William Shakespeare is generally regarded as the greatest writer of the English language.  All too often, though, he is taught at the secondary school level in a way that does not endear this brilliant man to high school students.  I remember being bored by Shakespeare when I was in school.  What can be done to...Read More

This blog post of mine, entitled ”What If Great Minds Ran Our Schools?” based on my book If Einstein Ran the Schools: Revitalizing U.S. Education, first appeared in the blog TeachThought on May 1, 2020: The long-awaited test results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) are in, and although there’s something there for...Read More

Homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult enough for many parents, but some have the additional responsibility of helping their ADHD-diagnosed kids with schoolwork.  Here are some tips to help you along: Let Your Child Fidget.  Researchers now say that fidgeting actually helps ADHD-identified kids focus better.  One resource that can help with this (so...Read More

There’s an age-old concept in the field of education called ”the teachable moment.” This is when an event happens unexpectedly that provides an opportunity for students to learn something new.  So, for example, if a great statesman died, this might be the chance to learn something about his life, or to examine the traits of...Read More

Romano Guardini (1885-1968) was a German Catholic priest and philosopher who was one of the most important influences on Catholic intellectual life in the 20th century.  His work influenced Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict) and Jorge Mario Bergoglio (later Pope Francis), who made Guardini’s work the focus of his doctoral dissertation (which was never completed). ...Read More