Category Archives: Students

Responsibility…then accountability

Posted on May 25, 2014 by sutterlearn

The mom had good intent, but I had to pause shortly after we started talking about her son’s performance.  She was upset that his handwriting fell short of her expectations.  Then came out a math paper that further displeased and … Continue reading →

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Tomorrow, We’re Not Friends

Posted on March 24, 2014 by sutterlearn

A beautiful, sad story crossed my desk today.  Each year, our elementary school invites back the current graduating seniors for an after-school reception.  We serve cake and have retired teachers come back to see the kids grown up, then the … Continue reading →

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Environmental Print

Posted on March 23, 2014 by sutterlearn

When I was a child, you could have told me the word Coca-Cola was my grandfather’s name, or I might have told you that.  It wouldn’t have been the word itself, but the iconic white script on a red background … Continue reading →

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Memory Serves

Posted on January 18, 2014 by sutterlearn

One of the privileges of teaching has been the relationships with specific parents that have lasted beyond having their children in our classroom. This week I ran into four separate parents who were generally happy to see me and share … Continue reading →

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The Best Student

Posted on October 15, 2013 by sutterlearn

A conversation with a fellow teacher reminded me of a letter I wrote to one of my students a few years ago. It appears we had shared similar experiences of ego-centric students asking us if they were our favorite. That … Continue reading →

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The Language We Choose

Posted on September 12, 2013 by sutterlearn

“If we hope to stem the mass destruction that inevitably attends our economic system, fundamental historical, social, economic, and technological forces need to be pondered, understood, and redirected. Behavior won’t change much without a fundamental change in consciousness. The question … Continue reading →

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Summer Online Academy

Posted on August 16, 2013 by sutterlearn

I’m not a real big video game fan, but I’m very interested in how to gamify a classroom, with or without technology, so that the same elements that engage learners so naturally on video games might apply to social learning. … Continue reading →

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Design Thinking from a 1st Grader

Posted on May 11, 2013 by sutterlearn

Earlier this week I was invited to visit the Henry Ford Academy Elementary School in Detroit. This site visit appealed to me because they are one of the few elementary schools that fosters Design Thinking. Design Thinking is different from … Continue reading →

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Rethinking Recess

Posted on February 10, 2013 by sutterlearn

Even without a classroom right now, kids still inspire my thinking the most.  Recently, a second grader shared with me that he was bored and frustrated at recess.  He passionately lamented that after “almost three years on the same playground” … Continue reading →

Posted in Coaching, Leadership, Students, Teachers | 1 Comment

Shortened Biographies

Posted on December 18, 2012 by sutterlearn

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