Research and experience tell us that the single most essential quality children of all ages look for in their teachers is genuine care combined with trust of them as children and learners. Teacher empathy drives the “why” students engage in our curricular and pedagogical improvement strategies. We will not improve the data-based results until we attend to the human-based inputs. Continue reading
If We Do Not Teach Children to Listen, Why Are We Talking to Them?
Every teacher is responsible teaching active learning. We fail when we believe that by middle school all children know how to be active listeners. Good listening skills must be taught and practiced in every grade and every subject for every child. Given all the noise in the world, it is too easy for any child, or adult, to slide into the noise Continue reading
The Curious Kick the Can of Facts into Possibilities
Education that does not evoke curiosity is telling the same stories over again in a daycare center to children who daydream with their eyes and ears closed. Continue reading
Is The Outcome of Public School a Generalized or a Specialized Education? The Answer is Yes.
Public education in the United States is our nation’s longest standing institution; however, its compass direction today is decided in thousands of classrooms by individual teachers. Our educational mission is adrift Continue reading
To Improve Student Outcomes, Theory Needs to Guide Teaching and Learning Practices
When we align foundational teaching and learning theories, principles, and practices as a through-line in student learning, we will see improved data because it results from connected instruction. Continue reading