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Explain, Exercise, and Debrief
I was asked to present at the IntegratED Conference in Portland, Oregon this past weekend and I was both delighted and a bit intimidated. The lineup of presenters included some of the most creative...
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The Common Core Tsunami
As my friend and colleague Sue Copely says, a tsunami is approaching and its name is the Common Core State Standards. This week I read Diane Ravitch’s recent post on the Common Core where she finally...
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Jay McTighe and 21st Century Assessment
Jay McTighe and 10 NH Pre-Service Teachers There are times we need to learn from divergent thinkers – to be challenged in new ways. But sometimes you want to hear from the names and voices you trust...
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Searching for Patience and Understanding
It’s a story that plays out in schools across the country: a young child brings a fake weapon to school and receives a strong consequence for his behavior. Last month this scenario played out in...
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The Power of Blue Jeans
If you happened to be volunteering today at Harold Martin or anywhere in our district, you saw a sea of “blue” as staff members all wore blue jeans in honor of the Merrimack County Child Advocacy...
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In Search of Resilience
Perhaps the best part of my eclectic job is the ability to interact with hundreds of students and nearly 60 staff members on a daily basis. I’ve observed the behavior of nearly every personality type...
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Counting on Joy
There is no doubt that this is, comparatively speaking, a stressful time of year. Professionally there is much to do, kids are restless, and for many of us, our own children’s graduations and...
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Memorial Day 2013
The Concord (NH) High Marching Band, taken this morning during the Memorial Day Parade. Living in the world of schools, certain “holidays” take on additional meaning. In elementary schools we take some...
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We All Need to Relax
Ogunquit, Maine on a calm summer day. It has been a few rough weeks for me, some of the toughest I’ve faced in a while. There’s nothing on paper to explain this. My wife and kids are doing great. My...
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It’s Still a Wonderful World
It’s no secret to the students and staff of my school that I am a Boston sports fan. When I moved to New England from the midwest as a Junior in High School, I segued from being a St. Louis Cardinals...
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Evernote for Administrators-Only the Beginning
The role of an school administrator is certainly multifaceted. Taking charge of the school’s vision is perhaps his/her primary role, but the reality is that immediate trouble can occur if the “buses...
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Blogging from the NH Summer Statewide Educator Conference
I have the pleasure today of attending and presenting at the Statewide Educator Conference at Keene State College, in Keene, NH. Thus far, the highlight has been the unveiling of a new approach to...
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8 Simple Hints for Twitter Chats
Have you noticed the rise in commercials with a Twitter focus? Recent advertisements by Honda (full disclosure, I own one) is an irritating play on the hashtag element of Twitter. It’s unfortunate as...
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The Advantage of Professional Capital
As part of my role with NHASCD, I was able to have dinner with well known educational speaker and author Andy Hargreaves and his wife last year when he spoke in Concord, NH as part of our...
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Saying Goodbye to My Youngest
Writing is cathartic…the first three paragraphs were truly written the morning of my son Jacob’s college trip to Boston. It actually helped me pack the car and make the 90 minute drive to Boylston...
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How Long Will We Teach Cursive Handwriting?
Schools are often in a reactive mode to societal changes in technology, popular customs, and politics. We adjust our policies and curriculum based on this changing tide. For example, I am asked...
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4 Ways to Help Find Time to Blog
Lately, I’ve been feeling guilty about not blogging as frequently as I should. Ironically, school administrator and keynote speaker George Couros, one of our field’s best known educational bloggers,...
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Lessons from the Red Sox
It’s hard not to focus on the Boston Red Sox when they are one win away from winning the World Series. It’s frankly heartwarming to see such intellectuals I respect such as A.J. Dionne and Atul Gawande...
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My Favorite Vet
I first posted this three years ago today. I’m re-posting today on Veteran’s Day, in honor of Vic Carozza, my favorite Vet. I have a natural affinity for anything with knobs, buttons, keys, screens,...
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Thoughts on the JFK Anniversary
We Americans are historical people. There are events that define every generation and when anniversaries occur, we relive the occasion with thoughtfulness and often a new perspective based on our...
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