Inspiration, Imitation, and Individuality
Re-posted from my EdWeek Teacher blog “Road Trips in Education” 8/30/15. My year away from teaching high school English brought me to almost fifty California cities and towns, over ...
School Visits
Travels End, Journey Continues
After visiting 63 schools spanning almost 900 miles of California, I'm done with the road trips - but the learning continues. ...
Putting Our Trust in Students
When teachers are trusted to take student learning in new and exciting directions, they are in a position to extend that trust to students. It's a powerful step for those ready and willing to take it....
Thriving Schools Need Libraries and Librarians
If you know anyone who still imagines a librarian is a glorified book clerk whose main interaction with patrons is "sshhhh!" then I urge you to have them visit a library, and talk to a librarian about...
Learning From the Full Experience
Walking a mile in someone else's shoes is a start, but even excellent teachers in high-needs schools need more than sympathy and a mantra of high expectations....
The One and Only Larry Ferlazzo?
His incredible output of work, while teaching full-time, leads many observers to ask: can there really be only one Larry Ferlazzo?...
Reinventing the Wheel
Districts, schools, departments and individuals coming up with their own ideas and their own systems likely produce more commitment to implementing and sustaining what they've chosen to create....
Halftime Report: 25 Schools Visited
As I enter 2015 with about 30 school visits still ahead of me, I pause to catch up on some of the teachers and schools I visited near the end of last year....
My Interview with The California Report
Back in December, Ana Tintocalis of The California Report interviewed me for a story on innovation in education. Here's the story behind the story that aired on KQED on Jan. 2 (with embedded audio)....
The Student Becomes the Teacher
Fifteen years ago, Stephanie Smith was a student in my freshman English class. Last week, I was a visitor in her English classes, learning from her as a professional peer....