The Pacifier - Part II

A while back, I gave you The Pacifier. It was Part I of a two part series, kind of like a "Masterpiece Theater" series.

Well, here is The Pacifier - Part II.

What Makes a Great Teacher?

Want some answers? Read The Atlantic article "What Makes a Great Teacher?" by Amanda Ripley.

Middle School Brains

Middle school brains are growing, changing, and amazing. Think about what a challenge this is for the middle school child. Click over to this excellent article, "My Amygdala Ate My Homework! The adolescent brain is long on intellect but short on judgement" by Launa Schweizer. Here is the opening paragraph:

When I arrive at my job, several people run to the door to hug me. During each day, at least one person falls out of her chair, someone bursts into tears, and several people fail to complete their assignments. My co-workers drop food on the carpet, flip upside down into headstands, and make fart jokes. Half of them interrupt me with off-topic remarks, and the other half sit in sullen silence. Sometimes they pick the keys off our shared computers.

I wish I were kidding.

To See or Not to See

This miraculous story of Ben Underwood, "The Boy Who Sees Without Eyes — My Shocking Story" is truly a sight to behold. While the entire clip is 47 minutes, you only need to watch the first six minutes to understand why I have posted it.

Teen Talk

Now that school has begun, it's time to start thinking about our kids — their social lives and the pressures of school work, a challenging mix at best. My friend's blog has an excellent post on the mysteries of raising/educating teenagers. The post has a nice piece "Frustrating Teenager Behavior: What's a Mother to Do?" along with other links that you might find interesting in your work with teens.

My Montessori Journey

Unlike most Montessori educators who attend a Montessori school, or send their child to a Montessori school, or teach in a Montessori school, my experience was a bit different. I discovered Montessori at the age of 54 after teaching and working in four traditional schools over a 30-year career. You might find the story of my Montessori journey interesting. It was recently published in my column in Public School Montessorian. The publication is celebrating its 100th issue and 25-year anniversary.

Unsuspected Bond Between a Stranger and a Child

Listen to this beautiful StoryCorps clip of how a third grade child and an unsuspecting adult were introduced and how their introduction blossomed into a lifelong relationship.

Click here to meet Bryan Lindsay and Rowan Allen telling their story.

Born Good?

This excellent CBS "60 Minutes" piece looks at the questions

Are we born with a sense of morality?
Are we blank slates waiting for the world to teach us right from wrong?
Do we start out nasty, selfish devils who need our parents, teachers, and religions to whip us into shape?

The baby videos alone are worth watching this fascinating research.

Are You an Introvert or Extrovert? . . . OR Ambivert?

Ambivert?

Daniel Pink's latest book To Sell is Human has lots to say about introverts and extroverts. If you don't read the book, at least listen to this NPR interview with Pink to hear what he has to say on the subject.

This is a nice follow-up to Susan Cain's book Quiet.

How Do You Assess Child Creativity?

Check out this short video on creative thinking. It says so much about how children receive instruction. Also, you also might want to watch Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talk on creative thinking and listen to Harry Chapin's song "Flowers are Red." You will find both on my May 10, 2009 post "Child Creativity."

The Ultimate Question

Something for you to think about during these hot summer days . . .

If you were to ask your parents and teachers the ultimate question, how do you think it would turn out for your school? With this in mind, read The Ultimate Question 2.0 by Fred Reichheld.  It will give you excellent insights into how your school can be measured with one question. Reichheld has so much to say about profits v. service.

Oh . . . what's the question? Well, I guess I can pass that on . . .

"On a zero-to-ten scale, how likely is it that you would recommend us (or this product/service/brand) to a friend or colleague?"

Introvert v. Extrovert

If you have ever bumped into the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), you know that it types personalities by the way people prefer to think and act. Originally based on the work of Carl Jung, one of the dicotomies is introversion and extroversion. Here is an excellent TED Talk by Susan Cain that presents the power of introversion.

If you are interested to learn more, check out her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.

Who Is Teaching My Child? — A Story for Parents

Parents, as part of your summer reading, think about getting to know your child's teachers.

See what I mean when you read "Who Is Teaching My Child? A Story for Parents" that was published in the summer 2013 issue of Montessori Life.

Having Tooth Problems?

I love Shel Silverstein's "The Crocodile's Toothache" poem from his book Where the Sidewalk Ends. Warning: this video is rated "S" for scary. No one under 8 should watch it without a parent OR anyone who is about to have work done on their teeth.

Team Work

If you are not familiar with "Lessons of the Geese" (I could not discern who the author is; if you know, please reply with a Comment), you can view the video or click here for a pdf.

This is a great video to share with your staff.

A Better PowerPoint Approach

First there was Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint — 10 slides / 20 minutes long / no font smaller than 30 point.

Then, there is Pecha Kucha (Japanese word for "chatter") — 20 slides @ 20 seconds each.

Recently, I presented "Effectively Managing Your Board" to a group of school administrators using a Pecha Kucha approach to PowerPoint presentations. Both the group and I appreciated the change.

Here is author Dan Pink doing "Emotionally Intelligent Sinage" via Pecha Kucha. See what you think.

And the Pursuit of Happiness

I loved the book And the Pursuit of Happiness so much that I presented it to each member of our terrific graduating Class of 2013. Here is what I said to the graduates when I presented it to them on Thursday evening:

Reading it, you get two distinct treats for the price of one. Maira Kalman, creator of the book, is both the author and illustrator. You can see her art work at the Julie Saul Gallery in Manhattan.

