Articles That Have Me Thinking

Brett Clark shares an interview with renown author and educator Will Richardson in which Will describes the most successful school he has seen and why it has been so successful.  He states, "They are problem based, inquiry based, they throw huge questions at their kids, they don't deliver much of an education at all, kids are creating their own curriculum, and teachers are there to facilitate and lend their expertise.

The real strength of the school is that the adults are all learners.

Will continues, "We (teachers) really have to learn how to take ourselves out of this process as much as we can and be the guides, the learning experts, the inquiry experts, the ones who know how to ask great questions and keep motivating kids, but are not delivering much of anything at all."

What could Piedmont Intermediate become if we allow our student's to own the learning?

A Conversation With Will Richardson


Everyone makes mistakes.  It is important that our students understand that it is ok to fail as long as we learn from it.  In the following video, the teacher remarks, "A mistake is a student's opportunity to share with me how much they understand."

Notice how the teacher demonstrates her favorite "no."  She makes sure the students recognize not only that what they are about to see is wrong, but also that there is something good about the mistake.  She begins by asking, "What in that problem am I happy to see?"

My Favorite No

A Seamless Transition To Academic Excellence

As we begin to build a foundation for excellence, I developed a transition model consisting of four key pieces.

(1)Student Transition – Piedmont Intermediate will be a school of transition. We must work to create a seamless transition for our 5th graders and ensure they feel comfortable, confident, and safe. These students may feel anxiety during the first few weeks of school. We must remember that these students are upper elementary and will need a little assistance from time to time. On the other hand, we must prepare our 6th graders to transition to the 7th/8th building. Responsibility, a strong academic foundation, and following school rules will be a big part of this transition.  It is imperative we focus on developing the whole child.

(2)Teacher Transition – Before the building ever opens, it will be important to define what a developmentally responsive school looks like. As teachers from 4 different buildings come together, we must begin building a collaborative culture along with developing a shared vision with a laser-like focus on results.

(3)Parent Partnership – Community building and collaboration will be an important factor in Piedmont Intermediate becoming an immediate success. Communication is key. Engaging in open, sincere, and honest dialogue and genuinely establishing relationships with parents is a must. Great schools inspire great conversations with the entire school community.

(4)Strong Curriculum Audit – It will be essential to prioritize our curricular needs. We must review testing data to identify strengths and weaknesses and develop a research-based action plan. We will work to transition and align to Common Core State Standards.

What other puzzle pieces do you believe will play a major factor not only in this transition but will lead to academic excellence?

Articles That Have Me Thinking

What is education for? Is it for pouring facts and formulas into students’ heads, or is it for creating learners? How will creating a Growth Mindset environment at Piedmont Intermediate help us grow learners and innovators?

Is “Accountability” Undermining American Education?

Eric Sheninger shares a terrific experience along with important ideas for our schools. These include creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, technological proficiency, global awareness, media literacy, communication, and collaboration. He concludes this article with, what I believe to be, 5 non-negotiable ideas we must be doing if we want to prepare our students for the 21st Century.

The Best Ideas For Our Schools

Articles That Have Me Thinking

#1 Pernille Ripp is one of my favorite connected educators who challenges me to think differently on a weekly basis. Her latest post, Dear New Principal, hit home as I read the many relevant teacher expectations. I would love for any of you to comment and add your personal expectations for me.

Dear New Principal

#2 As we begin to transition to Common Core Standards, the following article, although is centered around math, brings up an important practice that we all can learn from regardless of the subject area. Sometimes when teachers work problems or diagram sentences on the board, the teacher's decisions can seem magical or out of the blue for students unless we make a point to actually say what we're thinking. What do you think?

Practice the Practices

#3 Shannon Smith, an outstanding vice principal in Otawwa, Canada, shared her perspective on purposeful homework along with a study of what students desire in quality homework. What are your thoughts on homework and does this post resonate with you?

Is Homework Deliberate Practice?