Some time ago, a professor in California named Dr. Sue Baker wrote me after my post on the economic advantages of writing well. She asked, “Would it be possible to do a plug for writing instruction and how it supports our democracy? I understand that writing skills are key for employment, and that employment and being […]
student LTF
Learning for Life
In the March 2016 issue of Educational Leadership, Editor in Chief Marge Sherer poses a provocative question: “What about [our students’] learning today will they consider ‘Learning for Life’?” I have two answers to this question. First, teaching toward my students one day considering the learning in my class “Learning for Life” is not my objective. […]
“Overachievers” and the Tyranny of Low Expectations
The other day when my students were brainstorming questions they could ask to a panel of local professionals, a student said she would like to ask, “What motivated you to overachieve and become successful?” This was an earnest question from a pretty transparent kid. The definition of an overachiever, in my general education classes especially, […]
Predicting Success: Dialing Long-Term Flourishing Back into Things We Might Affect This Year
If our ultimate goal is less than the long-term flourishing of kids, student motivation doesn’t matter much. English teachers want kids to become lifelong readers because we want them to flourish; science teachers aim at teaching a methodical way of thinking and viewing the world because such thinking is instrumental to a flourishing life; physical education exists […]
A Conversation with David Conley
While preparing the material inside of the Teaching with Articles course, I interviewed people I greatly respect and recorded the conversations. Previously, I’ve published my conversations with Kelly Gallagher and Larry Ferlazzo. Today, I’m sharing my conversation with the father of college and career readiness, Dr. David Conley himself. Dr. Conley is president of EdImagine, […]