Stories
A Conversation Between Two Leaders
Kathryn Purcell: I first met Ann 16 years ago. I knew from my first two encounters with her that I…
What Stories Do Grades and Comments Tell?
One pandemic activity I have really enjoyed is looking through the many papers my mother kept in an attempt to…
Guiding Students to Find Meaning in Research
“But why? Why do we even have to do research?” As one of my advisees slogged through part of her…
Words to Belong To
I wish I could say that every student who ever took a class with me felt completely seen, heard, and…
Trying
It was less than graceful: slow, and cumbersome, but I did it, and then I did it again. Something inside…
A Strange Year to Start Teaching
I’m the Writing Lab Instructor for Revolution School, a private high school in Philadelphia, and this is my first year…
Inside View
When I wrote this piece a few months ago, I could not have imagined that the Covid-19 pandemic would close our schools. The…
Support From the Sidelines
Coach of the Day One Sunday evening in September, I received an email from one of the captains of the…
To Be, Belong, and Become in the Next Normal
When I came to my office door, I realized I had forgotten which key would open it. The halls were…
Beholden to One Another
I don’t think I’ve ever spelled out the word, “beholden” — let alone understood what it meant — until three months ago. The son of immigrants, “beholden…
Better Together
In the days since Covid-19 caused us to distance and even isolate ourselves from one another, I’ve grown increasingly aware of…
The Field Was My Classroom
In 1988, my school’s soccer team was supposed to be good, finally. Win a few games. Have a winning record.…
Wanted: Women Who Prevail
Why do we teach what we teach? What happens when a story we love isn’t greeted with enthusiasm by our…
In Classic Films, a Glimpse of Deep Learning
Three years ago, I slipped into Tim Ferriss’s SXSWedu keynote “The Secrets of Accelerated Learning and Mastery” and found myself…
Celebrating Rob DeBlois and Accelerated Learning
Earlier this year, just as news of a possible coronavirus outbreak was being reported, I lost my closest friend, Rob…
What I See After Stepping Outside
I wrote this piece about Lab Atlanta’s school model in January and February, well before we were closing schools and…
On Milestones
Spring, 2020: the season of missed milestones. Beyond birthdays, anniversaries, and religious gatherings that were not celebrated together or much…
From the Horizon to the Shore
“If we know what the right thing to do is, why aren’t we doing it?” Three years ago, the Revolution…
Leading with Bluesprints
The rhythm of our days has shifted, in some ways even slowed a bit, as the need for change in…
Now, Next, and Later – Leading in the Time of Coronavirus
When it is hard now, we need the promise that it will be better, later. But leaders make only the…
Open Secrets to Leading Virtual Teams
One way to establish “energy” in a virtual team is to create patterns of communication that allow every person to…
Living Room Leadership
They are bored. They are lonely. They are sad and mad. They are a group who has led our school…
Moving Along an Unknown Road
We all feel the weight of responsibility right now. We are worried about our girls and their learning; we are…
How to Lead in a Crisis
In a crisis, if we keep students and the health and integrity of the institution as our top priority, other…
Ideas on Courage
Before becoming a Head of School, I did not realize, nor could I have ever imagined, the importance of courage…
Connection First, Curriculum Second
After three days of distance learning, I asked students to complete a simple survey. I was interested in how they…
The Storm on the Mountain
Spring break is usually a time of reprieve, a time to relax and reset. This year, however, I find myself…
My Love Letter to Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s is our town square, my comfort food, all in one.
Where There’s Love, There’s Learning
Now that education has reached a new inflection point, it seems that customizing should revolve around what makes one’s heart…
Crucibles of Change
As my high school senior slowly accepts the possibility that she may fulfill her graduation credits through exclusively online classes,…