So, stories take on a life of their own to be sure. And, over the passage of time, stories can take new twists and turns. Memories get lost or sharpened (sometimes with help from PR or legal or psychological professionals). And, to be sure, we know that even the same experience can be remembered differently by different people, as aptly described in a recent article about Sophia and Simone Elliott appearing on NPR on April 13, 2024. Each remembered their childhood and molestation differently. We are repeatedly confronted with reported instances or instances we actually personally encounter th ..read more

Ed Wang and I were recently privileged, thanks to Professor Marybeth Gasman and her team at Rutgers GSE, to conduct a webinar on our forthcoming book titled Mending Education. The book is being published by Teachers College Press and is set to release in Sept. 2024. This book forms the third book in a trilogy that includes Breakaway Learners (2017) and Trauma Doesn’t Stop at the School Door (2020), both published by Teachers College Press. Together, these books showcase how to help all of our students in times of trauma and declines in mental wellness. In a nutshell, the book address the posi ..read more

The joy evidenced in the above children’s drawing stands in sharp contrast to the way folks are interacting and engaging with each other. Whether online or in person and everywhere in-between, we are seeing meanness abound. While it would be nice just to eradicate meanness (like our desire to eliminate those with the Dunning-Kruger effect (oh my, it is bad)), the meanness issue is complex. Why Are We Mean to Each Other? Obviously, there is no simple answer to this question. There are many causes of meanness, some known to those who are mean and others operating at the level of ..read more

Artwork by Karen Gross (2024) titled Eclipsing Series #6 We have an upcoming eclipse on April 8th and people are flying all over the nation to be able to see it clearly. And, consistent with American commercialism, flight and hotel costs in prime locations are rising and fake eclipse glasses are being sold (dangerous product indeed). This event is rare: a total solar eclipse of the sun by the enlarged moon, meaning we will see “darkness” during the day (if we go and look at it). I am not going to view it — not because I am forgetting its uniqueness, but because of my recent eye surgery ..read more

Photograph (undigitized) by Karen Gross (2024) titled “Nature Leads” The Concept of Pivoting Recently, my co-author Ed Wang and I, submitted an article to The Learning Professional for possible selection for their upcoming October 2024 issue on pivoting in education. It is that topic — “pivoting” — that I want to address here in several additional contexts. The description from The Learning Professional, reflecting their desired content for their forthcoming issue, is worth excerpting as a starting point. In their call for articles, they write: “Teachers and schools have to pivo ..read more

I wrote a piece a short time ago on what I was learning from cataract surgery. I am still learning, which accounts for this piece and certainly others to follow. Here’s a link to the earlier piece: Cataract Surgery (Mine) and What I Have Learned So Far Next Lesson Learned and Surely Not the Last About 10 days after the second surgery, which followed the first surgery by a week, my eyes began to get worse. They started to get redder; they were irritated and inflamed and weepy. I resembled someone who had been drinking — lots. I could barely tolerate light. And, I was remarkably uncom ..read more

My co-author Ed Wang and I will be discussing our forthcoming book, Mending Education (published by Teachers College Press at Columbia University 2024) at the Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work. We will share the key points in the book — the “Pandemic Positives” we identified and how to make them “sticky” to improve education writ large. Join us, join in, share thoughts. Watch for links and flyers in the coming days. We look forward to starting the conversation ….. which we hope will lead to mending education. Save March 14th between 1–2:30 p.m (est) for a Webinar was originally publ ..read more

My co-author Ed Wang and I will be discussing our forthcoming book, Mending Education (published by Teachers College Press at Columbia University 2024) at the Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work. We will share the key points in the book — the “Pandemic Positives” we identified and how to make them “sticky” to improve education writ large. Join us, join in, share thoughts. Watch for links and flyers in the coming days. We look forward to starting the conversation ….. when we hope will lead to mending education ..read more

Enlarge this art image howsoever you can so you can see each element within it clearly (I say this after eye surgery when my vision is far from perfect — though it is already on its way to being vastly better). Then, after looking at the art image, think about all the cliches/idioms within it — the cliches/idioms we use without considering their origins or their true meanings. There are at least 10 there, embedded in this piece of art. It’s actually a fun activity for adults and one they can share with children. Students can do it with teachers. It’s clever for English language learners ..read more

Enlarge this art image howsoever you can so you can see each element within it clearly (I say this after eye surgery when my vision is far from perfect — though it is already on its way to being vastly better). Then, after looking at the art image, think about all the cliches/idioms within it — the cliches/idioms we use without considering their origins or their true meanings. There are at least 10 there, embedded in this piece of art. It’s actually a fun activity for adults and one they can share with children. Students can do it with teachers. It’s clever for English language learners ..read more