“Language permits us to see. Without the word, we are all blind.” –Carlos Fuentes
“Language is not merely a means of expression and communication; it is an instrument of experiencing, thinking, and feeling … Our ideas and experiences are not independent of language; they are all integral parts of the same pattern, the warp and woof of the same texture.…
“The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man’s foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher.” -Thomas Henry Huxley
I’ve been receiving a lot of questions about Tabor Rotation (a highly successful, research-based strategy for rigorously differentiating instruction in mathematics) and how to implement the essential components of T.R.…
“The most extraordinary thing about a really good teacher is that he or she transcends accepted educational methods.” -Margaret Mead
“The dream begins, most of the time, with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes, and leads you onto the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.”…
“We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.” -Lloyd Alexander
“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” -Albert Einstein
I was never more aware of how important hands-on instruction is until I taught concepts like decimals.…
“Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven’t fallen asleep yet.” -Anonymous
Welcome to March, April, and the 1st half of May. For most people in the United States, this means the coming of warmer weather and spring. For teachers and schools it is the season of state tests.…
“Now, go “think” about it!”
I was in a school a few weeks ago and heard this phrase being repeated by a math teacher after discussing a difficult concept with her students. I woke up the next morning at 5:30am—partly because there was a large truck backing up and beeping loudly—but mostly because that phrase had reminded me of a student I had named Reggie.…
“There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish.” Warren G. Bennis
“I’m always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life.” …
I was looking for quotes for my inspiration blogs and found this story. As I struggle with how to best help all the teachers and schools with whom I have worked, this story will always encourage me. I hope it does the same for you.
Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength.…
“Information’s pretty thin stuff unless mixed with experience.” -Clarence Day, The Crow’s Nest
Last week I received a comment and a request from Anne, an academic coach at an Elementary school in Georgia. I first heard from Anne this August when she visited my website looking for information about differentiating instruction and using small groups in math. …
“A good question is never answered. It is not a bolt to be tightened into place but a seed to be planted and to bear more seed toward the hope of greening the landscape of idea.” -John Ciardi
“The test of a good teacher is not how many questions he can ask his pupils that they will answer readily, but how many questions he inspires them to ask him which he finds it hard to answer.”…
