Alison Stone

I very much agree. Warm demander is something that a teacher embodies. It is not a set of strategies although, typically warm demander’s gravitate to strategies that are going to work well for the students they are teaching. Certainly mindset is something above and beyond strategies.

The thing I love about cats is that you really need to earn their love and affection. When they decide they are worthy of your love it feels like such an achievement!

#caturday kitten cuteness in teenage son’s messy room.

US teacher commentary on edutainment.

I told you it would make a comeback as we saw declining attention.

Scaffolding disguised as support in a really interesting take, because actually he’s right. In too many instances it’s not because the pupils can’t 1/n

This really resonates with my experience. Students are craving a challenge, they are tired of being underestimated and ready to be challenged. I can be very demanding but also very clear about my goals and they get that in my classroom learning is sacred and they want to be there.

Arrest them all!!

Big tech is contributing to this.

Democrats:

We need to talk about this issue of patience WAY more often in education … and not only for students, but with novice teachers, pacing guides, roll outs of new tech, evaluating impact of new tech … just everyone needs to be more patient about just about everything.

The risks of AI in schools outweigh the benefits, report says
"The sweeping study includes focus groups and interviews with K-12 students, parents, educators and tech experts in 50 countries, as well as a literature review of hundreds of research articles."
www.npr.org/2026/01/...

The risks of AI in schools outweigh the benefits, report says A new report warns that AI poses a serious threat to children's cognitive development and emotional well-being.

H/T Larry ferlazzo for clueing me in to this @npr.org summary of a @brookings.edu report - premortem - on AI and education.
NPR: www.npr.org/2026/01/14/n...
Report: www.brookings.edu/articles/a-n...

There are few things in the world that can invoke intense horror laced with unbridle playground joy in teenagers than the first day of a fetal pig dissection.

I wish I could bottle and sell it.

I aspire to be the warm demander. Teachers I’ve observed that do this are by far the best teachers. Having high expectations for your students, holding them accountable and doing whatever in your power to meet those expectations is IMHO the most loving thing a teacher can do.

“I have asked the clergy of the diocese to make sure their affairs are in order and they have written their wills.,not the time for statements. It is time to put our bodies between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable”. Rob Hirschfeld, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire

@michaelhobbes.bsky.social would love for you to do OutLive by Peter Attia either on @ifbookspod.bsky.social or Maintenance Phase

"Educators, educational leaders and unions must continually approach federal, state and local governments to secure funding for technology and training..."

You want teachers to push electeds to give more money to tech corps instead of teachers?

No.

Forget "A.i."

Just pay TEACHERS more.

Some specific points:

The document says "When appropriate, educators and school systems can use technology to create and grade assessments, saving time and allowing immediate feedback."

No. No one wants to be or deserves to be graded by "A.i."

Amen.

To all of this.

I totally understand how we got to this place and why tech seemed so promising.

Yet it’s time to stop and reflect on the last … like … three decades and consider wtf we’ve done to ourselves in education and how to stop it.

🤦‍♀️

#amazonsucks Way to ruin Christmas.

Capitalist bullshit taking over what should be purely public institutions. This is public money and where are the promised results. Are schools better off than 20 years ago? The data’s not there, but the money sure is.

Life science - uncovering deep connections and patterns in life. It is profound and can be deeply satisfying. Life will find a way…

Love this, and the name. On top of the retrieval goodness, students can momentarily 'hold forth' on academic content (and start to see and hear themselves as holder-forthers, I'd bet, which is an extra benefit).

Checking for comprehension:

The days leading up to a summative exam.

Remove scaffolding.

More open ended questions.

Ask questions that encourage formation of connections between concepts.

“Just a minute” is a great model for this…

#teachingtips

Checking for retention:

At the beginning of class the day after a lesson.

May want to provide scaffolding multiple choice questions or providing diagrams can be helpful.

#teachingtips

I try to be intentional with retrieval practice in my classroom

What is the purpose?

Checking for attention: during direct instruction, whiteboards or cold call, lower difficulty questions that direct attention to the most important information.

#teachertips

This.

They can also use the time to take a course that better fits their learning needs??

No just at the college level but I’d argue that’s better because it saves you time and $$