It’s Coming: Open Classroom Week

It’s Coming: Open Classroom Week

My first teaching job was at an all-boys private school in Los Angeles. I was 22 and fresh out of college with not a bit of teaching experience. But as part of the mentoring program, other teachers and administrators were in and out of my room all the time. At first,...
Abandoning the Plan

Abandoning the Plan

My first teaching job was at a public high school outside Chicago, and every week I had to submit that week’s daily lesson plans to my department chair. These plans included objectives and activities for each of my classes each day.  I did this for the first two years...
Beginner’s Mind

Beginner’s Mind

Last week at a conference I learned the term “Beginner’s Mind.” I had never heard that term before but it comes from Zen Buddhism. It is the idea that as we become more expert at something, we stop seeing possibilities. We close our mind to new ways of seeing and...
The Privilege Race

The Privilege Race

Perhaps some of you have seen the video circulating on Facebook lately that features a collection of college students supposedly lining up for a race. But before the race begins, students answer questions that allow some of them to move ahead of their peers. The point...
NMC Fall Conference a Hit!

NMC Fall Conference a Hit!

[slideshow_deploy id=’12402’] Last Tuesday, you discussed free speech on campus, you learned about English language learners and dual-enrolled students, you built a food pantry boat, you shared stories of innovation and OER adoption and so much more!...