I am no fan of communism. Let me get that out of the way right now. Communism is a meat grinder of humanity. I have no love for it. Look no further than the war in Ukraine, a war that I doubt many people in Russia support and a war […]
The YMCA: Another Way Educators Can Find Balance in Their Lives
With after-school meetings, returning parent phone calls, writing lesson plans, providing valuable feedback on student work…it is very easy to stay at work too long. You may not feel the effects of those bad habits for 5-10 years or even 20. However, at some point you are going to feel […]
Creative Block: An Instructional Design Dilemma
Creative block is basically writer’s block. It is being at an impasse when designing good lessons. And no, I am not an instructional design expert(aka academic coach) – gross. However, good teachers do still build authentic design lessons, and sometimes during that process….we get stuck. Listen, I am one of […]
The Persecution of Christians Within the Teaching Profession
I wish I could say that this doesn’t happen. It does. It happens nationally. It happens at the state level. It happens in Kingsport. It happens far, far too often. Persecution for being a believer, for speaking up, and for doing the right thing is going to cause you problems […]
Surround Yourself w/ Good Counsel
You are who you surround yourself with. Parents teach their children this. Wise children listen. We talked yesterday about the pitfalls of “group think.” Conversely today, the discussion will revolve around who we need to surround ourselves with. Hint: It isn’t the group think crowd. wise counsel: having or showing […]
Race to the Top: A Failure in Both Practicality and Priorities
In regards to Race to the Top, I remember writing to the Republican Lieutenant Governor at the time. I warned him that performance based salaries(for teachers) which were connected to student TCAP scores were a fool’s errand, or something to that effect. He responded which I appreciated. However, he never […]
Group Think: A Destructive Cultural Practice Within an Educational Organization
Best Practices. When you hear that phrase as an educator, you are about to implement something in your classroom whether it works or not. It is a phrase that conveys that others have vetted this idea, and that the idea is unimpeachable. Usually those best practices are accompanied by vague […]
Reach for the Stars – Literally
I grew-up during an age in which we put men on the moon. The sky was literally the limit. At the time, I thought by now that we would have traveled throughout the solar system. We haven’t gone back to the moon since I was a young child. Alas, space […]
Hurricane Relief: Some Things I Have Learned Through the Years
“Many hands make light work.” Hurricane Helene has wrecked havoc on the Southern Apps. Now the task is to rebuild and to offer assistance to those who need it. There is work to be done, and a lot of it. Once rescue work is done and people have access to […]
We cannot quantify our lives with a number….
I have grown to really dislike benchmark testing. At its root purpose, it just seems wrong. Believe me, I know all of the reasons why it is in vogue. I have “lived it” both as a parent and teacher, and grow more uncomfortable with the process with each passing day. […]