Dear colleague, An important promise I make to myself and to my students is that we will never do busywork in my classroom. We’ll be busy, for sure. Time is precious, the fruits of learning are priceless, and you only learn by doing work with care. But it won’t be busywork. Here it’s helpful to […]
Focused Finish: MGCs Aimed at Purpose, Goals, and Growth
Dear colleague, Thanks for those who’ve supported my work via registering for the Focused Finished Seminar (details/registration here). It makes what I do possible — truly. Recently I took a day off school to visit Ravenna, OH. While there, I led colleagues through the student motivation/engagement methodology found in The Will to Learn. Whenever I […]
Let’s Finish the Year Together
Dear Colleague, In my last article, I asked what your Focused Finish might look like for this school year. And y’all are wise, sane people — so many of you are seeking that sweet spot between limping to summer and overwhelming yourselves with All The Things. Based on these conversations, I’m pumped to unveil my […]
What’s Your Focused Finish?
Dear colleague, At the front of my classroom hangs a simple poster with the words “Do Hard Things.” It reminds my students—and me—that growth happens when we embrace challenges with purpose. Doing (the right) work with (belief-fueled) care = the core of the Do Hard Things ethos. As we enter the final quarter of the […]
How an 8th Grade Teacher Made an Everest Statement for Reading and Had Her Students Make One for Writing
Dear colleagues, Earlier this year, our colleague Mrs. Ariella Kranczer wrote in to me about her clever “I do, you do” implementation of Everest Statements in her eighth grade ELA classroom. Wanted to share it here because it is excellent! Hi, Fellow teacher and follower of you. I love what you model and share- thank […]