Happy new year!

Click on my Literacy Connections blog to see the New York Public Library's list of top books for children and teens published in 2012.  There are many nonfiction and poetry titles for those looking to enhance their Common Core lessons.  On my blog you'll also find a…

Practice As a Key to Improving Supervisory Conversations

In this New York Times article, Troy, NY principal Katie Yezzi describes how her Uncommon Schools boss, Doug Lemov, coached her in preparation for a midyear conference with a struggling teacher. “I was dreading the review,” says Yezzi. “I didn’t want to be harsh, but I also didn’t want to water down the message and give this teacher a false impression. I knew I wasn’t ready to have that…

Madeline Hunter on Pre-Observation Conferences (an Oldie but Goodie)

(Originally titled “Let’s Eliminate the Pre-Observation Conference”)

In this provocative Educational Leadership article from 1986, instructional guru Madeline Hunter said, “The pre-observation conference is a vestigial organ remaining from the days when observation of teaching was a ‘fuzzy’ activity, depending on the intuition or bias of the supervisor……

David Brooks on Changing Bad Behavior

In this New York Times column, David Brooks tells the story of a scorching e-mail that Nick Crews, a British father of three grown children, sent his offspring last February. It’s come to be known as the “Crews Missile” in Great Britain because of its hectoring language toward the hapless children. It concluded, “I want to hear no more from any of you until, if you feel inclined, you have a success or an…

Making Sense of SOCIAL MEDIA and its Impact on Learning

Metaphorically Speaking

"The Peloton of Learning"

Ten years and thirty pounds ago, I was a pretty serious cyclist. In fact I had competed in over 50 triathlons, and spent many long weekends riding the North Shore of Long Island. As a result of my participation in triathlons, I developed an admiration for cycling, and fell in love with…

It has come to that time of year that we all sit back and reflect on what went on in our lives over the last 365 days. For some of us older folk this yearly indulgence has become more of a legacy measurement than just a checklist of what was done last year.  At this stage of my life I find myself in a unique position to help connect and engage educators in huge numbers and using methods that were not imagined a few years ago. I might say that this is an assessment of my digital footprint. I…

It has come to that time of year that we all sit back and reflect on what went on in our lives over the last 365 days. For some of us older folk this yearly indulgence has become more of a legacy measurement than just a checklist of what was done last year.  At this stage of my life I find myself in a unique position to help connect and engage educators in huge numbers and using methods that were not imagined a few years ago. I might say that this is an assessment of my digital footprint. I…

It has come to that time of year that we all sit back and reflect on what went on in our lives over the last 365 days. For some of us older folk this yearly indulgence has become more of a legacy measurement than just a checklist of what was done last year.  At this stage of my life I find myself in a unique position to help connect and engage educators in huge numbers and using methods that were not imagined a few years ago. I might say that this is an assessment of my digital footprint. I…

The "village" is currently not in working order. There was a time when you could send your children outside to play, safely. There was a time when children could walk to school, safely. There was a time when neighbors were just as responsible for one another's children, and would ensure the safety of each child. 

As gun violence continues, will LaPierre and the NRA recommend Armed Guards on Firetrucks or arm Firemen with guns- as if firemen don't have enough to worry…

Three Professional Reads That are Worth Your Time

The Tempered Radical by Bill Ferriter

What Middle School Students Need to Read

Claire Needell Hollander is an English teacher at a public middle school in New York City. She is the author of "Something Right Behind Her."

UPDATED DECEMBER 27, 2012, 6:03 PM

Observing the Common Core Classroom

In the wake of the holiday gift giving season and the trajectory of increased online shopping it is worth taking a look at changing trends in commerce and how that may or may not apply to education.  One of these trends is an ever increasing volume of package deliveries throughout the world.  The first part of this examination really goes beyond holiday shopping habits or the number of packages delivered, and seeks to recognize the vastly changed landscape that we live in today compared to…

Bridging the New Digital Divide

How to Unleash Creativity

“Most people are born creative,” say Tom Kelley (University of California/Berkeley and University of Tokyo) and David Kelley (Stanford University) in this thoughtful Harvard Business Review article. “As children, we revel in imaginary play, ask outlandish questions, draw blobs and call them dinosaurs.” But as the years pass, formal education takes its toll and many people no longer see themselves as…

Eighty-Six Things I Learned at P.S. 86 (Hallie Fox)