What I am Thankful For

With all of the talk about reform and our passion for change, I wanted to take a moment during this time to stop and reflect on who I am thankful for. These are people who inspire, teach, and keep me going.

First and foremost, my wife. She is my muse, and my best friend. She keeps me honest and helps me refine my thinking. The fact that we have always been able to support each other no matter what, is something that I can always treasure. That leads me to my son. He is the most amazing part of my life. He gives me hope, and inspires me everyday to be a better person. 

My parents for always challenging me to work hard and love what you do, even after they became the best in their field, they continue to innovate and learn. I am so proud and filled with joy for my brother's success this year. He has defied all odds and become a touring musician with fans screaming his name.

I am grateful for good friends who make me laugh and keep me thinking. To Jon, Michel, Patrick, Greg, Lisa, Eileen, I am never bored or unhappy when I am around you. To my colleagues and my incredible teaching partner Britt, the hard work and passion that all of you bring to the teaching profession fills our school with energy.

With all of the horror stories out there, I am so lucky to have deeply reflective and wise administrators who's vision and leadership make coming to work a pleasure.

To my robotics team, you inspire me and prove that you can learn anything with motivation + resources. I cannot wait to see what you come up with next. Go Chaos Vortex!

For everyone who has ever read, commented, or retweeted posts from my blog, I really appreciate it. Without the feedback, resources, and intelligent conversations we have had on Twitter and via email, it would have been much more difficult to keep posting while teaching, mentoring, and parenting.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy your weekend. I am truly grateful for all of you! If you would like to give thanks to someone who makes your life better feel free to comment your thanks.

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This Week on BrokenAirplane.com October 11-15

This week on BrokenAirplane:

• Reflected on my life and what made it interesting and exciting. Lots of lessons learned along the way. I had no idea how popular it would be and people have written in asking for more detail in some of the stories.

• Looked at a successful math project called the Slope Art Project. This project provides feedback so the student teaches themselves the concept of slope as well as reinforcing algebraic manipulation. Most importantly it provides a way for students to be creative while learning an important concept.

• Discussed some ideas on how to enhance your classroom culture. With so much concern about bulling, it is important to provide a safe place for your students to be and learn. Additionally, we can help create a positive culture about our curriculum and encourage people to feel comfortable helping and sharing.