Chapter 2 of A Year at Mission Hill takes us to the start of the year, or as many educators see it, the laying of the foundation. While educators recognize the importance of reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic, many see the first days of school as tone setters. In this, the educators at Mission Hill work to build community amongst themselves … Read More
Variability Matters
We design for variability we can see. But what about the variability we can’t? By default, we tend to design learning environments for efficiency and the average student, but in doing so do we limit the potential inherent in the unseen variability of students’ brains? Are we, by default, failing to capitalize on one our nation’s most underutilized assets: diversity? Todd … Read More
A Year at Mission Hill Chapter 1
Below is the first chapter of a remarkable video series: A Year at Mission Hill. The premise, as described on the project’s site, is simple: Ten videos. One year. A public school trying to help children learn and grow. The national conversation we need to be having. What goes into creating a powerful learning environment for children and adults? Meet … Read More
What We Want To Interrupt
In an excerpt from an interview with a “young adolescent in jail for selling drugs,” author Thomas J. Cottle lays bare the nuanced complexity of educating youth who have a fragile, if any, grip on hope. Two moments pulled from his post illustrate, at a minimum, problems with the lesson our system implicitly teaches students: “Smart” is defined by traditional … Read More
Hating School, Loving Learning
As we debate the ins and outs of how to improve student “achievement,” let’s remember to pause and hear what students have to say. The sooner we give the growing movement of students advocating for their vision of transforming education a welcomed and honored place at the table, the sooner we will move closer to equity in our schools. Below are two powerful … Read More
