student motivation – Blue Cereal Education

“Flexible”

Blue Cereal — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 19:31:40 +0000

The Offer Several years ago, I was asked by a major edu-organization for whom I did some work to lead a week-long training in Jordan. Like, the country. In the Middle East. Far away. The workshop was for no less than the King’s Academy – a prestigious boarding school founded and regularly visited by, you … Continue reading

Dear Involved Parents: Chill the $%&# Out!

Blue Cereal — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 13:59:03 +0000

Dear Engaged, Sincere, Loving, Active Parent(s): I just finished my twentieth year in the classroom. In that time, I’ve had a decent variety of kids from a wide range of circumstances. Every one of them has his or her own issues, own strengths, own styles, and own reasons for doing what they do however they … Continue reading

The Problem With Linear Reality (You Can’t Go Back)

Blue Cereal — Sun, 29 Apr 2018 13:29:34 +0000

Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’… into the future. Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’… into the future. One of the sobering things about edu-bloggery – or social media in general – is how hard it can be to keep up when your tangible, so-called “real” world gets crazy. Far more humbling, though, is that … Continue reading

Teenagers Are Weird

Blue Cereal — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 13:32:29 +0000

Teenagers are weird. A few short weeks ago, on April 1st, I returned from lunch to discover that a couple of my girls had turned every student desk in the room onto its side or back. They were already in rather random formation for silent reading day, but this made it look like there’d been … Continue reading

Dear Frustrated Student…

Blue Cereal — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 15:18:09 +0000

Hello. Pull up a chair. I know you came here to talk about grades, or get help on an assignment, or maybe just because your mom or one of your principals forced you to. That’s OK – I don’t take those sorts of things personally. I can’t help but notice, however, that whatever your motivation, … Continue reading

Impossible School

Blue Cereal — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 20:58:19 +0000

Welcome to Impossible School. I’m Blue, an adult in the building who apparently has enough time to show visitors around without sacrificing something far more useful I should be doing. That’s just the beginning of the many impossible things going on here at Impossible School! Let’s start with the foundation of our humble approach – … Continue reading

Hetalia: Axis Powers (Toast With A Big Boot!)

Blue Cereal — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 18:57:55 +0000

It wasn’t a question of whether I liked it or didn’t so much as my having no idea what the crap monkey flight pink was going on. It was fast, and loud, and grating, and musical, and soft, and allegorical, and funny, and satirical, and juvenile, and multi-layered, and – and then suddenly the first episode was over. I should watch a few more. FOR THE CHILDREN.

Why Kids Learn (a.k.a ‘The Seven Reasons Every Teacher Must Know WHY Kids Learn!’)

Blue Cereal — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 21:29:53 +0000

I’ve been in the classroom for 16 years and doing this blog for about 18 months. I don’t have a Master’s Degree in anything, nor am I pursuing one. I don’t like most edu-books and haven’t done independent research on how or why kids learn or don’t. I consider myself thus supremely qualified to write … Continue reading

Learning R.E.M.

Blue Cereal — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 01:02:03 +0000

R.E.M. was writing about strangely familiar experiences in enigmatic ways and with more complex emotions than I was prepared to understand. They used their words and their instruments very differently from either ‘classic rock’ OR the Osmonds, and it wasn’t easy to get my brain around. Partly I simply lacked the exposure and intellect to be easily reached by their art; mostly I lacked the motivation - until other considerations nudged me through.

Wil Wheaton, Aquaman, and Octave Chanute

Blue Cereal — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 21:58:24 +0000

They are easily dismissed as B-players, also-rans – the proverbial ‘red shirts’ who inevitably beam down with Kirk and Spock but never live long enough to beam back up. They are the Mindys to other people’s Morks. They are the squiggle dash next to the ‘1’ on your keyboard – always there, always assumed, but not… you know… NOT THE ‘1’ OR THE ‘E’. And I celebrate them. Vigorously.