I was having a conversation with someone I respect. He’s a member of MENSA. MENSA is a society for geniuses. This made my conversation important–I can say, “I was talking to a genius.” Wait! I am a genius. There is a test score in a box somewhere from when I was little that says so. People might…
Don’t Ban Dodgeball–Ban Life: Why Banning Everything Is Just Plain Silly
“Quick, come here,” my husband said. I thought there was an emergency. “They’re banning dodgeball.” “That’s not new,” I replied. “A school in Massachusetts did it last year or the year before. ‘Hurts self-esteem.’” “No, they say it’s because of bullying,” he said. I am struggling with this. I’m struggling with the resurgence of the attacks on…
High School Loser Gets Second Crack at Prom
A fellow teacher tweeted that she had a great time prepping students for prom, and that she had a happy crew. Prom. That magical time in high school when people without boyfriends get cast aside wondering whether or not to buy a dress. I wanted to skip it altogether. Eventually, I caved in to the peer pressure….
Getting an Early Start on Common Cores Using The Economist
I am reading my son’s school newsletter. It does an excellent job discussing the Common Cores. I know this because I use Common Cores all day myself. The school is calling for a 50/50 balance of literary and informational text. I support this because I am a serious professional nerd. Literacy’s important. I’m tired of people who…
Hoodies will get you extra points
I think that computers and start ups are the only fields where looking like crap scores you points. Actually, it seems to be a badge of honor. No one wears a suit jacket. The guy with the suit jacket sticks out. Everyone wears a hoodie. I brought my one hoodie–my Grockit hoodie sent all the way from…
What is Your Superpower?
“Don’t you ever sleep?” I asked my friend, Heather. She is always awake. Pretty much every minute. I can verify this because I wake up at about 4AM to write for a couple hours. She is there. I see her posts after I go to sleep at my somewhat religious 10PM. It’s amazing to me. Waking up…
Birds Don’t Go to Meetings
Driving down the road, I see a flock of birds in the sky. A flock of about 150 birds. So many birds, it’s like a giant cloud, except there is so much more grace and beauty. They sail on the wind–all flying together. Changing directions, zigzagging. In general, it should be a mess. Yet they all change…
“Only Savants Have the Right Answer All the Time” (Chess: Part Two)
Chess Story Two: Chess and Improv A student of mine, Karim, called to tell me some things about his acting career. Karim is not a student, technically. He’s three years away from 30. If he were still a student, he’d be in deep trouble. He called to tell me he had just conversed with a famous actor…
Think Ahead or Die: Chess Education in Grade K (Chess: Part 1)
Chess Story One: Playing Chess with the Boy We are playing chess. Declan and I. I started playing at about five. Never mastered it, because I don’t think several moves head. I’m too social. I’d rather talk. In chess, you must think several moves ahead–devise a plan in response to every counter-initiative long before your opponent…
All Toilet Paper Is Created Equal–Why I Avoid the Faculty Bathroom
I don’t like the faculty bathroom. It may be a strange topic, but when I have to go to the bathroom, I use the regular student bathroom at the end of the hall. I have a key to the faculty bathroom–it’s a prized possession in my school–my colleague still doesn’t have one and is forced to borrow…