Author Archives: sutterlearn

Shortened Biographies

Watching people try to understand the mass shooting of children is a painful human study.  I heard the news during an elementary school Christmas performance.  I watched men at the barbershop try to make sense of the endless television reports.  … Continue reading

Posted in Parenting, Politics, Students, Teachers | 1 Comment

Book Review – Focus: Elevating the Essential to Radically Improving Student Learning

Although it’s been out for over a year, I finally got around to reading Mike Schmoker’s latest book Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improving Student Learning and it hit the mark.  Schmoker is somewhat of a folk hero to … Continue reading

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Bowling with Jesus

Here is a transcript of a conversation I had with my seven year old this week: Dad: Please don’t bowl with the baby Jesus.  That might not be real respectful to God. Son: Can I use the donkey? Dad: No, … Continue reading

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Servants Hearts

The following is a journal entry my daughter wrote during our family trip to New York: “I feel that being thankful is important because it makes you stop and think about how blessed and lucky we are. We take for … Continue reading

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Book Review – How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

Paul Tough’s recent book, How Children Succeed, received all sorts of press from the New York Times to Time magazine and plenty of bloggers in between, almost before it was released on September 4, 2012.   What initially drew me to … Continue reading

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Subtract Pride, Multiply Learning

Most times I will let something simmer before writing on it.  Perhaps it wasn’t as inspirational as at first glance, perhaps the inspiration needs to grow as I process the event.  Today, there was no mistaking the inspiration I received … Continue reading

Posted in Leadership, Professional Learning Conceptions, Teachers | Leave a comment

CCSS Movement at 10,000 Feet

In response to questions I’ve had from multiple teachers, this is my attempt at summarizing the landscape that will affect our classrooms over the next few years: CCSS – The Common Core State Standards were written for English/Language Arts and … Continue reading

Posted in Politics, Teachers, Technology | 2 Comments

What’s going on this year?

Enacting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a big part of my current job as a Transformational Coach. Do I completely understand them or their implications?  No. Do the people who wrote them?  I’m not confident. Are they clarifying … Continue reading

Posted in Coaching, Teachers | 3 Comments

Keep a Smile On!

The first full week of school runs everyone ragged, adjusting schedules, teaching routines, and learning your place in a new communal order; kids and adults.  My son must have seen this on my face from across the field during his … Continue reading

Posted in Leadership, Parenting, Students | 1 Comment

Classroom in a Closet

This August I had to pack my classroom up into a closet.  Last year was my first as a cross-district teacher/coach, but I left my classroom intact, expecting it to be a one-year assignment.  Having learned that God often laughs … Continue reading

Posted in Coaching, Students, Teachers | 1 Comment