Category Archives: Teaching

Student engagement and Phil Schlechty

A school district superintendent asked me to dig into the issue of student engagement, and while I found several pieces that discuss this issue, it was this review by Elizabeth Bowen that provided some quick answers and a summary of … Continue reading

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The value of homework

My son brought home a great assignment a few weeks ago – to identify around the house obtuse and acute angles – and he and I went a step further, taking pictures of the angles we found and emailing some … Continue reading

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Writing, reading, and teaching poetry: Messages in bottles

One of my favorite classes in high school was a quarter-long course I took on vocabulary. Yeah, I know: I was doomed even then to be an English major. Mr. Whalen taught the class, each day we memorized ten words … Continue reading

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Teaching character

Back in this post, I wrote about school culture, its importance, and the hard work it takes to make it a genuine and on-going part of the school. Too many schools try to get it through shortcuts, as they “build … Continue reading

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Paraprofessionals: Schools growing their own teachers

I was in a school recently and had the chance to chat with several of that school’s paraprofessionals. They are called different names in different systems – paraeducator, teaching assistant, teacher’s aide, classroom assistant – but parapros are, in short, … Continue reading

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Ten Cool Things We Learned This Summer

Summer’s a great time for learning. Even the time spent reading the newspaper and talking about front page stories, something that doesn’t happen with regularity during the hustle bustle mornings of the school year, provide rich fodder. But how do … Continue reading

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