YOUR favorite (or least favorite) teacher story
It seems like very few days go by when I don’t hear one story or another about the positive impact a teacher that “got” them made on someone’s life. I also hear lots of stories about unbearable school years where
Necessity PLAY is the Mother of Invention
I stumbled across our Monsters, Inc DVD last night and one of the key themes replayed in my mind…the realization at the end of the movie that joy/laughter creates significantly more power than fear. I think we need to
What matters in life…and how do we teach these values to our kids?
First, let me just say that I am a HUGE documentary fan. For me, there’s something so rich and compelling about things that really happened or people who believe that they may be really, truly onto something. In the documentary
Why master teachers are also master marketers
As I speak with principals, assistant superintendents and curriculum directors each day, one of the first questions I always ask is “what is it that separates your superstar teachers from the rest of the pack?” The answer that comes back is
Have U.S. Students Fallen Victim to Self-Fulfilling Prophecies?
article originally written for Co-Op Catalyst by Jen Lilienstein I was reminded of an interesting tidbit the other day about the Finnish school system in one of the education news emails I receive the other day. This information has been
Appreciating Teachers All Year ‘Round
original article by Jen Lilienstein appeared on LessonPlanet So often, we hear media reports about the negative aspects of teaching and forget that teachers are the people who have made our children’s collective future their life’s work. The next time
Smart Reasons to Keep Kids Learning Over the Summer
article originally written by Jen Lilienstein for FamilyShare. For many kids, their mid-July mantra is “lazy”— not “learning.” While summer fun is on the daily agenda, some conceptual calisthenics also needs to make it onto the calendar during July and
Butterfly Parents vs. Tiger Mothers
I don’t know about you, but the message of the Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua rubs me the wrong way. And this is not to say that I don’t expect my kids to always do their best…but
Project Based Learning, Personality Type, and the 16 Habits of Mind
This article was written by Jen Lilienstein and originally published on LessonPlanet As new brain research permeates educational insights, we are becoming increasingly aware that engagement and affectivity – long key components of many pedagogical constructs – are now being