teacher_features

February 20, 2012 by Brittany Baize
Congratulations, Jeremy Tullis, instructor at YES Prep Southwest, for winning the Crystal Award from the Spring Branch Education Foundation!
"I've been in public schools for almost 30 years, and there's no one like him," said counselor Judy Kajander, who with school director Chris Claflin nominated Tullis.
Tullis' planning and leadership skills, high expectations of his students and the achievement results of his classes led to his recognition as teacher who has made a significant difference in his students' lives.
You can read the whole Houston Chronicle article
Continue reading YES Prep Teacher Lauded for Changing Students’ Lives...
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December 08, 2011 by Nella Garcia
As the fall school semester comes to a close, teachers from all over Houston are reflecting on their work so far this year. This is especially true at public charter schools like YES Prep, where our intensive Teaching Excellence program ensures that our novice teachers—up to a third of our overall teaching program—receive the support and development they need to perform well in the classroom.
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A recent article in the Huffington Post points to an often heard criticism of charter schools, Teach For America, and of the education reform movement as a whole. The looming questions proposed in the aforementioned article include:
- How can inexperienced teachers effectively teach high-risk students, a group that has traditionally needed the most attention and assistance?
- If
Continue reading Teaching Excellence: Why Years in a Classroom Don’t Always Define Great Teachers...
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August 29, 2011 by Brittany Baize
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1,000 educators from YES Prep Public Schools, KIPP: Houston, and Teach For America gathered on Saturday, August 27thto celebrate their collective impact in Houston public schools. The celebration honored fifteen Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award winners – who took home a total of $225,000 in cash awards thanks to the generous philanthropy of Nancy and Richard Kinder.
Among the special guests and speakers was Jeff Cohen, Editor of the Houston Chronicle, as well as families traveling in to surprise the award winners. The theme of the evening was summed up when Cohen toasted attendees saying, “When it comes to facing challenges, team beats individual. ” The three organizations collectively educate about 27,000 students in Houston and have redefined the look, feel, and achievement
Continue reading “Human Talent is Both the Constant and the Differentiator”...
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March 31, 2011 by Jeremy Jones
YES Prep West 6th grade ELA teacher and all-around amazing person, Jamie Elfenbein was recently featured in a YES Prep yBlazer Studios video produced by teacher Craig Brandenburg. One theme we wanted to highlight with Jamie was her ability to build spirit and family in her classroom which I think this video does a good job showing. However, if you ever get the chance to visit her classroom, you should see it
Continue reading yBlazer Studios Releases New Short: Building Classroom Culture with Jamie Elfenbein of YES Prep...
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February 10, 2011 by Jeremy Jones
Brian Lawton teaches 6th grade science at YES Prep Southeast and is a Teach For America Alum. His father was in the Air Force so he grew up in a few different places but I spent most of his late childhood and teenage years in Apopka, FL (just outside of Orlando). He graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Biology. We recently had the chance to sit down with Brian to talk a little about him and teaching!
In your class, what do you get most excited about teaching?
I love almost every topic in Science so it’s pretty easy for me to get excited about any of it. I have to say that Earth and Space science topics excite me the most, though because the knowledge is much more fresh. I didn’t study Geology or Astronomy in high school or college so I’ve had to learn it along
Continue reading Teacher Feature: YES Prep Teacher and Teach For America Alum Brian Lawton...
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