The Importance of Play

Jonathan T. Jefferson

“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything, than when we are at play.” - Charles E. Schaefer

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What to Do on Lame Duck School Days

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Jennifer Gonzalez



The term “lame duck” is most often used to describe a president who is still sitting in office after his or her successor has been elected. Technically this person is still the president, but his or her decision-making power is generally perceived to be minimal.



We have something like that in school: those days when technically we’re still in school, but because it’s right before…

Leadership, like life, is a journey best taken along with a healthy dose of self-knowledge, social conscience, empathy, compassion, and humility. What is taught and learned in administrative preparation programs are the nuts and bolts: the law, finance, labor relations, supervision, governance, the details of the daily responsibilities. These are all necessary knowledge and skills for the administrative role, but they are not all one needs to know. The successful ones, the ones who…

One of the facets 21st century schools have in common is partnerships with business and higher education.  Many schools and districts already have partnerships that can be maximized with a willingness to recognize that:

• Students continue to fail to see a connection between what is happening in their classrooms and their future lives.
• Teachers do not have experience working in the fields of their content area.
• Targeted professional development that…

House construction is at boom in Australia and many bigger projects usually need many construction contractors hence creating a huge need of home construction workers. 

Paul from Home builders Brisbane says that the demand for home builders is increasing and therefore many home builders often need the trading professional like electricians, plumbers or construction workers. 

This shows that this is a unique field and…

The phrase 'tough on crime' sits atop a silent undertone. It is not about early intervention or after school programs or drug prevention programs. It is about punishments and putting "them" away.  Steven H. Cook, a former police officer who became a federal prosecutor based in Knoxville, Tennessee, has just been appointed as a top lieutenant in Attorney General Jeff Sessions' administration.  According to the Washington Post:

"Sessions and Cook are preparing a…

Schools reinforce societal values...but should they?  It is part of the intention of public schools, isn't it? Preparing children to grow into contributing citizens in our society is certainly part of the curriculum. Educators carry with them the limits and biases of the society as well as the mores that make us a civil society. Without realizing it, and with no bad intention, schools reinforce the effects of racism and send graduates off who are holding those very societal values we…

This video was part of a class project in which students were asked to tell a story. Michael wanted to convey to his classmates what his life is like as a person with autism, and with the help of one of his teachers, John Lozano, he used images and video to tell his story, an effort that took almost seven months. Michael decided the kinds of pictures and footage and directed Mr. Lozano how it should come together.

The music in this video is “untitled,” by Kina Grannis. It isn’t that…

We have an obligation to be mindful of how we teach and use the use of technology in learning. If you are wondering whether this applies to you or not, try spending a day without your phone attached to you, not checking your email, or looking for news alerts or suggestions for purchase. We would struggle to do that ourselves. Look around during faculty meetings and see whether there is focused attention or whether some are looking at their phones and iPads. Ask yourself if you've…

We have discovered over the past election cycle that it was getting more difficult not to get dragged down. The more hateful the language, the more distasteful the attitudes, the more troubling the policy, the more invisible the values, the more we were challenged to stay optimistic. A school is just a building without those human qualities living within it. We do know, however, that our business is one of hope and of optimism and of…