Clik here to view.
Rain or Shine, Sleet or Snow
I get up early and I get to work even earlier. I know that's not really possible, but it sure feels like it sometimes. Despite the fact that I'm a morning person, my pre-dawn routine is a necessity and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Everyone Has a Purpose
My kids are awesome.They amaze me, teach me, and frequently inspire me. Most of the greatness they bring to Room #216 is already inside them. I just try and find a way to bring it out. Sometimes I get...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Edu Conferences, Woodstock, & Physicists
@MrJohnsonsGnome tagged along to the 5-Sigma Edu ConDo you wonder about what people were thinking at the beginning of a revolution? Have you ever been at the genesis of greatness? Had a moment when you...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fighting For Their Lives
photo: PhotoPin (attribution below)My students. Our students.Our kids. Your kids.The police described the home's conditions as a house in "complete disarray."Don't talk me about letting a child explore...
View ArticleClik here to view.
She held his hand...
photo by Melvin E Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/50521389@N08/The pair spent part of their first day together opening their wedding presents over brunch. Family and friends had gathered to...
View ArticleOpen Letter to My Room 216'er Freshman
Dear former Room 216’er and class of 2019,You’re about to become a freshman and I just wanted to let you know that I’m still rooting for you.! I think that the middle school years are the toughest...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Year Later
July 11th, 2014.A Friday.I was about 9 minutes from home after an easy and relatively short ride.The address on the ambulance report read 51804 Lilac.From the seconds after the first drops of blood...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Periscope, Robots, Nerf Guns, and a Breakfast Sandwich.
The idea was floated over an overstuffed burrito that I knew I couldn't finish, but had committed to its completion because I didn't have anywhere to put the leftovers. I had only met one of my lunch...
View ArticleClik here to view.
It Started With A Tweet
LaSalle's 6th Grade with Malcolm London and Kevin CovalEvery year has its moment that define that particular class. It's the moment that when you talk about a particular year or student, you reference...
View ArticleClik here to view.
If you ask the question...
Every year, after close to ten months together, I ask my Room 216'rs to write me a letter. Hopefully by that point in the year, they trust me. They would typically have taken 3-4 anonymous surveys and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rejection and Jumping Off a Cliff
In the Spring of 2014, my understanding about relationships and tolerance were transformed. My son and I attended a screening of the unreleased feature-length documentary REJECT. The movie explains how...
View ArticleClik here to view.
With a hand raised...
photo credit:I had seen Ally coming my way for a couple of years. She was frequently the topic of conversation in the hallway and in the teacher break room. A troubled kid with a seemingly awful...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Innovative? Maybe We Just Like Change.
Back in May of this year, the e-mail started with "Congratulations! We are thrilled to welcome you to the first cohort of TED-Ed Innovative Teachers."From the TED-Ed site: The TED-Ed Innovative...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sphero SPRK Lightning Lab
I've been a fan of Sphero, both their Robot and the Company, for a couple of years. The robot is a magnet for kids and the company is a magnet for great people. Last Spring, Danielle and Lauren opened...
View ArticleClik here to view.
"I'll hold my own hand."
The photographer was trying to find the shot. The one that separates amateurs and professionals. The difference between a snapshot and photo is small; an elusive detail that comes from years of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Another One Bites the Dust
photo Pixabay CC/NAIt had been a terrible mix of freezing rain, sleet, snow, and rain all day. When I stepped out in the morning, the sleet felt like little stinging needles on my cheeks. Coming down...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Anthony's challenge
My friend Anthony Purcell, an amazing Educator in Oklahoma, posted a challenge last week and I while I couldn't accept it right away, I think it's a valid exercise. Lately, once Monday hits, the week...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Not Teacher of the Year, Teacher for the year
Photo: SCMThe text of my speech given at School City of Mishawaka's Annual Teacher of the Year recognition banquet, May 4th, 2016 (I was the District's Teacher of the Year for 2015)It’s been an honor...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My TEDxYouth@BHS talk
Photo by Mia Celik (Flickr)I was honored to be invited, by the terrific Jenn Scheffer, to the TEDxYouth@BHS event in Burlington, Massachusetts on April 30th. The weekend was an amazing experience and I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
An Open Letter to My 6th Graders
Dear LaSalle's 6th Graders,I'm writing this to you now, because I couldn’t get the words out quite right at the 6th Grade Graduation ceremony. This year has been a challenging year for me. I don’t...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Grabbing their hearts
I'm a proponent of big changes. We need to challenge practices and processes that exist just to exist. I think we need a revolution of sorts in how we're educating our kids. We need to recognize that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Give Your Kids the Bird
photo: Sarah HickleIt was an honor to be invited to deliver one of the Ignite talks at the recent Indiana Connected Educators (ICE) Conference in Noblesville, Indiana. I enjoyed the challenge of trying...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Refrigerator Privileges and Twitter
It might be an overstatement to say that everything that has come my way professionally can be traced back to Twitter, but it's close. I like to joke that without this 140 character limit platform, I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Don't Ask Me for My Kids' Test Scores...
Don't ask me for my kids standardized test scores.Because I don't know.I don't care.My kids are more than a test score. Yes, I use data from formative assessments and other data points that help me...
View ArticleClik here to view.
6.5 Hours
The boy and I at one of our favorite places, "The Joe" - Detroit, MIMy son has always been a road trip kinda kid and has been on the go since the day he was born. My wife and I made the decision to...
View Article
