My team and I watched footage yesterday of Aidan Thomas’ math class at Leadership Prep Bed Stuy Middle Academy in Brooklyn. This series of No Opt Outs that Joaquin Hernandez cued up for us was kind of a showstopper. It left us with a better understanding of the ways that No Opt Out could work and a…
When our team watches footage of teachers in action, we often find ourselves observing classrooms that are in full bloom. Expectations have been internalized, procedures have become routines, and the room is already abuzz with the sounds of learning. This kind of footage is great for illustrating what classrooms can look like when a culture of…
A couple of weeks ago I got an email from Evan Stoudt, Freshman Dean and Algebra teacher at Sci Academy in New Orleans–one of my favorite schools. I find them especially reflective about how to combine real college prep academic rigor with loving attention to the in-school (and often out-of-school) lives of their students. Evan mentioned…
I should start this post with apologies for my long hiatus from blogging. After finishing the new book manuscript, I developed a keen case of, if not writer’s block then at least writer’s break… but I feel like I’m getting over it. And yesterday, I was lucky enough to be able to participate in a short…
A colleague from the Midwest reached out a few days ago to ask a question that’s not entirely without precedent: After reading “Teach Like a Champion,” I have begun using many of these practices, including “no opt out.” I have recently received a parent complaint that this strategy embarrasses her son when he does not know…