Last time, I explained why I assign homework and how I make it doable for myself. That sentence might sound like an evil, teacher-centered way of thinking about homework, but it’s just practical. If the kinds of homework I give add undue frustration and overwork to my life, then I won’t give much of that kind […]
Better, Saner Homework, Pt 1: 6 Tips to Make It More Doable for Us
I know that some great teachers in the world don’t give an ounce homework, and I’ve heard good reasons for that. Here are the reasons why I do give my ninth-grade students homework on a regular basis: First, homework is an opportunity. I want the Stuart children to have opportunities to learn beyond the school day, […]
Encouraged, Equipped, and Understood
At one of the desks where I write for this blog, I’ve got three index cards taped to the wall. Each card has a single word on it, all caps: ENCOURAGED. EQUIPPED. UNDERSTOOD. These are how I want colleagues like you to experience the work I put into the world, whether it’s a blog post […]
Four Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was a Student Teacher
This past Tuesday, I gave a keynote to a group of 400 student teachers from around West Michigan. It was only twenty minutes long, so I had to be quick as I went through four things I wish people had told me when I was starting out. Before I get to the four things, you […]
Time to Retire
If you, like me, hope to put an entire career’s worth of effort, care, improvement, and service into teaching — in other words, if you want to invest the bulk of your adult life, day by day, into this work — then there’s a job you’ve got to quit, right now. If you don’t stop […]