Last week, I was selected to represent the teachers of Pennsylvania as the 2019 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. I am incredibly honored and grateful for this commission. I am especially grateful to have gotten to know the other finalists, who are gifted, devoted educators: Spring Grove Area School District’s Brian Hastings; Bethlehem Area School…
Xenia of the Heart: A Graduation Speech
Over the weekend, I had the honor of delivering the Faculty Member speech at the graduation of Abington Heights High School. Here is that speech. Welcome parents, family, and friends, and Congratulations to the Class of 2018. You are a class of many achievements, great and small—in academics, in sports, in music, in art, in…
I Let My Students Read Silently for the First 10 Minutes of Every Class, and Here’s What Happened
Last year I decided to dedicate the first 10 minutes of every class to silent, free-choice, book club reading. I had already been doing book clubs in my classes (all tenth grade) the past couple years, for which students could choose any book and any group of 2-8 people from any of my sections. But…
Homework: Have a Deep Conversation with Your Parents
Each year, I use one of our stories in class as springboard for the following question: Does happiness come from the inside or the outside? Is it determined by “outer” events in one’s life, or does it come from inside oneself, regardless of outside circumstances or events? Or is it a combination of both? Students…
Six Truths I Know For Sure About Writing
After teaching writing for over 20 years, I’ve seen the benefits of having students write regularly, genuinely, and with ownership. Of course, they perform better academically, in every subject and on standardized tests, since consistent writing practice trains students to easily access their thoughts and skillfully express them. But by writing often and with purpose,…
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