TL;DR: College and entrepreneurship both have benefits and serve different individuals in different ways. The cost and benefits of both college and entrepreneurship need to be understood. For a functioning society, both college and career-ready individuals need to be supported and valued. College vs. Entrepreneurship As the job market continues to expand and more and more people are quitting their … Read More
Lessons from Mother Nature for Celebrating the End of the Year
TL;DR: The past few years have been challenging, but we can look to Mother Nature for guidance on how to rest, reflect, and restore. As the days become shorter in the Northern Hemisphere, focus on slowing down and resting. Find joy, the natural state of all beings. Take this time to recapture the essence of why you became a teacher. … Read More
Using Differentiated Instruction to Teach a Novel
TL;DR: Introduce the author first, and let students know why they are reading this particular novel and what the background of the story is. Teach essential questions, themes, motifs, and symbolism ahead of time, especially with difficult texts. Include visual art with their reading. Allow students to differentiate their pace. Using differentiated instruction in the classroom does not have to be … Read More
Episode #128: Katie Powell
Katie Powell is the director for middle level programs for the Association for Middle Level Education. She began teaching in 2005 and has served as a special education teacher, Title I teacher, instructional coach, and classroom teacher. Katie’s first book, Boredom Busters, grew out of this focus on providing interventions for struggling students by leveraging curiosity and fun to increase … Read More
Rule-Breakers & Risk-Takers
TL;DR: We’ve noticed recently how often adults don’t follow the rules. Treat students with compassion when they break rules. We ought to produce a generation of ‘risk-takers’ who understand how to analyze their decisions and understand consequences. Uncharted Territory School has just moved back on-campus for us despite a bloom of COVID cases. It feels like we’re entering unchartered territory … Read More



