We often focus on student engagement, but student empowerment is a step further. Here, we focus on the seven shifts toward student empowerment. Two years ago, I was a chaperone for my son’s fourth-grade field trip to a hands-on pioneer museum. Students learned how to…
I created the following video with my good friend Trevor Muir, who has partnered with me on the New Teacher Academy. An Open Letter to New Teachers Dear new teachers, There’s a popular idea that to be a good teacher, you need to save the…
When I was a kid, I loved watching reality TV. Okay, it wasn’t really reality TV. It was PBS. However, I would watch an entire season of This Old House, as Bob Vila walked viewers step-by-step through a cumbersome restoration process. This never included a…
It’s easy to pit creativity and consumption against each other. However, critical consuming is vital for creative work. When you engage in critical consuming, you become more inspired and ultimately, you will create better content. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but…
My students (pre-service teachers who will be graduating in late April) walk into the room ready to move into a workshopping phase in their action research projects. However, instead of an open-ended project workshop time, I give them a warm-up question: What does it mean…
The world is unpredictable. The corporate ladder is now a maze, which means our students will need to think divergently. In this article, we explore how to integrate divergent thinking into our everyday classroom practices. This is an updated version of an article that was…
The following is a variation on a post I created for the New Teacher Academy. Each year, I ask my pre-service teachers to describe what teaching will be like when they move from surviving to thriving. Common themes emerge. “Every student will listen each time…
Last week, I shared why student podcasting is a great idea. Podcasting is a powerful way for students to share their voice with the world. Along the way, they learn to communicate, engage in critical thinking, and go through the design process as they ultimately…
I just learned that New York City doesn’t actually have alleys. Okay, they have a few private alleys. However, after listening to the latest 99% Invisible podcast, I learned that the idea of alleys throughout NYC is a bit of a myth. Does this matter? Probably…
A few days ago, my son said something that surprised me. He said, “Dad, we have the best cafeteria lady at our school.” And I said, “Wait, what?” But then he went on to describe how this woman chose to memorize every students’ name in…
I’m a professor and a maker. Sometimes I make things. Sometimes I make a difference. On a good day, I get to do both.
© 2019 John Spencer
