Taking my students to competitions — like the Junior Achievement Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. this week — is rewarding because they work hard and perform well, and sometimes they win. It’s also humbling because I get to see how much energy teenagers will devote to an activity they love. In class, kids might…
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I have been teaching high school for 26 years, and I cannot tolerate bored, disengaged teenagers. I've spent my entire career developing student engagement strategies that work and abandoning lessons that don't work. As a result, my students frequently comment that they are "never bored" in my class. I'm proud of that -- and of my students' outstanding performance.
I'll use this blog to talk about engagement strategies as well as other issues facing teachers, students and everyone who cares about education today. I hope you find it interesting.
NeverBore starts with teacher training
If you had one full day to spend with brand new pre-service teachers just starting their masters’ program, what would you do? How would you prepare them for the challenges ahead? Some teachers I know — frustrated by the low status, low pay and increasing pressure for standardized test performance — would tell them “get…
Read MoreSummer: A time to balance work and play
Summer break: three glorious months to relax, unwind, reflect on the school year and… feel restless? I remember back in elementary school how the promise of three months of nothing-to-do enthralled me. I couldn’t wait for the moment when I could pick up my report card, hug my teacher goodbye and run home to the…
Read MoreWhat is your purpose?
Over the weekend, I bumped into the same three words – “sense of purpose” — everywhere I went. I read about new research showing that people with a sense of purpose are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, even if their brains develop all of the signatures tangles and plaques. A sense of purpose is also…
Read MoreWould you teach your own kids?
Friends and colleagues are often surprised when I tell them I taught my own kids — not once, but three times each. Not only that, but I taught many of their close friends, and they took classes from some of my close friends. If you think it all sounds a little too cozy (or awkward),…
Read MoreIt’s cool when learning applies to life
Last week, Jessica, one of my seniors in AP Macro, sent me an email boldly titled: “THE BIG SHORT WAS SO GOOD.” In it, she explained that she had rented The Big Short from Red Box on my suggestion, and she was proud that she was able to make sense of it. The movie explains…
Read MoreMy journalism chapter is ending… and I’m ready
After 20 years, my run as a student newspaper adviser has come to an end. No more helping students craft editorials on sensitive topics, like transgender bathrooms, bullying and discipline policies. No more showing student editors how to gently communicate honest feedback to new, easily discouraged reporters. No more lying awake in bed wondering if…
Read MoreTitles should mean something
If you spend much time around kids, you know what “nose goes” means. You’re looking for a volunteer, and suddenly everyone touches a finger to their nose to signify “not me!” Last one to touch their nose is “it.” High school students are very quick to use “nose goes” when you need someone to run…
Read MoreNo right answers here
There are few things hard-working high school students dislike more than ambiguity. We’ve taught them to master “right” answers, and it frustrates them terribly when there isn’t one. For the past week, I’ve been preparing my econ students for something called the International Economic Summit, which is a one-day Model UN style event (created at…
Read MoreSpending our way to greater inequality
According to a massive research study described in last week’s Education Week (May 11), the wealthiest school districts in our country have the worst inequality. The Berkeleys, the Evanstons, and the Chapel Hills have the largest achievement gaps, while poor districts have the smallest. There are many causes — including student tracking, intra-district spending disparities, racism, family…
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MARTHA RUSH 