Below is a post I wrote for The Open School: I was talking to a 7th grade math teacher the other day and the topic of Minecraft came up. “What’s Minecraft?” she asked. “Umm, really? Don’t you teach 7th grade?” I didn’t meant to be rude, but I was a little shocked she hadn’t heard […]
Archive > January 2013
Be the Coach, not the Referee
There are a number of parent/child metaphors that I have heard over the years, usually to help understand the world of a child. One interesting one is to think of your child as an alien from another planet. They know nothing of our culture, our language, our rules, or our expectations. So, we must show […]
The Tortoise and the Hare
Recently I told my son the story of the tortoise and the hare. I think I was hoping he’d see that slowing down is often the best way to get things accomplished. Of course, he’s not quite four, so he just liked whole racing aspect of the story. So, really, that story was for me. […]
How to Create a Tattletale
My son W has a best friend. We’ll call him E. E and W play one to two times a week together. E’s mom and I trade off watching the other’s children, so the boys see each other a lot. Because they are 4, they are at an age where they don’t need a lot […]