Practice Any Art…
Quoted from Ravenous Butterflies, a blog: In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write a famous author and ask for advice. Kurt Vonnegut was the only one to respond – and his…
Why Wait In School Traffic?
It’s that time of year again. School has started, and the drivers have set aside logical ideas. Every school zone is a little different. In twenty years, I’ve worked at many different schools, and I…
Life in Middle School: Tips for Success
I just realized that I’ve entered my twenty-first year as a teacher. I should have known by the wrinkles around my new reading glasses (I finally had to get them), but I had not stopped…
Young People Need Play Time
As seems to be a theme in many of my posts, I want to pass along the importance of play. I don’t mean video games (absolutely the opposite). I mean creative, unstructured, social (or individual) play…
“Bored” Is A Choice
Due to the nature of social media, we sometimes see news stories float around for a couple years. Certain articles are shared over and over again, and unfortunately, we have to check their validity all…
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Is Your Middle Schooler Over-Scheduled?
Teachers are seeing a decline in common sense, life skills, and general positive attitudes. Creativity is slipping. Social connections are awkward. Kids have inconsistent sleep patterns. A focus on academics and “the future” seems oppositional to the current development of …
Article from The Atlantic about a Love for Learning
Please take a moment to read this article from Jessica Lahey writing in The Atlantic. It speaks to a major problem in our school community considering the pressure that students put on themselves to earn the best grades even …
