RefinED Friends,

Recently, I had the pleasure of reading Inda Schaenen's book Speaking of Fourth Grade: What Listening to Kids Tells Us About Schools in America. In it, she offers a seemingly hyperbolic but paradoxically realistic glimpse into the complexities of teaching with a simple thought experiment. It reads as follows:

A thought experiment: tie your shoe. Now teach a five-year-old how to tie her shoe. Next teach that same child how to tie someone else's shoe. Now make picture instruction...
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RefinED Friends,

I sit here, foot propped in the air, after a minor surgical procedure performed on Christmas Eve.  All this forced couch time gives me ample opportunity to build my reading list.  I'll keep today's blog post short and sweet. Here are some books I'll devour over the next few weeks.  

1.  Focus:  The Hidden Driver of Excellence  Daniel Goleman   (already devoured, and highly recommend it!)

2.  Boys Adrift:  The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Unde...
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