As the educational pendulum has swung back and forth, we occasionally hear calls for “back to the basics.” Usually this has translated into pages of math computation, grammar drills, and history as a series of battles and dates. As schools around me gear up for the upcoming school year, it made me think about the … Continue reading
For four amazing days each summer, downtown Ann Arbor is overrun by art. The Ann Arbor Art Fairs (four of them, simultaneously) are usually crowded, steamy hot, colorful, and amazing. My husband and I look forward to them every year. This year as I gloried in the amazingly cool weather, I was struck by how … Continue reading
I’ve had an exciting summer! In my most recent adventure I had the chance to spend a week in Quebec City in a French immersion experience. I went to French classes all day and lived with a host family—just like being a 16-year-old exchange student all over again. The family-stay was the best part of … Continue reading
I have a friend who is known for her wise, often humorous, sayings. One of my favorites is, “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.” Apparently, according to my web search, G.K. Chesterton said it first. “Wait a minute,” I can hear you thinking, “Isn’t it supposed to be, ‘Anything worth doing is worth doing … Continue reading
A friend of mine has been working to improve her middle school math students’ listening. They are focusing not just on “paying attention,” or listening to the teacher, but on listening to one another as well. It is challenging and important work. Listening is not just a matter of good manners and a calmer classroom … Continue reading
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. Albert Einstein I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity. Eleanor Roosevelt Curiosity is at the root of so … Continue reading
I recently had a disturbing conversation with a young teacher who is one of the brightest people I know. My friend has been teaching for six years in high-stress environments. Like many teachers, her life is very full. Because her teaching assignments seem to change yearly, she is constantly preparing for new classes. She takes … Continue reading
Doesn’t every teacher dream of setting students’ minds aglow? We envision classrooms full of enthusiastic students, digging into new ideas with vigor. Sometimes it even happens that way. Sometimes. And, despite some teachers’ “just tough it out” approaches, students’ enthusiasm is important. Without it (and the effort it inspires), in-depth learning doesn’t happen–and neither does … Continue reading
The more I think about students and creativity, the more I come back to the same idea: Classrooms that are supportive of creativity are supportive of learning. It all comes back to the complex (and wonderful) relationships among creativity, motivation and learning–really learning, in ways that help us use the things we learn. Classrooms … Continue reading
This was an awful morning. You’ve had those, right? In my case, the morning was one long meeting—the kind where people talk at you for hours, without even a bathroom break. Each presentation alone would have been interesting, but in total they resulted in a crowd of grumpy uncomfortable professors squirming in their chairs and … Continue reading
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