Follow Thoreau into the Woods?







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I saw this post that I had added to Facebook several years ago, and it reminded me why I teach, as a lose myself in the business and whirlwind of a new year. ...So, the end of the year is here. Educators so get the frenzy of this season. Students are restless, and most of us are left wondering (well at least I am) whether we made any difference. This year was hard, even painful. I was truly challenged, frustrated, exhausted and disillusioned.... and then there was joy, satisfaction, wonderment and awe.... Today a seventh grade student, who just started two weeks ago, seemed to put everything in perspective. He is Hispanic, speaks poorly, thinks he reads great (3rd grade level) and yet has more potential as a leader than anyone I have ever met. He is a part of project HEART (for homeless students). He gave out mints to everyone who asked and when I asked him if he was ok with this, he just commented that whatever he had, he would share. Man, talk about te
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Innovation for innovation's sake has no value. The essential question every teacher should ask when designing a learning experience should relate to the why. Walking into a traditional classroom of uninspired students who had loaded  workbooks full of answers that required little thought, I immediately recognized the challenge. This was not about tests and grades, this had to be about learning. How could I transform this group into hungry minds demanding to inquire about the world? How could I establish an environment where they could engage in the learning design and care about ideas, thoughts, words? I am a risk taker. I will not play it safe in the classroom, because minds are at stake. So, when the time came for my second evaluation, I went into my preconference with the idea that I was going to continue my quest and involve my mentor in this quest. So, I explained that my summative experience for my students to determine their understanding of nonfiction tex
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