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In an earlier post, Humanities and the DY/DAN Method, I linked to Dan Meyer’s blog and his take on [...]

This year, for the first time in nine years, I won’t be planning for school to start next month. That doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about it, though, and my first thoughts are usually about the physical space of the learning environment.
The Problem
In an earlier post, responding to a “layout of your working space” [...]

The end of the year can be a trying time for teachers, particularly teachers of seniors. The concept of “one more month” translates roughly into “school’s over” (or, if they’re trying to be considerate, “school’s practically over”). If it wasn’t there already, a hatred of school grows quickly during this final month like [...]

Most Boston high schools start at 7:20 a.m. The 10 schools, which have not yet been chosen, will be able to choose starting times ranging from 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Education Week: Boston to Allow 10 Schools to Switch to Later Start Times
It’s a nod towards designing schools based on current best research, but [...]

Teacher Magazine published an article entitled “The Problem with Class-Size Reduction” by Bill Ferriter.1 While I understand his argument and his conclusion, the implications are desperately and infuriatingly off point. This is not directed at Mr. Ferriter specifically2 but at a general culture that I find too often in the world of education, one that [...]

A few days ago, Kevin tagged me for the “layout of your working space” meme. This comes at a good time because I’ve been thinking lately about the importance of aesthetics and the affective domain in terms of the education.
My basic working thesis is this: students’ brains are housed in bodies, and both brains [...]

I’ve been thinking lately about what makes a “good” teacher. I’ve met and worked with a wide range of “good” teachers during my eight years in education. Some are amazingly organized and maintain impeccable records on their interactions with students and parents; some have trouble finding their desk. Some are excited about [...]

Of course, having said that teachers need to “do” and be models of learning in my last post, Sarah is also right when she reminds me (in the comments of that post) that one thing learners need to do is reflect … and rest, and dream.
Sleep deprivation has been linked to all sorts of bad [...]

A friend of mine recently told me she was growing concerned because her son, an elementary-school student, started saying he "hates school." It’s troubling, and by the time students reach high school, most feel the same way.
What shocks me is not that students say they hate school–that’s nothing new–but that the adult world doesn’t [...]