Author Archives: Ethan Burton

The School Year Begins

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Two months into the school year.  While Envision Science Academy starts a little earlier than most traditional schools, the 190 day schedule also gives us extra time to reteach content, address misconceptions and build culture in our classrooms. Funny thing about my Kenan Fellowship experience. While a majority on  my training and research focuses on infusing my classroom with STEM… Read more »

Bring It Back Home

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This summer as a Kenan Fellow at NC State University has been an exhilarating, humbling and freeing experience. I can not wait to bring everything I learned back to my “home” in the classroom. The fellowship experience is exhilarating because we are getting paid to learn!  I wake up each morning smiling because the the National Science Foundation thinks it… Read more »

Clipper Recharge

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Sitting in Boston’s Logan Airport on my way back to Raleigh.  The new school year beckons with the start of class next week!  Since the Kenan Fellows Program kept me busy most of the summer, you’d think I’d use my final days of summer vacation to recharge mentally and prepare for students.  You’d be right, except I didn’t recharge by… Read more »

PD Blinders

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This summer, I participated in a healthy dose of professional development.  In fact, one aspect of the Kenan Fellows Program I am most excited about is the multiple well organized and focused PD opportunities.  However, my approach to PD can be both positive and negative.  I think of it as PD blinders. In horse racing, some riders use small pieces… Read more »

Whitewater Data

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“Watch out for beaver sharks,” smirked Meg, our rafting guide.  The teaching fellows in the raft glanced at each other and then into the whitewater below. THWAT!!! Meg laughed as she brought the blade of her paddle down on the water with a hard slap.  On cue, guides from the rafts around us broke the plain of crystal clear water… Read more »

Great Expectations

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With the end of the school year, this summer brings a new challenge.  In the Kenan Fellowship, I hopefully find a group of hard working and like-minded educators who want to improve their classrooms and learn something new along the way. This is my fourth summer on a traditional school calendar and it is a running joke between me and… Read more »