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A movie or novel starts in the moment when something is about to change for our protagonist.
This change is always brought on by some outside force. Dorothy, home and all, is spirited away to Oz, accidentally committing murder in the process. Gandalf shows up and disrupts Bilbo’s peaceful existence. Hagrid comes along and tells Harry he’s been a wizard all along. We’re in for a wild time.
Read MoreI have a tendency to slow down when things are going well.
It as though I’m heading off the highway and into a small, sleepy town. I have the sense that I’ve arrived at my destination. It’s 25 mph here, not 70. I wind through the streets, slowly taking turn after familiar turn.
That’s fine if I’m actually there. But more often than not, I’m not. I’m slowing down and exiting when I still have miles and miles to go.
Read MoreRolling past the coastal marshes on a northbound train on the last day of August felt like seeing the summer fade away in realtime.
How could it be over?
The funny thing is, it’s been “over” in some parts of the country for a month. The kids went back to school in Atlanta on August 1, and that’s when I would have returned to school, too — if I were still teaching.
Read MoreOne of the things you learn as a teacher is to hold back.
You can’t share everything you know, no matter how willing the student is. You have to slowly drip out the information over time. It’s even better when you can structure the student’s learning such that they are taking actions that lead to growth and insight without you having to explain anything.
For a student who is hesitant or uncomfortable, giving them everything you’ve got will be overwhelming and frustrating. You serve them better when you do less and give less.
Read MoreIn teaching middle school writing, I’ve observed that so-called “creative writing” techniques get in the way of clear communication.
Elementary students are encouraged to use metaphor, descriptions of sensory experiences, and colorful adverbs and adjectives.
The result is that, by the time they get to middle school, half of the students are submitting work that is florid and overwrought.
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