Stop Squeezing

Stop Squeezing

  Even our best educators feel like they’re failing. They’re stretched too thin. They are depleted, exhausted, and spent.   I don’t know that anyone truly understands the extent to…
Front of House

Front of House

  The front of house is the area that everyone sees. People notice the welcome. People notice the service. People notice the cleanliness and organization.   But it’s really the…
Amidst Chaos

Amidst Chaos

  As educators, we are normally creatures of habit. We normally look for consistency, order, organization, and structure. However, it’s not at all what we been faced with for the…
Teaching as Competition

Teaching as Competition

  Teaching is not intended to be a competition. I’ve worked with educators who have treated it as such. Lesson plans and project ideas are treated as secrets of the…
Dear Whoever Will Listen

Dear Whoever Will Listen

  Dear Whoever Will Listen: I received a three page memo today outlining the process for our state assessment. The information includes important activities and key dates, and lets us…
Joining the Dark Side

Joining the Dark Side

  Many educators describe the move from teacher to administrator as coming over to the Dark Side. The belief is very much us versus them. The idea is that administrators…
Daydream Deficit Disorder

Daydream Deficit Disorder

  Our days are filled. Tasks. Assignments. Projects. Checklists. Standards. Objectives. Target goals. We move from subject to subject in convenient forty minute blocks. Students memorize. They recite. They practice.…
Connecting through Professional Development

Connecting through Professional Development

  Finding it difficult to not meet in person for professional development purposes? Try these ideas to make connections to continue learning!   Rich   For more professional development ideas,…
Nothing to Say

Nothing to Say

  What if you had nothing to say? How would you go through your day without sharing your thoughts and feelings? How would you get your message across? How would…
Conversation Menus

Conversation Menus

  Conversation is key. Students are lacking the connections that they used to be able to build in school. Conversations in the lunch room. Conversations at lockers. Conversations on the…