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Put Me In, Coach! I’m Ready to Play! (Part 1)
Photo credit Twenty20 @askoldsb When I was a kid I played a lot of sports. Field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, tennis. But I was never...

Danielle Johnson
Nov 13, 2022


The Myth of “They”
The life of a self-authoring educator can be pretty lonely. Self-authors forge their own pathways through existing systems by creating...
Meghan Raftery
Oct 27, 2022


Find Your Ikigai
For most educators, teaching is a calling. Educators are typically purpose-driven and they care deeply about children and their futures....
Meghan Raftery
Sep 29, 2022


Two Steps Forward and One Back
Anyone who has read my summer blog series or the letter I wrote recently to the editor of Virginia’s largest daily newspaper knows where...

Doug Wren
Sep 26, 2022


No Is a Full Sentence: Redefining My Relationship to Teaching
For the past five years or so of my 11-year teaching career, I have made an intentional effort to take stock of my relationship with the...

Danielle Johnson
Sep 22, 2022


The Adjacent Possible for Education
Most people have a fixed image in their mind of what a school is and what it is for. When they hear the word educators, they think of...
Meghan Raftery
Sep 19, 2022


Educators Prioritizing Their Own Health and Wellness. How and Why They Can and Should.
As the school year gets underway it would be fair to say that many educators are coming back to school with mixed emotions. Of course,...

Danielle Johnson
Aug 31, 2022


Ban Or Understand? Policies That Respect Emerging Adults
Imagine you just got a promotion at a company where you’ve worked for 11 years. You’ve been a loyal employee ever since your first day...
Meghan Raftery
Aug 21, 2022


The Time Is Now!
Since Brown v. Board of Education, there has been legal precedent for equitable educational opportunities regardless of demographics,...

Danielle Johnson
Aug 17, 2022


Confronting Implicit Bias: How Are We Showing Up For ALL Students?
What do you see when you look at your students? It should come as no surprise that perception dictates the way we see and interact with...

Danielle Johnson
Aug 14, 2022


Put Students First. Seek Growth. Be Open To Change. (Part Seven – Finale)
When I posted Part 1 over seven weeks ago, I said it was the first installment of a multi-part blog series. At that time, I didn’t know...

Doug Wren
Jul 25, 2022


May I Have Your Attention Please?
Like many educators, I have struggled this year with my mental and physical health. I have a strong sense of urgency for the work that...
Meghan Raftery
Jul 21, 2022


Birthday Party Tired
Last winter, my dental hygienist asked me what I do for work, a question that is never easy for me to answer. I described my unusual role...
Meghan Raftery
Jul 13, 2022


Mall School
I’m a big fan of dystopian novels. My favorite part is always the backstory. What problems were the world-builders trying to solve when...
Meghan Raftery
Jul 10, 2022


Put Students First. Seek Growth. Be Open to Change. (Part Six)
Welcome to Part 6 of my blog series. So far, we’ve covered how a large school district uses universal screening, standardized testing,...

Doug Wren
Jul 7, 2022


Bring Your Summer Self to Work
My colleague, fellow designer, and coaching partner Cheryl Zigrang and I have had the honor of working with several faculty groups on a...
Meghan Raftery
Jul 3, 2022


Put Students First. Seek Growth. Be Open to Change. (Part Five)
The purpose of this blog series is to analyze the reasons behind the underidentification of certain identity groups in a large school...

Doug Wren
Jun 30, 2022


Put Students First. Seek Growth. Be Open to Change. (Part Four)
So far in this blog series, I’ve shown the discrepancies between the proportion of Black, Latine, and economically disadvantaged students...

Doug Wren
Jun 22, 2022


Put Students First. Seek Growth. Be Open to Change. (Part Three)
Welcome back to my blog series. In Part 1, I explained that the series is an update to my June 2021 article, Promoting Privilege:...

Doug Wren
Jun 13, 2022


Put Students First. Seek Growth. Be Open to Change. (Part Two)
In Part 1, I explained that the purpose of this blog series is to provide updates to my June 2021 journal article. In the article, I...

Doug Wren
Jun 9, 2022
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