By: Darren Iselin Jon Eckert mentions in his excellent and highly practical book Just Teaching that he once commenced an article with the sentence: “I teach to entertain myself”.[i] Rather than trivialising the importance of learning and instruction, such a posture, when used creatively and deliberately, has been found to significantly enhance and promote engagement and motivation in learners and build meaningful relationships between teachers and students. Catherine Price identifies the triad of elements that […]
Improvement Instead of Inaction
By: Wendi Singletary We have reached the point in the year where the beginning of school is a distant memory. Many of us find ourselves longing for the next break or even May. It’s that stretch in the fall when the goals and dreams we had for the school year can get lost in the minutiae of daily tasks. It can be so easy to just lower our expectations, to decide our current trajectory is […]
Joy in the Garden: How Outdoor Learning Is Growing Leaders at Hewitt Elementary
By: Angela Brown Coach Prime, Deion Sanders, says in his book Elevate and Dominate: “You’re not just here to show up. You’re here to take over.” At Hewitt Elementary, we’ve taken that challenge in our own way. We aren’t taking over by winning games; we’re taking over with joy. We are moving learning outdoors! Transforming God’s creation into another classroom and fostering a culture where every child can thrive, lead, and feel a true sense […]
This Little Light of Mine: A Principal’s Detour to Finding and Keeping Their Light
By: Cierra Nickerson It had been only a year since I left my role as a principal at an alternative high school. A decision that was one of the most difficult to make. Mommy duties such as breast feeding, sleepless nights, and even the need to be available in case of the inevitable fever and the frequent doctors visits paralyzed me into moving in a different direction. I enjoyed the principalship immensely, but my new […]
Pedagogical Hospitality: A Vision for AI use in Our Schools
By: Paul Matthews I’m going to tell you about the first time I nearly quit teaching. Believe it or not, this experience has come to deeply shape the way I think about Artificial Intelligence1 in my teaching practice. It all started with a student named Bill. Meet Bill It was 2014 and I was on my first placement as a trainee teacher. As I pulled into the carpark, I realised I was the only one […]