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80/20 in the Classroom: How to Change the Way You Work

April 17, 2025

There is a universal rule that governs our lives behind the scenes. It works silently, only observed by those aware of its existence. The people who understand its power spend more of their time living happier lives.   They use this principle to accomplish more in less time. We can see it at work in…

A Salute on Teacher Appreciation Week 2020

May 5, 2020

It’s May, 2020. Teacher Appreciation Week is upon us… Where are the words?? During this global pandemic, you shifted on the turn-of-a-dime. There simply is not a way to properly express “appreciation” for what you’ve done for our students. My daughter’s teacher happened to made a social media post last night, expressing a sense of…

80/20 in Special Education: How Special Ed Can Create Big Gains With Minimal Effort!

June 10, 2017

Can You Relate…? You’re a special education teacher (or maybe you know one) sitting in a building-wide staff meeting.  In the meeting, the results of your state’s annual, standardized test scores were released.  The results are good, except for one segment of students that are not showing enough improvement and thus hurting the school’s overall…

The Plight of Teachers in 2014

April 14, 2014

Last fall, Microsoft asked me to share some thoughts about changes in education. Naturally, about technology. But, as I explained below, the cascading effect of technology on students will have an impact on teachers…. For the better! Like many educators, Susan Kruger was inspired to help students through her own school experience. Kruger struggled to…

How the 80/20 Principle Simplifies Common Core

February 18, 2014

Last week, I wrote about the universal law of nature that can make all of us far more productive, the 80/20 Principle. There are many different ways to leverage 80/20 in education. The Anchor Standards are the most valuable 20% of Common Core that will make 80% of the impact on your students. You may…

The iPad Simplified the Computer. This Will Simplify Education…

October 17, 2014

Last week Susan and I attended an 80/20 seminar put on by Richard Koch and Perry Marshall. Richard Koch is the modern day expert on the 80/20 principle (for more info on 80/20 principle click HERE). There we learned more about the power of 80/20 and the power of simplification. In the 1960s some of…

“A ‘Good’ Teacher is a ‘Self-Abuser’ Teacher!”

May 4, 2025

“I am convinced that a ‘good’ teacher is a ‘self-abuser’ teacher!!” My grad-school professor said this in class one day. He was lamenting that his wife, a kindergarten teacher, had been on leave for two years to have their two children (they lived in Canada, with generous maternity leave). He specialized in reading development and…

Standardized Tests:
Two Proven Ways to Raise Test Scores

April 6, 2025

Research consistently confirms there are two critical ways to raise test scores on standardized tests: Build “cognitive flexibility” with metacognitive strategies.1 If students don’t have problem-solving strategies for learning content, well… they won’t learn it! Obviously. Teach the curriculum, not “to the test.” Teaching “to the test” –also known as “item teaching”– actually lowers test scores; it…

Study Skills Reduce High School Dropout Rates

March 30, 2025

I was a freshman in college when study skills radically changed my life. I went from struggling in K-12 to “straight As” in college. About six weeks after my first semester of college success, however, I was suddenly overcome with a deep, visceral ANGER. “Why didn’t someone teach me how to learn before!?” I was mentally…

The Challenges of “D-I-Y” Study Skills Programs

March 9, 2025

Trying to Piece Your Own Study Skills Program Together? I’ve been talking to a LOT of educators in the past few months. That’s normal for this time of year. However, something is different this year. I’m hearing something I’ve heard a lot over the past 20 years, but more “once in a while.” This year,…

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