Nicole Simpson-Tanner
Right In The Middle of It
I am an educator, but I am also a Portlander. I love my city and always make sure to pay attention to what is happening…
DETAIL
How can we step out of our comfort zones to think critically about stories of injustice?
In the Willow Community of fourth- and fifth-graders this year, one big question we are chewing on is: How might we raise a generation of…
DETAIL
Windows into Perspective-Taking
What we heard from the dialogue is that the children perceived the windows as a distraction to their work. What we did not hear was the children thinking about the possible perspective of the guests of the other people that might have an opinion about this situation.
DETAIL
Possibilities Within Our Intentions
At the beginning of the year, our teams of teachers draft intentions for the year. These intentions take the form of big, meaty questions that…
DETAIL
Working Within Our Intentions
At the beginning of this year, we posted the intentions letter that we craft to focus our attention, activate our eyes and ears as the children…
DETAIL
What does our community need?
Every new year is a new beginning. Each time a group of students and teachers come together in September, they become a learning community. What…
DETAIL
A Place for Practice
The beginning of a new school year is an exciting time. The newness, the fresh start, and the anticipation are always with me as I…
DETAIL
Growing Theories and Provisional Thinking
This year, in the Sitka learning community of 8 – 10 year-olds, we have been chewing on a big question: How does exploring the relationships…
DETAIL
The Writing Kind of Life
“A writer’s notebook is like a ditch – an empty space you dig in your busy life, a space that will fill up with all…
DETAIL
I Felt Brave
I am a teacher, and it seems (and I know I am not alone in this ) that my teacher brain does not turn off…
DETAIL