, 20162 min read
Sorry, Not Sorry
Not long ago I attended an education conference. As I was waiting for the morning program to begin I became engaged in conversation with...
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Gene Tavernetti, Ed.D.
Aug 17, 20162 min read
Students avoiding the task? The solution might be smaller chunks
When my 28-year-old daughter, Celeste, was about 3 years old, she dumped her Cheerios on the floor of the family room. Both my wife and...
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Gene Tavernetti, Ed.D.
Jul 11, 20162 min read
Classroom Hacks: 8 Tips to Make Every Lesson Successful
For the sake of keeping it simple during the summer, we've collected a powerful, time-tested list of classroom hacks you can put to use...
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Gene Tavernetti, Ed.D.
Jun 2, 20162 min read
Not enjoying the ride? Maybe you need an expert to ride alongside you
For the past two years I have been transitioning from being a runner to being a runner and cyclist. My transition has been slowed by the...
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Janae Tovar
Feb 12, 20163 min read
When was the last time you checked your tire pressure?
You may have noticed the tagline for TESS Consulting states, “Inflating the tires, not reinventing the wheel”. You may also have wondered...
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Gene Tavernetti
Dec 3, 20152 min read
Checking for Understanding Never Goes Out of Style
We at TESS attempt to provide relevant, up to date information and opinions on topics that impact teaching and learning. Our blog posts...
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Gene Tavernetti, Ed.D.
Oct 30, 20152 min read
No tricks, structured, effective lessons are a treat
With Halloween in the air, the merits of tricks versus treats weighs on the minds of many. Very early in the history of TESS Consulting,...
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Gene Tavernetti, Ed.D.
May 29, 20153 min read
Focusing on Less Makes Room for More
If there is one thing in which there is near unanimous agreement among educators regarding our new standards, it is that the application...
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Carin Contreras
May 12, 20153 min read
First Grade Teacher Zeroes in on Rigor
In the media, we are bombarded with stories about teachers who are struggling and frustrated with implementing the Common Core standards...
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Gene Tavernetti
May 5, 20152 min read
Effective Review is Not Telling Again, but Asking Again
While designing a lesson with a very good high school ELA teacher we got to the Review portion of the lesson. Responding to the...
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Gene Tavernetti
Feb 6, 20152 min read
Who needs this lesson? Everyone
“Checking for Understanding” has become a misunderstood educational catch phrase. The one thing that can be agreed upon is that “CFU” is...
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Gene Tavernetti
Jan 21, 20152 min read
'What Did I Miss?' How to Tell Effective Stories
Do you have a favorite TV show? Downton Abby? Breaking Bad? The Wire? What all these shows have in common is the serial telling of a...
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Randall Olson
Nov 13, 20142 min read
What Should Be the Core of the Common Core?
As all new attempts at curriculum reform, the Common Core has generated its’ share of criticism. Looking back at Whole Language, New...
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tovarjanae
Oct 14, 20142 min read
Modeling Thinking
Q: How do I get my students to be meta-cognitive? It is difficult for my students to explain their thinking. A: Nearly all of us have a...
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tovarjanae
Sep 9, 20142 min read
Be the Boss
With the implementation of the Common Core Standards the publishers are at it again. Materials are merely being relabeled as “For Common...
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tovarjanae
Aug 15, 20142 min read
The Research Supporting TESS (part 2)
A continuation of The Research Supporting TESS (part 1) The second great influence on the development of what we now know as direct...
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tovarjanae
Aug 15, 20142 min read
The Research Supporting TESS (part 1)
Often, when doing teacher training in direct instruction, we are asked about the research behind the model. It is an honest question...
13 views0 comments
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