Picture a baby. A fresh one. Straight out of the womb. It's probably making a bunch of noise. It's probably gross looking (let's be honest: this whole “cute newborn” thing is a myth). Despite the grossness of this baby, it came into the world wired with a certain skill set. On a résumé, this baby … Continue reading How Academic Risk-Taking Dies in the Classroom
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
The voice comes from the center of your chest. "You should become a teacher." As it settles in, warm and satisfying, a counter-voice calls from the surface of your brain: "Are you sure you want that as a career? I mean, is it worth it?" For you, this question, with its conflicting answers, hovers, a haunting phantom of past, … Continue reading To Teach or Not to Teach: Is it Worth the Money?
Check out my latest, via WeAreTeachers: 7 Tips for Creating a More Positive Mindset in Education.
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
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
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.
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
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)
