Teaching & Learning Blog

Reaching All Students

Teacher-writer Kyle Redford chronicled her discoveries and passions as an educator, with a focus on engaging students across the learning spectrum. Follow her on Twitter: @kyleredford. This blog is no longer being updated.

Education Opinion Is 'Fun' an Ideal Teaching Goal?
Learning can and should be engaging, exciting, compelling, stimulating, satisfying, inspiring, imaginative and even pleasurable. But fun?
Kyle Redford, July 30, 2016
2 min read
Teaching Profession Opinion Teaching Is the Best Profession (and Not Just Because of Summer)
I would argue that teaching offers the privilege of living a life informed by highly coveted values and opportunities that money cannot buy.
Kyle Redford, June 29, 2016
3 min read
Special Education Opinion Dyslexia and the Power of Teacher Expectations
All teachers need to understand that dyslexia is a mechanical disability, not an intellectual one.
Kyle Redford, May 16, 2016
5 min read
Equity & Diversity Opinion Sharing Stories to Enrich School Culture
The stories revealed intimate struggles and triumphs related to race, ethnicity and sexual identity, complex immigration journeys, past learning and employment obstacles, and other life-altering challenges and achievements, with accompanying slices of wisdom gleaned along the way.
Kyle Redford, May 9, 2016
3 min read
Federal Opinion The Challenges of Teaching Civics in the Age of Trump
It is important for me to assure my young students that many adults know what they know: encouraging cruelty and cultural division is unacceptable at school and a real danger to our political process.
Kyle Redford, March 29, 2016
4 min read
Families & the Community Opinion Building Self-Advocacy and Ownership Through Student-Led Conferences
Student-led conferences clearly establish that while adults are there for support, students are expected to own their own learning
Kyle Redford, March 10, 2016
3 min read
Special Education Opinion Don't Wait: Six Simple Ways to Support Your Struggling Learners Tomorrow
"These modifications all embrace the principles of UDL (Universal Design for Learning) which caution against teaching to the imaginary average student. The truth is, our classrooms are full of students who are difficult to categorize because they present quirky profiles."
Kyle Redford, February 17, 2016
6 min read
Education Opinion Why Conversations With Parents About Perfectionism Are Messy But Important
As a parent or teacher, accepting a child's academic imperfections in any area is a difficult line to draw. How much struggle or challenge should we accept? When do we allow a student be satisfactory at a skill? How do we comfortably define satisfactory? If we accept average performance, are we giving up on the student, or, worse yet, applying a "fixed mindset" when considering their potential and possibilities?
Kyle Redford, January 7, 2016
3 min read
Education Opinion A New Way of Reading That Invites Everyone In
Since dyslexia is, by definition, an unexpected difficulty learning to read in individuals with average to above average intelligence, the ability to read and reference age-appropriate content is a game-changer for dyslexics. Finally, their access to reading content can be defined by their thinking skills, rather than their more limited reading ability.
Kyle Redford, December 8, 2015
3 min read
Education Opinion Creating an Egalitarian Classroom Reading Culture
Somehow, having their teacher champion easier books gave everyone in the class permission to focus on the pleasure of reading rather than framing it as a competitive sport or something that is doomed to be difficult but worthy.
Kyle Redford, November 11, 2015
3 min read
Education Opinion Go Ahead, Say Dyslexia
Despite all that we have learned about dyslexia, there remains too much denial and shame surrounding a learning disability that impacts up to twenty percent of our population. Naming dyslexia is a critical first step in demystifying and destigmatizing the condition.
Kyle Redford, September 22, 2015
2 min read
Education Opinion Dear Student: I Don't Expect You to Be Perfect
Teacher-writer Kyle Redford decided to write a different kind of letter to her students at the launch of the school year.
Kyle Redford, September 1, 2015
3 min read