Author Archives: Lainie Levin

Maybe it was the barbecue talking. Maybe I just had a lot on my brain. But I woke up last night at 12:30 after the most puzzling nightmare. It was at school. There I was, in the teachers’ lounge, and there were a couple of moms sitting down at the table. Of course I knewContinue reading “A New Way of Doing Business?”

…so get this. There was a story on the news today about a Florida school where kids run the place. No teachers, no curriculum – just a center of discovery. But that’s not the point here.   The point is that they asked Meline Kevorkian, who’s written several books about education, for a quote aboutContinue reading “Why I Seldom Watch the News”

…is also the one that I never got asked before I had kids. For that matter, I never got it before my kids started school. But here goes: “You’re a parent. What would you do if you were me?” Granted, I’ve been able to call on being a parent in so many ways as aContinue reading “The Question I Just Can’t Answer…”

Ok, people. I confess! I confess! I am the one who went on the morning announcements this month – twice! – to encourage children to write a poem a day for National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo, not to be confused with November’s NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month). And I think I’ve started something good!Continue reading “Putting My Money where my Mouth Is”

“I’m a terrible reader. I mean horrible. Really, I’m glad my kids can read and they don’t need my help on homework because I can’t read for the life of me. And it’s a good thing that I don’t need to do it really well, because I’d be totally stuck. I don’t know what itContinue reading “Freely Admitting It”

For those of you contemplating one-to-one computing programs in your district, you might want to follow this story. Allegedly, a Pennsylvania school district equipped students with laptops. It was discovered that the district was remotely activating their webcams to monitor behavior. Yikes. http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/02/18/24789.htm

Let me get this straight: in order to become more competitive for federal grants, California has a new “parent trigger” law allowing parents at struggling schools to petition to (among other changes): close the school; turn the school into a charter; or fire the principal and half the staff. I would venture to say we’veContinue reading “Keep Your Eye on California”

Today, she came to visit. Cynicism sat in the corner, waiting for me. She’s always been there, speaking through well-meaning mentors: “Been there, done that, doesn’t work.” “Honey, you’re wearing yourself out. You’ll be burnt out before you know it.” She has always spoken through others, whispering experience-bought platitudes, trying to wear me down. LatelyContinue reading “Face-off”

Found this article in the Chicago Tribune about female math teachers passing on their math anxiety to femal students: http://bit.ly/bOzIPX Wow. I always know that it was our love – or dread – for subjects that did it for our kids. No surprises. But it’s always interesting when my intuitions are confirmed by data. Now,Continue reading “Math Anxiety: Pass it On?”

I had such high hopes for my lunch session today. I hadn’t circled or starred it in my program, but it caught my eye and I thought it was one I shouldn’t miss: Instructional Strategies that Work with Gifted English Language Learners I’ve long felt that these “ELL” kids moving to the United States certainlyContinue reading “Learning the Hard Way”