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A note for my son & Classroom artistry
Tonight I found a teachable moment for my son. A moment that was uniquely created by a pandemic. On Monday, I hope I can find new ways to help teachers find teachable moments for their students. 2020 has made it extremely obvious how important it is for us to create positive change in the world. Our teachers are at the center of that work and encouraging their artistry is essential. Continue reading A note for my son & Classroom artistry
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Can we inspire creation with our lessons?
I’ve hit a bit of a writing block lately, mostly consuming – Books, TV Shows, articles, twitter feeds. It’s been enjoyable at times, but also frustrating. I’ve been frustrated at not creating, not because I can’t share it with others … Continue reading Can we inspire creation with our lessons?
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Determining the health of a classroom ecosystem
Last week, I had the opportunity to go on an overnight field trip with our fifth graders. As part of the trip, we studied the local pond to see if the water was healthy or not. In order to determine … Continue reading Determining the health of a classroom ecosystem
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What isn’t going to change? A reflection on successful, innovative coaching
This week, James Clear posted a short story about Jeff Bezos in his newsletter. “I very frequently get the question: ‘What’s going to change in the next 10 years?’ And that is a very interesting question; it’s a very common … Continue reading What isn’t going to change? A reflection on successful, innovative coaching
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An Unexpected Gift
20 years ago… I received an unexpected gift from a teacher. I could never fully repay her, but this week I realized I could provide at least a small repayment to let her know how meaningful that gift was. I … Continue reading An Unexpected Gift
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Should we treat kids like adults?
Kids want to be treated like adults. I think this is a fact. We can all remember in our childhood wanting to be treated like adults. Whether it was more responsibility, dreaming about our future, being in charge on the … Continue reading Should we treat kids like adults?
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Teaching like Questlove
Quest Love is my favorite drummer. Truthfully, I don’t know a lot about drummers, and I don’t really love his drumming. I don’t even know enough about drumming to love anyone’s drumming. I do like The Roots and I love watching … Continue reading Teaching like Questlove
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Measuring Coaching Success (Part 6): Final Thoughts
At the beginning of each season, our team sets goals together; some have to do with winning – games, conference, playoffs – while others are more abstract – great team chemistry, mastering team defense. The truth is that goals like … Continue reading Measuring Coaching Success (Part 6): Final Thoughts
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Measuring Coaching Success (Part 5): Me, Myself and I
So I saved the hardest for last. Probably because it’s hardest. Maybe because I needed a lot of time to think it through. As you’ve seen from the previous posts, I have obviously questioned whether our team under achieved this … Continue reading Measuring Coaching Success (Part 5): Me, Myself and I
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Measuring Coaching Success (Part 3): Getting better or getting worse?
Measuring Coaching Success (Part 1): Reflections on a season past Measuring Coaching Success (Part 2): Winners and Losers Prior to the season, I listened to John Wooden’s biographer talk about his pyramid and how he measured his team by effort … Continue reading Measuring Coaching Success (Part 3): Getting better or getting worse?
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Measuring Coaching Success (Part 2): Winners and Losers
Read Part 1: Reflections on a season past My high school football coach used to tell us that high school sports weren’t meant to be fun, they were meant to be rewarding. I’ve never fully subscribe to this belief, but … Continue reading Measuring Coaching Success (Part 2): Winners and Losers
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The emotional balance of coaching
While being an assistant head of lower school is my main job, my role as high school coach can become difficult to put to the side at times. We are nearing the end of our basketball season, and this has … Continue reading The emotional balance of coaching
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Ten (or Eleven) books that tell the story of my reading life
As the year closes out and Top Ten lists pop up everywhere, I thought I’d get in on the game, but take a different route. Recently, my friend Danny Bauer shared the first book he remembered reading as a kid … Continue reading Ten (or Eleven) books that tell the story of my reading life
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Wandering Thoughts
After a day of professional development with my colleagues, we sat in Meeting For Worship to end our day, and as usual, what started as a few random thoughts led to some meaningful reflection. First was a zombie apocalypse. Not … Continue reading Wandering Thoughts
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The Art of Teaching
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou (or possibly someone else) If there ever was a quote that represented teaching young … Continue reading The Art of Teaching
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Put the politics and burning shoes aside, an important message is getting lost
So, for now, while shoes burn and talking heads discuss the economics of Nike’s ad, I’ll let my son watch these images as many times as he can, and I will believe in the potential power of those words. Continue reading Put the politics and burning shoes aside, an important message is getting lost
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Who am I being? How many eyes are shining around me?
Why can’t 100% of people be excited about education. Who am I being, how do I talk, how do I walk, if I believe that 100% of people love the power of learning, they just don’t know it yet. Continue reading Who am I being? How many eyes are shining around me?
Twenty-Eight Years Later: My call to be better for all children
In 1992, I turned 9 years old. It was the year that Rodney King was beaten and my awareness of a much bigger, much more confusing world became apparent. In 2020, my son turned 9 years old. It is the … Continue reading Twenty-Eight Years Later: My call to be better for all children
Having difficult conversations with your children
This is the version of a letter I wrote this past Monday night for my school community as I thought about this last week’s events and particularly our students and children and how we speak with them. As a teacher, and now as an administrator with the role of supporting students socially and emotionally, these thoughts are based on my experiences in our school and classrooms. Dear Friends, I imagined that many of you, like me, have had a heavy heart over the last week. For those of us with children of any age, we think about what the future … Continue reading Having difficult conversations with your children
How to end this school year?
I love picture books. I love reading a great picture book aloud with students to share a message beyond my words. I have been searching up and down for a read aloud to share with our Preschool through 5th grade … Continue reading How to end this school year?
Why jokes work and the Zone of Genius?
Why do jokes work? I don’t know what the phases of joke telling are for most kids, but my son seems to be progressing to a new one. Not necessarily a good one, just a new one. A few years … Continue reading Why jokes work and the Zone of Genius?
Walking by myself
I went for a walk yesterday. On my own. I don’t go for walks by myself. If I do go on a walk, it’s with my wife and maybe my son biking around us. And even if I did choose … Continue reading Walking by myself
Where is the finish line?
Is “Zoom Retreat” an oxymoron? I am sitting (and typing) in silence. And it is beautiful, peaceful, productive. I know. I’ve heard all the ‘multi-tasking isn’t actually productive’ stuff before. I like background noise. I usually work well with it … Continue reading Where is the finish line?
Teaching and loving our students at a distance
Can we love more from a distance? Does the distance magnify our love? I have thoroughly enjoyed Dave Chang’s show Ugly Delicious on Netflix. One of his recent episodes explored food through the eyes of an expecting parent (him). It made … Continue reading Teaching and loving our students at a distance
Suffer, Survive, Seek, or Serve?
On Monday morning, as I prepared to return from our weirdly early and even weirder version of spring break to a weird version of school called remote learning, I tried to follow my normal school day routine (though a bit … Continue reading Suffer, Survive, Seek, or Serve?
