Reflective Renewal

This is not an easy question to answer.  When I was first posed this question, I immediately thought of the important affective qualities we instill in our students, such as self-worth, self-esteem, self-confidence, etc.  How do we do that, though?  How are those essential, identity-shaping elements fostered?
Although it isn’t the only pathway, one significant and [...]

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Have you ever felt afraid to do something simply because you were alone?
As an only child, that is a familiar concept to me. As a matter of fact, I think one of the many reasons that Lauree and I are such good friends is because we are both only children, and we had one another’s [...]

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As teachers, do you ever feel misunderstood and yearn for a school where you share a common vision and can easily collaborate with others?  Well, you are not alone.  I often feel that way.
I couldn’t help but think of those same, vulnerable feelings when I re-read Maurice Sendak’s 1963 picture book Where the Wild Things [...]

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While Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs may seem like a simple picture book, it actually contains a great deal of complexity in its simple pages. The concept of food falling from the sky is obviously creative, fun, and unique. Imagine the possibilities!

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So, what qualities make a teacher effective?
As educators, this is a question we often ask ourselves, especially for inspiration. Let’s face it—at the end of the day, teaching is a very demanding, challenging profession, and we deserve opportunities to reflect on inspirational teachers and teaching stories that provide us with those rays of inspiration [...]

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