Authentic engagement becomes possible when we empower students to participate in their learning. We strive for engagement and not just compliance.
Every child can learn, grow, and change. We must have faith in those capacities.
Every child must feel safe to learn. Every teacher must feel safe to teach.
Content without a cause is content lost. Students are more invested in learning when they see the personal value and social significance of what they learn.
Less is more. Rather than seek to cover volumes of content standards, we should seek to teach less deeply.
Innovation in teaching requires steady, effective adult teams and collaboration.
Middle school learners need structure, consistency, modeling, and explicit guidance to develop healthy social skills and nurture learning communities.
“Catching students up” as a practice defies the rules of student engagement. We must start with where students are now.
What we talk about becomes what we believe, and what we believe becomes what we do. School talk should be imbued with dignity, love, and hope.
