Agony and Ecstasy: Writing and Transformation in an Anti-School
My “career” as a non-tenured lecturer in a university rhetoric and writing studies department became even more precarious as the Great Financial Crisis unfolded in late 2008, and I decided to sniff around for something more stable. A nearby high school was known for its exhibitions of student learning, so I attended one and spoke …
Treating Classes Like Gatherings, Part Three: Ending Well
(If you haven’t read part one, on establishing purpose, or part two, on facilitating well, I’d recommend starting there.) Parker does a particularly fine job of demystifying the part of a gathering that most seems like a combination of art, magic, and luck: the ending. The Sense of an Ending Before offering suggestions on how …
Treating Classes Like Gatherings, Part Two: Teaching With Generous Authority
(If you haven’t read part one, about establishing purpose, consider starting there.) After providing solid advice on how to approach a gathering’s “why,” Parker offers guidance on designing the core of the experience and facilitating it effectively. The core of that advice: “Don’t be chill!” A ubiquitous strain of twenty-first-century culture is infecting our gatherings: …
Why Teachers Should Consider Their Classes “Gatherings”
Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering, a book that, as the subtitle suggests, takes up the subject of how we meet and why it matters, provides key insights into at least three crucial aspects of excellent teaching: establishing purpose, cultivating generous authority, and ending well. Parker’s book’s written for a general reader; anyone who has …
Teaching Students with Disabilities as Transformative Learning
When the virus first broke, some schools initially deposited the whole idea of online instruction in the too-hard pile, hesitating to offer classes for any students rather than attempting to fulfill their legal and ethical obligations to serve all students, especially those with disabilities. Clearly, if educators fail to attempt in good faith and to …
With Universal Basic Income, what might be possible for public schools?
This week, Twitter and Square founder Jack Dorsey pledged $1 billion for the purpose of addressing immediate coronavirus needs and then, longer term, supporting initiatives related to girls’ health and education and universal basic income (UBI). He’s tracking the donations on this public Google spreadsheet, which, at the time of this writing, 67 people are …
Priorities for Flexible Learning
With students geographically dispersed, school schedules disrupted, and standardized tests delayed or cancelled, teachers have opportunities to explore creative paths for designing meaningful student learning experiences. With limited emotional and material resources, what ought they prioritize during this time?* Here are three teaching and learning priorities to consider: Building community Integrating student interests into the …
Using Purpose to Encourage Student Engagement
One advantage of online learning from an instructional coaching perspective is it’s easier to get a sense of a student’s experience. From home offices, we can visit the documents, videos, and pages designed to lead students through lessons, tasks, and projects and put ourselves in the digital shoes of a 6th, or 9th, or 11th …
