Dialogue: Now is the Time to Model and Teach what we hope to see in our world.
Recently, a couple of things happened that made me reflect even more deeply on the state of dialogue in our world. A community member who I have publicly and respectfully disagreed with on Facebook unfriended me. Normally, this wouldn’t feel like such a big deal, but today it makes me wonder; we haven’t even exchanged […]
A Reflection That I Never Imagined I Would Write
When I sat down to write and reflect upon my teaching this spring, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would be sharing that I actually cried when I learned that school was closed for the rest of the academic year. Nor did I ever imagine that everyone in the entire world would […]
Gratitude
Early in my graduate program I took a class called The Neurobiology of Stress. Years now since the course, much of the learning has unfortunately escaped me. But one of our main texts, The Heartmath Solution, regularly resurfaces in my consciousness as I go through the yearly emotional peaks and valleys of teaching and turn […]
Improving Equity and Empathy at School
Last spring a group of students representing our Gender Sexuality Alliance asked to have a meeting with our district’s curriculum director and myself. We sat down in my office and the students began to make a calm, thoughtful, and well reasoned case for more LGBTQ+ representation in our curriculum. The students made a persuasive case […]
Leveraging the PLP to enhance Personalized Proficiency-based Learning
Schools are notorious for taking on a plethora of initiatives that, all too often, feel disjointed and overwhelming. No doubt, the intentions behind the various initiatives are rooted in best intentions, but implementation often feels disconnected for students and teachers. We have a tremendous opportunity in Vermont, with a convergence of statewide initiatives rooted in […]
Dirty Little Secret
Just about a year ago I was honored to receive an award that meant the world to me. When they said my name, I just sat there in stunned silence and couldn’t move. Surely they meant to give it to my colleague in the same district and just mixed up the names. Or certainly they […]
Speaking Up for Equity Takes Courage — But the Standards Have Your Back
Ruja Benjamin’s keynote at the 2018 Rowland Conference was a call to action. She implored us not just to talk about equity, but to put that knowledge to use, to act! It can be a challenge to determine how to take action against inequity. As educators we can feel disempowered, we may not know how […]
When School Choice Isn’t Really a Choice
When school choice isn’t really a choice…A version of this piece originally appeared at VTDigger.org on 07/02/18 Much has been written about public schools vs. private schools (and vouchers, choices, etc.) in Vermont lately, but nothing I’ve read has gotten to the true heart of the conversation: School choice isn’t really school choice because not […]
Why I Fell Out of Love with my Job – and How I Learned to Fall in Love Again
I have the best job in the world; I get paid to learn! I have been teaching high school since 1981 and every day I learn something new about the subjects I teach–ancient history and philosophy- and my students teach me as well about who they are and how they learn. I have always been […]
Empathy is a Skill
It seems that when it comes to race in America, everyone has something say. When student leaders at Montpelier High School made national headlines by raising a Black Lives Matter flag this year, news outlets spread the story and the opinions poured in. At the heart of the many lessons learned in our ongoing shared […]