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For months, the lives of many otherwise privileged kids have been dominated by screens.
Without anything else to do or anywhere else to go, they’ve been relying on digital devices for entertainment, human connection, education, and enrichment.
It’s great that they have this option, but it’s not enough, and it can’t go on forever. Coronavirus or no, we need to make sure children get ample time to interact with the natural world.
Read MoreThere comes a point in the news cycle where there’s nothing new happening, yet the flow of words and images must continue.
That’s when the news media starts reporting on stuff other people said about what could happen next.
“So-and-so predicts worst economic downturn in modern history!”
“A source says that students won’t be back to school until 2021!”
Read MoreIn our online meetings with students and parents of The Little Middle School, one question keeps coming up: “How long do you think we’re going to be doing this?”
We’re all craving certainty right now, and though the correct answer is, “Nobody knows,” I offer a different one: “We’re preparing to do online school for the rest of the term.”
The reason is simple: If things suddenly went back to normal, we would be relieved to leap into our former routines and even the commutes we once complained about. We know how to execute that plan.
Read MoreRunning a tiny, weird school exposes some fascinating and frustrating human behavior.
From prospective families who decide not to enroll, I often hear, "We love your program, but we're going to give our public school a try first. Who knows, maybe we'll be contacting you again if it doesn't work out!"
It’s understandable that people would be reluctant to take the risk, financial and educational, of trying something different. But I also hear, equally often, "We wish we had started with you sooner!" from parents who return a year or two later, finally ready to give us a try.
Read MoreThere are lots of kids out there who have never felt that a teacher understood them or liked them. The teacher who treats a student like a human being, giving them the benefit of the doubt (along with the space to mess up) is a teacher who will have a fan for life.
I'll never forget one moment with a student -- let's call her Anna -- where I saw this clearly.
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