Education
Teaching a Better Way
Civility is a learned behavior, something that doesn’t come naturally. On the contrary, it’s in our nature to be selfish. It’s in our nature to fight, cheat, and steal, to scream, slap, and punch, to argue, lie, and blame, all…
What Have They Heard
Teaching on 9/11 has always been a peculiar experience. My first year in the classroom was 2010, in fourth grade, when my students were all nine years old, either not born yet in 2001 or too young to have any…
To See Something at Peace
Meet Chesney and Violet. All week, these two waited and struggled in their tiny pots, unable to join the bed of Torenia flowers at the front of our house because they didn’t fit. So rather than let them die, which…
The August Wedding
On Tuesday at recess, a couple of my girls introduced me to a beach ball that had a name, a face, and a complete backstory (think Tom Hanks and Wilson from Cast Away). By Wednesday, I was informed that the…
The Value of Legacy
Much as possible, I’ve been trying to disconnect from work, from teaching, from conversations about education, giving myself over to plenty of rest, reading, writing, and reflection. But after driving home from Georgia today, I opened up my email to…
Teachers, Add This To Your List
We took a break from math and science today so I could ask my kids how they were doing, with all that’s been going on, with the news on Saturday that they couldn’t come back to campus for the rest…
We Need to Talk About Zoom
We need to talk about the protection and privacy of our children. We need to talk about the accounts our children create and use, and whether the rules once put in place for their online safety still apply in 2020.…
Finding a Way Forward
A few thoughts on the experience of teaching remotely, today, after officially meeting with almost all of my 5th Grade Math Students (73 kids). First, one of the most overlooked downsides, for a teacher, is losing direct eye contact with…
Until You Lose Count
This morning, I met with about 18 of my kids for the first time in two weeks, a chance to experiment with video chatting and interactive slides ahead of next week’s remote instruction. The opportunity to see most of them…
Teachers in Quarantine, a History
The term “unprecedented” is often used to describe our current situation, with schools closing well beyond a day or two of heavy snow or impending winds and rains, with teachers trying to figure out what to do in the meantime,…
