Author Archives: Aaron Grossman

Unknown's avatar

About Aaron Grossman

I am a 5th grade teacher at Roy Gomm Elementary in Reno, Nevada. I started working with elementary students as part of the Montana Reads program and AmeriCorps. In 2001, after graduating from the University of Montana and moving to Reno, Nevada, I student taught at Rita Cannan Elementary before receiving a 6th grade position at Veterans Elementary. I moved out of the classroom to be a Literacy Coordinator, then an Instructional Coach, and finally a School Improvement Program Coordinator. In 2011, I began working on the Nevada Academic Content Standards in the district’s Curriculum & Instruction Department. I returned to the classroom for the 2015-2016 school year to teach 4th grade at Huffaker Elementary. Before returning to the classroom, I helped develop the Core Task Project that has been featured by National Public Radio, the Gates Foundation, American Radio Works, Eduwonk, the Fordham Institute, Vox, and the Center for American Progress. In 2014, I received the Leader to Learn From Award for my teacher-centered initiative and work to bring college, career, and civics ready outcomes into Northern Nevada classrooms (here). In 2015, I was appointed by Governor Sandoval serve on the Statewide RPDP Council. The same year, Nevada’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Steve Canavero placed me on the state’s State Improvement Team. This year I will be part of the National Council on Teacher Quality’s Teacher Advisory Group. I am Google Certified Educator and a Nevada Teacher Ambassador. I believe strongly that teaching content is teaching reading and I make sure my students have ample opportunities to work with social studies, history, science and art outcomes. I do what I can to blend the learning for my students and this blog is part of that effort. You can contact me at coretaskproject@gmail.com

Instructional Move 4: Close Reading

Three years ago, as I started my first work around close reading, Google searches revealed almost nothing. There were a couple of videos and some books but none of these were created specifically for a K-12 audience. Now, of course, there is … Continue reading

Posted in Close Reading | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Instructional Move 5: Teaching Conflict & Characterization

Jon Corippo, Apple Distinguised Educator and Google Certified Teacher, describes how he teaches students to identify the five types of conflict within text. Begin watching Corippo’s explanation at minute 9:55 for full context or at minute 12:25 if you simply … Continue reading

Posted in 21st Century Learning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

CCSS Instructional Practice Guide Coaching, Released

The Instructional Practice Guide: Coaching tool is for teachers, and those who support teachers, to build understanding and experience with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)-aligned instruction. Designed as a developmental tool, the coaching tool can be used for collaboration, coaching, … Continue reading

Posted in Instructional Shifts, Professional Development | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Instructional Move 6: Four Corners

If you have taken part in a Core Task Project training, then you know we typically start with the Four Corners activity. The website http://www.facinghistory.org does a nice job summarizing the move as follows: A Four Corners Debate requires students … Continue reading

Posted in Classroom Management | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Instructional Move 7: Quiz, Quiz, Trade

Quiz, Quiz, Trade is a learning strategy that that has students working with multiple partners to review key learning outcomes. The move allows for practice with a large problem set and for students to use each other to problem solve … Continue reading

Posted in Classroom Management | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Instructional Move Number 8: Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up

In this move, student pair up with other students in the classroom to do two things: 1) share an academic problem they have been working on and 2) work on the problem their partner shares with them. Naturally, there are … Continue reading

Posted in Classroom Management | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Instructional Move Number 9: Keep It Or Junk It

Two years ago I posted on a move titled, Keep It or Junk It. The approach has students identifying vocabulary from a text they feel is relevant to answering a focus question instead of the teacher prioritizing words for the … Continue reading

Posted in Academic Vocabulary, Classroom Management | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Instructional Move Number 10: Cold Call

“Cold Call” is outlined in Doug Lemov’s book Teach Like a Champion. The move involves calling on students whether they have their hands up or not. The technique has the advantages of keeping the pace of the class moving, increasing … Continue reading

Posted in Classroom Management | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Instructional Moves to Help you with the Common Core

Over the course of the last three years, as teachers asked for assistance with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, three questions consistently came up: What is the research that governs why we are being asked to shift … Continue reading

Posted in CCSS | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Social Emotional Learning and CCSS Presentation Materials

As part of an effort to bridge the Common Core State Standards and Social Emotional Learning, district educators worked to find classroom examples and instructional techniques that addressed both outcomes simultaneously. This was part of the SEL Site-Based Implementation Training. … Continue reading

Posted in Social Emotional Learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment