Rachel Mark is a Professional Development Coordinator in the southern part of Vermont. Prior to working with the Tarrant Institute, Rachel was a middle school literacy and social studies teacher at Tarrant partner school Manchester Elementary-Middle.
As a teacher, Rachel loved exploring new content and new methods with inquisitive young adolescents. She thinks middle schools are the most dynamic learning centers in the state. Rachel is passionate about supporting teachers and helping them overcome obstacles; it’s her mission to break down the barriers that teachers face in implementing change. She is interested in student reflection and portfolio based assessment, inquiry and project-based learning.
When she’s not reading, researching and supporting teachers, Rachel balances her life shuttling three busy kids around by getting sweaty and zen: yoga, exercise, and being outdoors are how she recharges her metaphorical batteries.
Recent blogposts:
- Digging into self-direction
- 3 ways to bring positive emotional energy to your school
- Hitting learning targets in Vermont hunter education
- Equity and the in-school business
- Who are the keepers of your town’s history?
- Tools for broadening reflection
- Getting started with cooking videos
- Parenting a student-run business
- When students share their work, it deepens the learning
- Why host a whole-school exhibition?
- A Developmental Designs approach to student-directed learning
- #everydaycourage
- 4 end-of-year activities for advisory
- The student-centered art classroom
- Can virtual reality teach empathy?
- 5 Google Chrome apps and extensions for learner support
- How to evaluate student-led conferences
- Looking to try more student-directed learning?
- Power up your Advisory programs
- 3 ways to create a student-led open house
- Want end-of-year family involvement?
- Exploring careers in middle school
- Helping your teen or tween with social media
- Real-world problems and project-based learning
- The Parent’s Role in a Student-Led Conference
- How parents can model healthy tech habits
- Providing support for goal-setting in a PLP
- Screencasting as PLP reflection
- Balancing screen time and family time
- Tailoring the Emergent Project approach for middle school
- Y is for Young Writers Project
- S is for Student-Led Conferences
- O is for Online Collaboration
- L is for Learning Management System (LMS)
- I is for Identity
- Reading for fun and growth this summer
