Teacher TominTeachers on Fire MagazineThe Children are Not Fine: None of Us are FineChildren are certainly resilient, but we make a mistake when we point to their play as evidence that they are “fine.”May 28, 2020May 28, 2020
Teacher TominTeachers on Fire MagazineThe Having of Wonderful Ideas: Beyond Right and Wrong AnswersWonderful ideas may turn out, in the end, to be poppycock, but that’s beside the point. It’s the wonderfulness that matters.May 20, 2020May 20, 2020
Teacher TominAge of Awareness“I Changed My Own Mind”: The Only Way Any Mind Has Ever Been ChangedIt was cold out, but Maya didn’t want to put on her coat. An adult tried to compel her, bringing her the puffy pink parka she had worn to…May 18, 2020May 18, 2020
Teacher TominTeachers on Fire MagazineAny Solution That Does not Include Our Collective Voice Will be Dangerous and FlawedWe need to have discussions about the decisions ahead, and teachers must have a seat at the table.May 13, 2020May 13, 2020
Teacher TominTeachers on Fire MagazineBirds of a Feather Will Flock TogetherI learned the song “When Sammy Put the Paper on the Wall” from Bev Bos, Michael Leeman, and Tom Hunter. You can find their version with…May 8, 20202May 8, 20202
Teacher TominTeachers on Fire MagazineNagging, Drilling, and Coaxing: What Children Have Today Instead of Play“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fail.” — ConfuciusMay 5, 20201May 5, 20201
Teacher TominAge of AwarenessPlay, “Playishness,” and STEM Learning in PreschoolI receive a fair number of newly published early childhood/teaching books, often unsolicited, with the idea that I’ll write a review or…May 3, 20201May 3, 20201
Teacher TominTeachers on Fire MagazineWe Could Not Pick a Better Time to Draw Up Our List of DemandsIf we had the collective will, we could use this unique moment to insist upon change.Apr 29, 2020Apr 29, 2020
Teacher TominTeachers on Fire MagazineWhy Children Must Bicker as They PlayThis is the gold standard of a play-based curriculum: creative, cooperative play.Apr 26, 20201Apr 26, 20201
Teacher TominAge of AwarenessWe Know the Answer to the Meaning of Life . . . Now What?In Douglas Adams’ novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a computer is built specifically to answer the question, “What is the…Apr 22, 20201Apr 22, 20201