LATEST ARTICLES
What does mutual respect look like?–Improving Educational Impact
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to observe classrooms in a school involved in its third year of implementing Dr. Payne’s work. T [...]
Ghost of holidays past
Thinking of holidays past in the few calm moments I glean during this season, I am impressed by how little social status can really mean—if [...]
Just in time for the season–Understanding Poverty
Bridges Out of Poverty participants continually ask if anyone has helped Tammy Crabtree and her son, who were featured in the People Like Us [...]
aha! Process and Ruby Payne attend the NMSA Conference
The 2008 National Middle School Association (NMSA) conference could rightly be called the year of the autograph, starting with famed basebal [...]
Reducing poverty–Making a difference one person at a time
As an employee of aha! Process, one of the things I hear so often is, “Oh, you work for Ruby Payne.” Yes, I do, but what is more meaningful [...]
Paradigm shift: Have a couple of drinks and some community sustainability
Many people report that they had aha! moments when they first heard Ruby Payne’s ideas. (Hence the name of her company!) I certainly had an [...]
Understanding Poverty–aha! moments with the Payne School Improvement Model
As I continue to work with school districts around the country, I am encouraged by the countless “aha! moments” that teachers and administra [...]
Three reasons to read Until It’s Gone: Ending Poverty in Our Nation, in Our Lifetime
Scott Miller’s new book, Until It’s Gone: Ending Poverty in Our Nation, in Our Lifetime, is now available. Here are three reasons you’ll wan [...]
Walk a mile in these shoes
As most educators know, learning is a lifelong process. It involves exposing ourselves to new information and experiences that challenge our [...]
Better PowerPoint presentations
I had a great time last week with my friends at Education Minnesota, where I presented a workshop on constructing better PowerPoints. You kn [...]
What technology and learning environments are digital natives demanding?
I have just returned from a conference where the main topic discussed was what it means to be tech savvy in higher education environments, b [...]
Creating community engagement for children
It has been made appallingly clear, both through the research and through day-to-day exposure to the media, that if we are to turn the tide [...]
The bored and vacant eyes
I was recently invited to breakfast with a group of thoughtful, talented, and committed educators for a conversation with a retired business [...]
Implementing Bridges Out of Poverty
Imagine a group of thirty women and men sitting around a table. Imagine that they come from wealth, middle class, and poverty. Imagine that [...]
Relationships make all the difference
Dr. James Comer said, “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” We, as teachers, believe this wholeheartedly, but [...]
What are schools for?
Both in today’s world, and in the past, this is a fair question. The answer, however, is not a simple one, and I do not profess to have a pa [...]
Blogging and the knowledge revolution
Perhaps I’ve gotten way ahead of myself, a condition I should be used to by this time. I started writing a blog without explaining why. Is i [...]
Four Overlapping Mindsets
Ruben Perez, creator of the workshop "Understanding Students of Hispanic/Latino Descent and their Parents" asks the question: Why does "dif [...]
Why do we have to do this?
My friend, an English teacher, called me to complain at the end of last school year. It was hot, near the end of the year, and the ki [...]
Energize and renew to become a more balanced professional
I finished Parker Palmer’s Courage to Teach program about two weeks ago, so I’ve had time to think about its importance. The program served [...]
A Getting Ahead graduate shares an aha! moment
Making changes is hard to do, particularly when we are in poverty. The demands of an unstable environment—cars that break down and finding a [...]
On being prepared
My first year teaching was wonderfully difficult. My mentor was pregnant and had her baby the first week of school; she took the rest of the [...]
Can we afford to avoid bold moves?
When we see the statistics on children in our country, can we afford not to support change? Can we afford not to open ourselves to newer and [...]
On my mind- Walter “Skip” Olsen
Staying positive these days is proving to be a challenge. I’m bothered by the maiming and killing, the lack of reasoned civil discourse, and [...]
Future stories at Coachella Valley USD
A typical day in balmy Thermal, California in August is approximately 120 degrees! That certainly must be how the name of this beautiful pie [...]