Implementing a competency-based system in a public school is, to put it mildly, a high-stakes tightrope walk. Unlike private or charter schools, our families don’t always “opt-in” to our philosophy—they are a captive audience. This can make every shift feel contentious. There is a loud, persistent argument that we should ignore the “system” and just […]
Lessons Learned: Why Talking About School Transformation is a Minefield
Communicating about transformational changes to an education system is not for the faint of heart. This isn’t just swapping out a textbook; we’re talking about disrupting a system that carries a monumental weight of long-held beliefs, deeply ingrained traditions, and decades of personal expectations from every stakeholder. If you’re a transformational leader who doesn’t have […]
Can Schools Really Change? Why I Disappeared and What I Learned
It’s been a while. No excuses here—life got full, work got deep, and something had to give. Turns out, it was this blog. But here’s the thing: I wasn’t idle. We were building something. The Work That Pulled Me Away For the past several years, I’ve been immersed in one of the most challenging and […]
6 Ways to Become a Master Learner
Surviving as a teacher these days requires a special set of skills. I’ve written about the fact that my guidance counselor advised me not to learn how to type thinking I wouldn’t need that skill. Boy was she wrong. She had no clue what I would need to know with the advent of the internet […]
Creativity is a Necessary Teaching Disposition
Creativity is such a fun disposition to develop. I never thought of myself as creative because I’m not terribly artistic and in my experience, most people go straight to art when you start talking about the topic. Creativity is about thinking flexibly. Many people think you are either born creative or you aren’t but there […]
Motivation Without Grades
The second misconception that caught my eye in the opinion piece entitled Proficiency-based Overreach by Curtis Hier (the same one I referenced in this previous post) from The Burlington Free Press is that students will no longer be motivated in a proficiency-based system because there won’t be traditional grading. The first assumption that is problematic […]
How Are You “Smart” At Math?
What does it mean to be “smart” at math? Traditionally, one who is fast at math is good at math or smart at math. If it comes easily that is considered a good thing. I recently visited several schools that are communicating a different message about math. I also attended the Creating Balance in an […]
What All Students Should Know
Beowulf and Hemingway? I have encountered a similar conversation this year amongst many staff, in my own building as well as throughout the state, as we discuss the implications of proficiency based graduation standards. Even those in favor of radical changes are concerned about students leaving school without a foundational knowledge. If they don’t know […]
My Teacher Told Me Not To Bother With School!
Should We Really Be Focusing on College? How would you feel if a teacher told your kids that they didn’t have to go to school to make a living or be happy? Or that they could make plenty of money without going to college? As a teacher and fervent proponent of education, this certainly makes […]
Save Time and Empower Kids
This post is coming from a convergence of an extremely busy week filled with planning a new unit, completing my paperwork duties, administering state testing, planning for summer projects, taxes and just regular life and work on top of that. Time is probably a teachers most common enemy. Meanwhile I was reminded of a funny […]