Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

It doesn’t matter how terrific a teacher you are, there is that student who doesn’t like you or your methods. How you treat that student tells me all I need to know about you. #education #teacher

Just because it was your experience does not mean it was everyone’s. The best educators are those who understand this reality.

“Soft skills” needs rebranding.

I’ve been reading Asimov’s Guide to Science. I’m convinced human curiosity is our greatest asset.

“I’m still teaching the basics” is a well-used strategy for avoiding the work of really teaching.

My freedom to ignore matches your freedom of speech.

The whole purpose of math is to get the same answer as everyone else.

HyperCard. That was a great level of obsolescence.

Physicians rejected hand washing as it implied if they had, patients would still be alive. The same reasoning motivates teachers to reject new methods.

Education is a field in which folks with very different and contradictory opinions work side by side, and they often don’t know they differ.

If you describe schools in terms used to describe businesses, you misunderstand school.

We could look at the curriculum and see how we add interesting and relevant problems, but that might require we abandon most of the district initiatives to standardize teaching and learning.

“I’ve got a great idea.”

“Sure… sure… but there is lots of evidence it is wrong.”

How you respond when it’s your idea being criticized tells me much I need to know.

“I read this really big book in high school back in the 1980’s. Today, I can’t get students to read it. There’s something wrong with kids today."

I hate to tell you, but most of your classmates weren’t reading them.

How do we know the answers are correct?

I used to pose that question to students who asked me to look up the answers in the teachers edition.

If you are focusing on rules and accountability rather than relationships, you don’t understand it enough to be in the classroom.

One thing I learned during 35 years in education: most problems are rooted in the actions/ reactions of adults.

SMART goals don’t help as much as folks think.

The first important lesson to take from cognitive science seems to be humans attend to things they perceive to be important.

If you alone don’t control it, leave it off you list of goals.