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Why Instructional Time Matters
But time keeps flowing like a river (on and on) To the sea, to the sea ’til it’s gone forever… At least that’s what the Alan Parsons Project suggested in their hit song. But poets and songwriters...
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A Teacher’s Lessons from Writing, Part 1
I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. My first book is about to be published, but the printing/binding process is taking longer than I’d like. (Don’t worry, this isn’t really about the book.) This period...
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A Teacher’s Lessons from Writing, Part 2
My cell phone rang when we were deciding which package of paper towels to buy. “Kevin, this is John Paine. Do you have a few moments to talk?” I had both anticipated and dreaded this call, and the...
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Creative Thinking in the Classroom, Part 2
Time. Is there a greater challenge for educators? It seems like instructional time is often the target of well-meaning but time-devouring programs. Assemblies, pep rallies, fund-raising motivational...
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Professional Development: A Defense
Teacher conversations about professional development often include the terms worthless and waste of time, and a general disdain for typical approaches is often evident. The back-and-forth can be a...
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The Environment of Achievement, Part 2
“But hope is not disconnected from action or result; it is the drive that propels action and result. It is not an ungrounded feeling but a belief that action can bring about change.” Hope is word #1, a...
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The Environment of Achievement, Part 3
Hope. Humility. Determination. How do these characteristics contribute to an atmosphere of achievement? The dictionary describes determination as a “firmness of purpose,” “perseverance,” “intentness,”...
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Patterns: Learning, Thinking, Creating
It seems contradictory. The brain seeks and sees patterns, but when asked to find patterns, many people become uneasy. (Shelley Carson suggests that up to 80% of people find this type of thinking...
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Taking Neuroscience Into Teaching
“Um, can you tell me one way this can be applied in the classroom?” The question was sincere, and the questioner, earnest and frustrated. Several dozen slides and ninety minutes of lecture lacked a...
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Teaching by Modeling: A Tale of Basketball & Mirror Neurons
My high school basketball coach was the epitome of patience. Over and over, he’d work with me, trying desperately to help me develop an actual jump shot. I improved but never felt confident with the...
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