Many educators ask how to use advisory groups to support success in middle school and high school. I’ve been asked if a study skills curriculum is effective in advisory, or a social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, or an experiential education curriculum. They might all be useful
In 2015, I conducted a nationwide survey of 6th-12th graders that asked one simple question: What engages you as learners? The results that came back could be categorized into 10 different strategies. But one request that came up over and over again, regardless of whether
The school I teach in has three changes on the horizon: a change to the schedule, an increase in interdisciplinary offerings, and a heightened attention to Problem-Based Learning (PBL) strategies. The schedule change has been pending for two years. The proposed change is actually incremental
Two things happened this week that I thought were positive signs. These come just two weeks before the end of our first semester. I guess that puts us at about the halfway mark. Both had to do with the nitty-gritty of the classroom. First, if you
I grew up in the late 60s and early 70s. The U.S. space program was in full throttle. Beginning in 1969 with Apollo XI when I was seven and ending in 1972 with Apollo XVII when I was ten, six awkward-looking but awesome landing crafts
Community and safety are crucial to student learning, especially after a tough event such as a divisive election. The emotional state of relaxed alertness fosters learning, while feeling scared, isolated, or self-conscious hijacks the brain’s focus and energy. You probably started the year shaping an
My mother, like most parents, had stock sayings she used whenever my clichéd irresponsible conduct warranted clichéd commentary. "Wipe that smile off your face." "Stop crying or I will give you something to cry about." "God, give me strength." Among the more interesting was: "You
This blog has been a bridge of learning between my previous work with the Quaglia Institute and my present work as a classroom teacher. Now four months into reflecting each week on moving from theory to practice, I remain grateful for the opportunity to articulate
Every Monday after school the Philosophy Club meets. It happens to meet in my classroom. As a consequence, I happened to sit in on it a few weeks ago. I was not assigned to it as a moderator. I was not looking for something to
With the Thanksgiving holiday just behind us, I thought I would spend this blog expressing my gratitude. If I included all the things I am grateful for both personally and professionally, this would be the longest blog of the series. So I will restrict myself