Brainstorms
You Know What the Problem Is?
That’s what he asked me. Like bait on a hook. Like waiting for a bite. It started with a standard chat. How is school going? How many days are left? Ordinary small talk. This wasn’t a close friend or a…
About That Word “Indoctrination”
I seriously hate getting up in the morning. Hate it. I have about 20 alarms set on my phone and my iPad, in case I end up slamming a few too many of them off, going back to sleep, and…
Wouldn’t Have Missed It
The other day, I had an afternoon meeting that blocked my calendar for two hours. It was an important meeting with an important parent over an important child. Wouldn’t have missed it. But honestly, I felt a little bummed, like…
More Than a Sentimental History
Something was rumbling today. Somewhere. I couldn’t place it. Didn’t seem like it was coming from the airport. Probably nothing. Probably. But for the first time in my adult life, far removed from the Cold War days when I lived…
Book #4 is Released – Cold Turkey Rage
On Friday morning before we left New York, quietly and without any fanfare, I submitted my fourth book for publication. This was not a project I published lightly, nor is it a project I will promote heavily. It’s a very…
What They Can Be
The kids chose jobs, found salaries, and broke them down into monthly incomes for a budget. Boy on the left realizes he can’t cover his bills. Boy on the right realizes he has more than enough. Without prompting, boy on…
A Message to Parents About My Profession
The gods of education must have laughed when I got my first teaching gig, when someone handed me a guide and told me I’d be teaching science. It wasn’t just that I preferred other subjects, but that I literally detested…
Plenty More To Do
After a year of memorable moments, memorable achievements, memorable trips, I feel compelled to share one of my favorite and most underrated. But let me first put the past twelve months in perspective, because that last, best, and least regarded…
A Cabin in the Carolina Mountains
From November 18 through November 24, Melissa and I drove up to and stayed in a cabin east of Asheville, somewhere nestled in the Carolina Mountains. As usual, I brought far too many books and we ate far too much…
Critical Brain Theory
The other day, one of my students got angry and threw a punch at one of his classmates. Happened on the basketball court. Saw the whole thing on tape. But when I asked about the anger and the punch, this…