Divided into 12 chapters, one for each month, it reads like a graphic novel. You will find fact after fact about our Country, and the facts tie in beautifully with all of the work you have been doing in U.S. History. After I read it over spring break, there was one fact that stuck in my head. The author presented a list of Benjamin Franklin’s accomplishments, which included bifocals, swim fins, Poor Richard’s Almanac, among many admirable patriotic deeds; but the one deed cited in the book I loved the most is “He believed in doing good every day.” Do good every day and you will have happiness and you will want to do good again — a wonderful life cycle to live by.

Fad, Frenzy, or Future?

As the Common Core Standards gain traction, I was thankful to read in this week's Sunday Times "Who's Minding the Schools?" by Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus. I think you'll find these two quotes interesting:

"By the 2014-15 academic year, public schools in 45 states and the District of Columbia will administer Common Core tests to students of all ages."

". . . most private, non-religious schools have concluded that the program isn't for them."

In any case, do read the article.

Forest Kindergarten

Five-year olds using knives and fire along with lots of freedom in the forest?

 "School's Out: Lessons from a Forest Kindergarten"  is a trailer to a documentary film about a forest Kindergarten in Switzerland. Check out more at www.schoolsoutfilm.com.

The Fault in Our Stars

John Green keeps coming up with excellent young adult literature. The Fault in Our Stars, one of his latest, is a page-turner for sure. It certainly gives the reader a sense of what it is like being a teenager and having to battle cancer.

Middle School Student Insights

At a recent meeting with middle school teachers talking to parents who will have children in middle school next fall, I was impressed when one of the teachers quoted a middle school student; "Middle school is like a soap opera and you are either in it or watching." How insightful.

It reminded me of an article I wrote. Click over to "On Middle School Children and Their Parents" to see if it, too, provides some insight.

You also might want to read "Teenagers Are Wired For Peer Approval, Study Says" in Education Week.

Every Child Needs a Champion

Hear what Rita Pierson has to say about human connection.

She's so right when she says "Teaching and learning should bring joy."

Far From the Tree

The other night I had the opportunity to hear Andrew Solomon speak about his book, Far From the Tree. He was most impressive. The fact that the book is based on over 300 interviews and took him 11 years to write is impressive enough, but it is the many beautiful people he writes about that will capture you. Here is the book trailer. View it and see what I mean.

2 Sides 2 Bullying

Having spent much of my career in middle school education, I am especially sensitive to how middle schoolers treat one another. Sometimes when the obvious grace and courtesy you hope will prevail are lacking, an inner thoughtfulness takes over and kids do take care of each other. See what I mean when you read my recently published "Stepping Up: A Short Story" in Independent Teacher magazine.

Summer 2013 Professional Reading List

Thinking about your summer reading?

Each year our Professional Development Committee selects the summer reading for our faculty and staff. The school buys the book of choice — eBook or print version — for each faculty or staff member. When we return in September, we divide into book groups for discussion.

Here are this year's selections:

Whistling Vivaldi - Claude M. Steele
Punished by Rewards - Alfie Kohn
Packaging Boyhood: Saving Our Sons from Superheroes, Slackers, and Other Media Stereotypes - Sharon Lamb & Lyn Mikel Brown
Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters from Marketers' Schemes - Sharon Lamb & Lyn Mikel Brown
Quiet: The Power of Introverts In a World That Can't Stop Talking - Susan Cain
Smart But Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential - Peg Dawson & Richard Guare

Teachers' Expectations Can Predict How Students Perform

Take eight minutes to listen to this important NPR piece, "Teachers' Expectations Can Predict How Students Perform," to get some research and insights on how teachers and parents have to monitor what and how teachers speak to students. 

Moving Lessons Along via 20 X 20?

A different approach to PowerPoint presentations. With a Pecha Kucha (Japanese for "chatter") you watch 20 slides with 20 seconds for each slide — non-stop. 

Click here for a great example of a Pecha Kucha from my friend Dan Pink.

Portrait of a Graduate

How nice it is to hear from the graduates of our school. "Portrait of a Graduate" is a video we recently made, featuring some of them. Click over to see this 6-minute gem.

Two excellent poems from two middle school students

Office Buildings

The towering giants of corporate companies,

watching the tiny ants mill around the busy city

streets where you can smell the greasy soft

pretzels that the tourists buy. The businessmen

walk by swiftly, already late for their job in the giant

building, in a cubicle, sitting next to people they don’t

know and will never try to find out because all they

want to do is do their job like robots, not noticing,

suffocating under the heavy suit and tie.

But then they come home to their families,

and they are normal people

not ants, not robots

just people.

Tiger

Caged Tiger

Pacing back and forth,

Waiting for the food that I didn’t kill,

Ready to eat.

The fence has sparks that I can’t touch.

I can hear it humming.

People are making noise while I’m trying to sleep.

My eyes hurt from the blinking lights.

I can smell prey around me but I can’t hunt it.

My stomach is full but I feel empty.

LOL

What the heck does it mean?

If you teach or have a tween-something and you imbibe in IMing aka texting, you must listen to this 10-minute message from Adam Gopnik's March 12, 2013 LOL bit.

I promise you, you will love it laughing.