instructional tools
You can’t Shame Your Way to Success
If you’re anything like the many people who step on the scale every morning, after enjoying a night - or full day of - candy, soda, and carbs, you’re probably […]
Teach Like It’s The 21st Century
In the beginning there were desks. There was a chalkboard. There was a podium. There were students in rows, pencils at the ready, notebooks opened, and a sage on the […]
Write the Real, Not the “Real”
Write the real. Notice there are no quotation marks around the word "real" in that first sentence; it's because the words that should go down on paper are those that […]
Armchair Activist: How Many Clicks Does it Take?
You are an armchair activist armed with Facebook statuses and the click click click of the Like button. You are the world’s misleading expert on everything amassed from hours online. […]
Semantics in the Era of “Sup?”
“Semantics semantics you don’t know semantics. Semantics matter, Mom!” my 7-year-old sang to my wife while at the dinner table the other evening. While she sang and pointed, my wife […]
Your Pseudo-Struggles, and the Effect on Your Students
It’s Monday morning, and I’m wondering if the teachers with whom I work are standing outside their doors, and greeting each student as they meander into the classroom. Are they […]
Cat tails, car rides, and the fear of failure
When he opened the hood of the car, and reached his hand deep inside the front of the car, his face contorted, and we all knew something wasn’t quite right. […]