Dear colleague, Some time ago, I was listening to some professional development, and I noted something — it was all aimed at my head! The presenter’s working theory seemed to be that if I’d just think and understand correctly, then all would be well for me, and my life would be better ever after. And…

Dear colleague, A few years ago, a principal I was helping with a yearlong PD program on the Five Key Beliefs texted this to me after a session: The first thing I did was look up what it meant — I, like the principal, didn’t know. I discovered that it meant getting something to come…

Dear colleague, Just a quick share for you today. I made this one-pager (front and back) for some PD client schools last year but forgot to share it here on the blog. Sharing it now in case you’d like a simplified reference to the core strategies and graphical thinking tools found in my book, The…

Dear colleague, Once in a while, I’ll hear a student or a teacher say this when I bring up a strategy: “I tried that. It doesn’t work.” On its face, this is a frustrating thing for a teacher to hear. After all, the person seems to have come to the conclusion that there’s nothing more…

Dear colleague, Hofstadter’s Law is gallows humor: “It always takes longer than expected, even when one takes Hofstadter’s Law into account.” I’ve been teaching about two decades, and man… Hoftstadter must’ve been an educator or something. So: whether it’s grading or planning or getting through your emails, I’d better let you get back to the…

Dear colleague, Years ago, I started a series of articles called “Better, Saner Homework Tips.” In Part 1, I wrote on how we might make homework better and saner for ourselves. And in Part 2, I wrote about how we might make homework experiences better for our students. Today, I’d like to end this talk…