Take a look at the above picture of my daughter. It’s awesome, isn’t it? The expression on her face. The green ‘hair’ in the form of grass. It sits in our kitchen. And I smile every time I see it. […]
In Order to Keep Learning, Keep Curiosity
Category: Uncategorized
Embrace the Messiness of Character Education…
…for there will be hiccups When I was in ninth grade, I had a Math teacher, Mr. Phillips, who used to drive me nuts. After lunch some days, he’d be hanging out near the restroom where I always went. And […]
No, Students Shouldn’t Have To ‘Beat The Odds.’ There Should Be No Odds.
Georgia’s current school metric underscores how our education system is stacked against certain students. You can guess which students. In my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, our Cincinnati Bengals beat the odds. The Bengals, one of the worst teams in the […]
If you want all voices included, engage the ‘Outer Rim’
Toward the end of Damon Centola’s book Change: How To Make Big Things Happen, he shares the following anecdote about former president Barack Obama. Then-president Obama, facing a particularly difficult policy decision, wanted to make sure all voices were heard, […]
No, students shouldn’t leave their baggage at the door
Recently, I was speaking with a teacher about what we can do to help some of our higher-risk students succeed. We’d had struggles in the classroom with cell phones and outbursts. What was clear was that our students had difficulty […]
Write Kindness. Save Kindness.
Teaching is hard. It’s never been harder. Which is saying something. Because teaching’s always been hard. A couple years ago, I was talking with a friend of mine who’s a financial advisor. He was telling me that his day had […]
Want to prepare students for future success? Set aside the curriculum. Start with SEL.
My son is pretty bright. I don’t say this as some jaded father who thinks his kids are perfect (as you’ll soon see). But he’s always been pretty smart. He could string together full sentences before his second birthday. He […]
To Make a Difference, Choose to Restore Dignity
In 2010, Panera launched an experiment that would define our society. Panera Cares, an initiative to help those who struggled to pay for meals, opened in several cities across the US. The aim, in essence, was for people to pay […]
If you tell a student one thing this year, tell them ‘I’m Proud Of You’
Last year, I received a note from a student. It was a student I knew was struggling with some home issues, and it had leaked over into her school work. The usual, joyful student who showed up every day and […]
The Keys To A Great Learning Culture? Safety and Accountability
Sociologist Adam Grant, in his book Think Again, lays out some great ideas to shift learning cultures in US schools Changing culture is tough. Have you tried it? Probably not. But if you have, good on you. You know. Shifting […]