“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
Socrates
Purposeful Shifts: From Lecture to Instructional Conversation
This post is the first in a series I’m dubbing “Purposeful Shifts.” Part of my personal teaching philosophy, as it is for many teachers, is acknowledging that I am as responsible for personal/professional growth as my students. In other words, I am a learner, too. In line with this and trusting my professional gut, I…
For Every Student, Quality Bathmats
An analogy, in scenarios, if you’ll have it: Scenario A: Imagine stepping out of your shower, clean and fresh in your skivvies, onto a slick tile floor. Your goal, cross to the door to dress yourself. What’s likely to happen? If you are perpetually unbalanced and prone to accidents (like me), a slip and an…
The Need for Control
Two days ago, a student of mine sent me an email; we’ll call her Samantha. The subject line read simply, “Idk.” She asked if we could talk in the coming days. She was having a hard time at home. She wanted to air it out. She wanted to speak to an adult she could trust.…
I’m Blogging Now.
This isn’t the first time I’ve had the idea. “Ooh, I should start a blog! I love blogs.” This isn’t even the first time I’ve created a WordPress account and started jotting down my thoughts. But, it is the first time I’ve committed to launching a site for this purpose. If you were a student…
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Teaching from the Balcony 