Building Community in the Age of Disconnection
EPIC Academy at Lamoille Union High School It’s 8:50 in the morning. Students are leaving their jigsaw puzzles and sleepy conversations and rollicking games of “Headbands” and finding a seat. Some choose bean bags or bungee chairs, a couple saddle up to bike desks and begin to aimlessly cycle, and still more plop down in […]
A New Path To Purpose
The transition took me by surprise. One moment, we were exploring the path that ideas take on their legislative road to public policy, and the next minute, students were disclosing their personal struggle with ongoing anxiety and depression. At first, I worried that the doom and gloom of our semester’s exploration of climate change and […]
Small is Beautiful
Back in the 90’s and early 2000’s, I worked as a teacher and staff development specialist in densely populated Montgomery County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. It was challenging work but I loved my job and I worked with some great educators. With over 130,000 students, MCPS ranks as the 16th largest school district […]
Entrepreneurial spirit in school: fostering a new mindset through meaningful project-based learning
I have to admit: so much of what I consider my best maneuvers in education have been largely due to simple serendipity. Stumbling over opportunities by being in the right place at the right time led me to one of the most meaningful experiences of my year–a jump into entrepreneurship with a small and unsuspecting […]