Twenty-four of my students are failing. Only two are passing. They are failing in the grade book. They are failing in mastering content. They are failing in overcoming the abyss of apathy that is a characteristic of the students I teach. And, because of this, I am failing. I have tried dozens of techniques and … Continue reading An Open Letter to Myself: Don’t Give Up
Three Questions Worth Asking
The following is adapted from a 2014 National Honor Society induction speech I was asked to give to the students of Plainwell High School. Read on 'til the end for a personal challenge. -------------------------------------- There’s a saying in education: “There’s no such thing as a stupid question.” Have you heard this before? I think … Continue reading Three Questions Worth Asking
With Trepid Hearts We Step: Overcoming the Thorn of Change
In troves of tromping feet, students and educators begin yet another school year this month. With the advent of another academic year, there will be loud cries from citizens, educators, researchers, and politicians about all the changes that need to be made in education. Students need to change. Teachers especially need to change. Administrators? Please change. We … Continue reading With Trepid Hearts We Step: Overcoming the Thorn of Change
Something Deeper: On Teaching with Heart and the Poetry of Teaching
Teaching is poetry. It's the creation of something deeper, something sleeping below a classroom structure. Its meaning is buried underneath flash cards and Power Points, grade checks and rubrics. The surface seems simple and direct -- we see the quizzes and cold-calls as clearly as pure rhymes. The bells ring and the lines break and we prepare for … Continue reading Something Deeper: On Teaching with Heart and the Poetry of Teaching
Going beyond grades: Why we HAVE to do better.
What do you think is the lowest G.P.A. I need in order to get into a good retirement home -- one of those fancy ones with never-ending soft serve ice cream and Jeopardy tournaments in the common area? How many gold stars do you think I need in order say, "I'm happy"? Oooh, most importantly, … Continue reading Going beyond grades: Why we HAVE to do better.
Dear Kill-Joy, Take a Breather.
Glance around your classroom, or house, or job. If you work with groups of kids, chances are you'll notice some things. - You will notice one kid picking his nose. Hard. If he's older, he may be trying to hide it. Under 10 years old and he is proudly showcasing his gold. Regardless, no nose … Continue reading Dear Kill-Joy, Take a Breather.
Four-Horsemen of the Motivational Apocalypse
NOPE! N.O.P.E. I refuse. I won't. I don't want to. I can't. These are the words we teachers loathe to hear, yet seem to hear on the daily. Lack of motivation (amotivation) is one of our greatest plagues on the individual, educational, and societal level. What contexts cause it? And, is there anything we … Continue reading Four-Horsemen of the Motivational Apocalypse
The “L” Word: Education’s greatest disease (and no, it’s not Lupus)
Hundreds of yawning, red-eyed students are crammed in pairs, stretching the school gym. A dull hum, like distant locusts, murmurs the space as pencils scratch hundreds of little bubbles. It's state-test day, and there is an air of anxiety among more than just the students. We teachers have one thought: "How are they going to … Continue reading The “L” Word: Education’s greatest disease (and no, it’s not Lupus)
What Students Really Need to Hear
It's 4 a.m. I've struggled for the last hour to go to sleep. But, I can't. Yet again, I am tossing and turning, unable to shut down my brain. Why? Because I am stressed about my students. Really stressed. I'm so stressed that I can only think to write down what I really want to … Continue reading What Students Really Need to Hear
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