We talk a lot about flourishing here at the blog, and that’s good because it’s the whole point of schooling. Schools exist to promote the long-term flourishing of kids. In the best schools, the adults who facilitate all of this are flourishing, too. The most rigorous study of human flourishing that I’m aware of is […]
A Simple Trick that Helps Performance Anxiety
A few weeks ago, Grace came to me worried about how tests were making her anxious. She was doing all right on tests at the start of the year, but then she had a bad one, and then at the next one she got really anxious before the test started and while it was happening, […]
What is WOOP, and Why Does It Help with Student Motivation?
Is there anything more motivating than setting, striving for, and achieving a meaningful goal? From what I see in the classroom with my students, at home with my children, and in my own pursuits as a person, successful goal-setting is one of the best ways to get me pumped up. When I reach a goal, […]
Students of Our Students’ Hearts
The key to life change is not the acts of the will but the loves of the heart. St. Augustine Teaching toward the long-term flourishing of our students means that, in many cases, we desire that the lives of our students will change. We hold both a high view of the impact we can have […]
Using Skull and Crossbones Lists to Ctl-A Delete Bad Habit Errors
A full year into using the skull and crossbones list, I can confirm that it does its job. When I speak with writing teachers, including those in the various content areas, they all share a visceral reaction to the kinds of writing errors that are habitual rather than intellectual. I’m talking about things like: not […]