Recently I wrote of the power of deliberating focusing on positive behaviors when we are faced with a challenging individual or small group of students. The wheat and the weeds can significantly influence the way teachers approach classes that have individuals exhibiting off-task behavior. If you are like me, you find yourself obsessing over one […]
“Liberating education consists in acts of cognition not transferrals of information.” Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed I recently listened to Dushaw Hockett’s TEDx Talk on implicit bias. If you have not watched his talk do yourself a favor, right now, and do so now. One thing stood out for me as he spoke, the […]
“No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.” ― Carol S. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success We know that students who develop a growth, rather than a fixed mindset, will believe that their effort matters. They are more likely to lean in and embrace […]
As teachers we are always modeling for students, it is up to us to decide what they learn. Parenting and Teaching If you’re a parent you know this all too well. Literally everything we say, but more importantly do, seems to be absorbed by our children and put into action. Parenting is like looking in […]
“…by making it possible for people to enter the historical process as responsible Subjects (subjects denotes those who know and act, in contrast to objects, which are known or acted upon)…enrolls them in the search for self-affirmation…” Paulo Freire I am walking to my English class my senior year of high school. The classroom is […]
Recently I was speaking with a teacher who is the lead for a program at her school called 9th Grade Transition. The program seeks to identify the most at-risk incoming 9th graders and support them in their content area classes while also enriching their freshman year with academic skills and strategies. I make a point […]
In a recent article I encouraged educators to help their students get grittier about their learning by taking a moment to celebrate their effort. When we do this, we motivate students to lean in and try harder, even (and especially if) they’re struggling. Students get grittier about their education when they’re acknowledged and celebrated within […]
I was waiting for my flight at the Detroit airport and just before boarding the attendant called me to the counter. I was being upgraded to first class. For the record, I have never been upgraded to first class before, nor since, this flight - and pre-pandemic I flew A LOT! In somewhat of a […]
My education hero is Paulo Freire. Pedagogy of the Oppressed literally changed my life and turned my ideas and aspirations as a teacher on their head. When you engage with Freire you see the world differently. One thing he speaks of is praxis as the interplay between theory and practice. This is important because what […]
Simple, Shared, Classroom Routines During a school visit a few years ago I encouraged the staff to adopt common classroom routines to help their students be more successful. During my presentation to the staff, one teacher challenged me. He felt that committing to common classroom routines school-wide was “taylorism”. This particular teacher made it clear […]
