Paul Emerich France

What does cognitive writing look like in 3rd grade math?

Not only does current research show that handwriting leads to greater brain activity than typing, but we can see it firsthand in our classrooms. When the screens are taken away… kids are more engaged, more regulated, and more available to learn.

“It’s not best practice if it’s not sustainable. This means finding practices that lead to rich learning experiences while keeping curriculum design manageable within a reasonable workweek.” —Paul Emerich France, Educator

“It’s not best practice if it’s not sustainable.” — @sustainteaching.bsky.social

#EduSky

Sometimes making change requires speaking up even when it’s difficult. There are so many things that we do in our jobs that help neither teachers nor their students. If we are going to #MakeTeachingSustainable, then we have to stop being people pleasers, and say what needs to be said.

It’s OK to make mistakes, but we have to correct them. The writing we model for our kids is the writing that will end up in their journals. #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #maketeachingsustainable #principalsofinstagram #structuredliteracy #scienceofreading

Dare you to disagree.

If we know our students are going to be using AI, we must adapt to them. It might even give us an opportunity to raise the rigor of our assignments, specifically by giving them on demand writing tasks in class where they cannot use generative AI tools. What do you think?

FYI if you are using web-based, adaptive technologies to (ie, screen-based programs that “level” kids and send them content “at their own pace”), AI is already replacing you.

To put it simply, no, they should not. So tired of the tech babble. Let’s just invest in teachers, and divest from edtech that dehumanizes learners and learning.

“One of my favorite things to ask kids is ‘Are you stuck? Or are you thinking?’ I do this because it gives them agency in whether or not I support them. Sometimes, kids just need extra time to think—and if we intervene too soon, we diminish their agency.” —Paul Emerich France, Educator

— @sustainteaching.bsky.social

#EduSky

Do kids always know what’s best for their learning? I don’t think they do.

The irony of professional learning is that we tell teachers to make learning experiences interactive, and engaging for kids. We tell them it’s bad for kids to just “sit and get,” but then that is exactly how we deliver PD. We need to practice what we preach so teachers are engaged. #backtoschool

If you are not familiar with A Nation at Risk, I suggest you get to know better. It is responsible for so much of what is wrong with our profession. I write more about this in “Reclaiming Personalized Learning.”

Why do you think the education system is so *fun* to work in? #MakeTeachingSustainable

YES

Our kids cannot write because they cannot think. And they cannot think because they cannot write. What do YOU think? #MakeTeachingSustainable #backtoschool2025 #scienceofreading #structuredliteracy

Let’s teach teachers how to teach sustainably.

If you want teachers to think critically, then you have to give them the time to do so. The more that you filled their days and their meetings with stuff they don’t need, the less time they have to ac... TikTok video by Paul Emerich France

www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8k8D46J/

School choice is a divisive policy that undermines the very idea of a shared public good. It's bad for society.

The ECCA allows private schools to escape accountability for student outcomes, yet they receive public funds. It's a loophole. Shocking but not surprising from a Republican-controlled government.

We need to fight for equitable, well-funded public schools for every child, not fragmented systems that exacerbate inequality.

Don't be fooled: "Educational Choice for Children Act" sounds nice, but it's fundamentally about defunding public schools.

The ECCA isn't a solution to educational challenges; it's a symptom of a broader agenda to privatize public services.

School choice policies often prioritize religious schools, raising serious constitutional questions about the separation of church and state.

Here in Ohio, Dewine’s budget failed to fully fund public education. The district I teach I is losing 3 million over two years. Some districts are losing much more.

We should be strengthening public schools, not weakening them through policies like the ECCA that drain vital resources.

“Teachers cannot sustain learning on their own. They need admins, parents—and learners—to partner with them in the process.” —Paul Emerich France, Educator

“Teachers cannot sustain learning on their own.” — @sustainteaching.bsky.social

#EduSky #teachers

The ECCA fuels a cycle of underfunding public schools, then using their struggles as justification for further privatization.

The true cost of school choice is the erosion of public education for the majority. We can't afford this "choice."

When private schools receive public funds, they should be held to public standards. The ECCA ensures they are not.