If you ever really want to quiet a room full of 5th grade students, try telling them this: “I’m going to let you spend 1 hour a week studying whatever you want. Now pick a topic.” That was, in essence, the way I introduced Genius Hour to my class for the first time many years … Read more
The easy answer to the question is to cook it. But I should probably back up a bit. All of the elementary GT teachers in our district received a book before the holidays called, What Do You Do With an Idea? It’s a beautifully illustrated book that figuratively represents a boy’s idea as he conceives … Read more
I’m a sucker for inspirational quotes. Like many people, I have a Pinterest Board of Favorite Quotations. But I particularly revel in printed collections of quotations. In July I shared a book of hand-lettered quotes that I purchased called, Whatever You Are Be a Good One. I love the art of each page, and I am … Read more
The new topic for the Kids Philosophy Slam has been announced: Violence or Compassion: Which has a greater impact on society? You can find out more information about the topic on their website, including rules and guidelines. The contest is open to students in Kindergarten through 12th grade, so you really should consider giving your students … Read more
There was a link to this lesson in the most recent TED Ed newsletter, and I immediately jumped at the challenge. I’m a bit competitive sometimes;) I will say that I did solve it before the solution was revealed on the video, but it probably would have taken me as long as anyone else if I … Read more
There aren’t a lot of opportunities in a standard curriculum for students to think philosophically. Hopefully, teachers still find ways to give them time for such discussions. In the past, I’ve written about the Kids Philosophy Slam and Teaching Children Philosophy as resources for integrating philosophy into the classroom. Both of those offer ways for students for K-12 … Read more