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Grades: Getting to the Heart of It

January 25, 2021
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Grades. Where do they come from? Why have they played such a prominent role in the American education system? All of us know students who have received an assignment and immediately asked, 鈥淚s this for a grade?鈥� Why would that question be so common? Isn鈥檛 school about learning? The use of standardized grading systems that…

Leading in Uncertain Times

December 25, 2020
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Never could we have imagined that the 2020-2021 school year would start the way it has. If you had asked me about the start of school this time last year, I would have described the great anticipation of students鈥� return, jumping back into learning, providing new and innovative programs for students, collaborating with colleagues and…

When They Know You Care

April 14, 2020
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This year, my son decided to try something new and enrolled in a theater arts class at his high school. I was proud of him for taking a risk and engaging his curiosity. While he isn鈥檛 a stage actor, he was interested in working on the team that managed sound during the productions. The students…

Ready for a New Habit

January 29, 2020
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It鈥檚 a new year. Usually, that turns into a nation of people reflecting on the past several months and projecting into the future by setting New Year鈥檚 resolutions. I have never been a great New Year鈥檚 resolution guy. I have the best of intentions, like most people. I start off with so much energy and…

Give the Gift of Learning

December 18, 2019
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When I was a kid, I didn鈥檛 like to read. It wasn鈥檛 that I couldn鈥檛 read, I just didn鈥檛 enjoy it. I distinctly remember being assigned a book to read and feeling the tedious and emotional angst as I slowly went page by page just trying to finish the task. I was a deliberate and…

Choice Builds Satisfaction

November 13, 2019
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John Spencer and A.J. Juliani, authors of Empower, say, 鈥淪tudents continue to fall into the same trap year after year with traditional schooling. They rarely have the chance to choose their learning path in school and routinely treat school like a 鈥榡ob鈥� instead of the most valuable learning experience they will ever have. By the…

Be a Maker Instead of Only a Learner

November 1, 2019
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As a young boy growing up in Southern California, I was always interested in other people and cultures. I would spend hours learning about distant lands in Europe and was captivated by their royal histories. The idea that a person could travel by car or train, and within a few short hours, have driven through…

Empower Your Students

September 1, 2019
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I love to read. Recently, I saw a post on social media that shared how you can spot a person who loves books. It made me chuckle to myself as I read the cited 鈥渆vidence鈥�. Reads several books at one time鈥� While also having a stack of books to read next and鈥β� Keeps a running…