Why I'm Blogging...

"What's the most important factor in determining whether a school is a setting in which children grow and learn? It's not the number of computers available, nor is it a low pupil-teacher ratio, although those factors are certainly important. It's not even how well the faculty is paid, even though hiring excellent teachers and paying them well is essential. In fact, the most important factor in determining whether a school is a setting in which children grow and learn is whether the school is a setting in which adults grow and learn." --Thomas Hoerr, "Faculty Collegiality"

I'm blogging because I want to get better at what I do, and I think this may just be a good tool for helping me learn. I know that we all have too much to do--papers to grade, reports to write, meetings to attend, emails to reply to. And yet it's learning that gives me energy. It's the conversations that I have with colleagues in which I hear about a great lesson, or a compelling article, or a new idea, that inspire me, feed my passion, and help drive me to get better. The most important way that I learn is by reflecting on what I do, and I'm much better at doing this in conversation than on my own.

And so my blog is an attempt to start a conversation--one about teaching and learning, one about values-based education, one about creating authentic learning environments for our students. I think one of my most important jobs is to help us to overcome the gravitational pull in schools toward isolation. I hope we can share articles, videos, websites, problems, and ideas. I hope some of you will join me.