[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n the first day of my teaching career, I met a group of sixth graders who would give me my first master class on teaching. Caleb was one of those students: huge smile, artistic genius, winsome character. Caleb, his peers, and I were all new that year to Woodlawn Middle School in Baltimore, MD. What you have to realize […]
The Mental Reset Button: Hit It
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]t some point last school year, you began a list called “Things I’ll Tackle Once School is Done.” Some of you said you’d revamp your curriculum or read that one PD book you’ve been hearing about or begin studying for that new course you’re teaching next year or paint your classroom walls or reorganize your […]
$11,195 through Donors Choose: A Reflection on Generosity
During this past school year, a group of mostly strangers donated $4,197 worth of books to my classroom library (here’s the list). I didn’t earn a grant for this; I have no wealthy benefactors; and I didn’t ask for donations from readers of this blog or its social networks. No — I just asked for books on […]
Pop-Up Toasts: A Last Day of School Activity that Teaches PVLEGS, Character, and Classiness
(Note: This post is updated every year with modifications or lessons learned, by Dave and others, in using this activity. Scroll to the end of the post for those updates.) The curriculum is completed, the last tests are taken, and, for one reason or another, you’ve got your students for 30 or 60 more minutes. […]
Defining Everest: A Reflection on the Challenges of Teaching
On May 29, 1953, the two men pictured above became the first human beings to set foot on Mount Everest. During their ascent they battled weather, temperatures, ice, and odds, achieving a victory that many of their contemporaries considered humanly impossible. In this article I seek not to diminish the accomplishments of Hillary (above left) and […]