The research has been clear for some time: Our students (and ourselves as well) need brain breaks in order to learn and produce at peak efficiency. For those of you not familiar with the research or the process, this article from Edutopia provides a great primer about the neuroscience behind brain breaks, as well as …
Classroom Compromises
Any classroom is a place where a series of compromises have been made. We typically make decisions based on the needs of the larger group. The classroom arrangement is a compromise. The method(s) of instruction is a compromise. Classroom management strategies are a compromise. In recent years we have been conditioned to think of compromise …
Shared Again: #FirstDay Ideas
Last year I shared a couple posts with some ideas for the first day of school. Since we are at or near the first day for most of us, I thought I would share those posts again so that some helpful ideas for starting the year might be identified. Remember to follow the #FirstDay hashtag …
Thoughts on a School Theme Verse
If you are not a fan of the Chicago Cubs, PLEASE do not discard this post simply because there are Cubs reference. There are important faith points to which these references relate, so hang in there with me. Each year most Lutheran schools select a school theme. This theme may be a specific Bible verse …
Questions and Pursuing Answers
Those of you who regularly read this blog know that I am a huge advocate of teaching students to ask good questions and then empowering them to pursue answers to these questions. This blog post is one that clearly expresses these ideas. Here are a couple highlights/thoughts from this post: Completely agree with the idea …
My Daughters and Their Blogs
I am thankful that my daughters have become such excellent writers. I cannot claim any credit for this. They are all voracious readers and they have had excellent teachers to guide them in their writing, particularly in high school. They also are bloggers, and if you have any interest in their subject matter, I encourage …
Flexible Seating Thoughts and Links
It is August 1st, and thus my thoughts, and the thoughts of educators around the nation, move to the new school year -- one that has both new challenges and possibilities. One new opportunity that has arisen for me is the move to a newly constructed classroom for Lights Academy, the personalized, project-based learning experience …
Parkinson’s Research and Fake News
Over the next several weeks, I am going to share recent Capstone Project work from my Lights Academy seniors. These projects are the culmination effort of their Lights Academy work, where they have chosen a question to research and dug deep into the analog, digital, and human resources that can help answer their query. I am proud …
Malala and Helping Students Find Their Voice
I am no doubt behind the times, but over the past month I have become very interested in the remarkable story of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for education and woman's rights who was shot in the head by the Taliban at age 15, survived, and continues her crusade today. With her father as her …
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Lights Academy Seniors
Tuesday was my last class period with my Lights Academy seniors. I have worked with these thirteen students intently over the past two years in our project-based learning environment. This post is simply a tribute to them. Thanks to each of them for..... Taking a chance on Lights Academy, something that is still a challenge …
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