-
Continue reading →: About adolescence: A precious time
We have a three-year-old at home. Her name is Juliet. It’s so exciting to have a three-year-old daughter. At this time of year I always think of a song by Loudon Wainwright III called, That’s My Daughter in The Water. There’s a line in the song that goes: “everything she…
-
Continue reading →: In the Middle of Learning
I have had a blog for some time now, but only this year have I become more dedicated in posting to it at least once every two weeks. I appreciate the voice it gives me and the opportunity to work out ideas and get feedback from others about issues important…
-
Continue reading →: I don’t know, ARE our kids too coddled?
Frank Bruni, a writer for the New York Times has been getting beaten up in the “blog-world” (see Tony Wagner, Jersey Jazzman, Paul Karrer, Patrick Walsh, and John Horn) for a recently published editorial entitled: Are our kids too coddled? The article couldn’t help but get my attention because in…
-
Continue reading →: Why our middle school has a Gay-Straight Alliance
Last week, Jericho Middle School hosted a forum on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues in education. The forum was organized by one of our teachers, Elisa Waters along with her colleagues and students as well as the Nassau County Anti-Bias Consortium. Over 150 educators heard presentations by experts…
-
Continue reading →: Unintended Consequences
When I consider the amount of time I spend on various things during a day, the majority of my time is spent addressing unintended consequences. We have procedures, policies, rules, and a host of other structures in place that are meant to make things work… but they often have unintended…
-
Continue reading →: Bully Prevention – Walk the Talk!
Last weekend, some middle school staff participated in a Bully Prevention 5 K Race at Sunken Meadow Park sponsored by CAPS (Child Abuse Prevention Services). I wasn’t able to run because I had tickets to the Giants game (talk about BULLYING!!) but I did get to the park to cheer…
-
Continue reading →: Skeptical about test scores
A headline in Newsday last week pointed to the fact that parents are upset that some school districts have yet to send home students’ scores on last year’s assessments. I was relieved because we posted our students’ scores the previous Friday. So Jericho parents have access to this information. If…
-
Continue reading →: Following Jericho Middle School
As I am writing this, I am sitting at my desk anticipating the opening day of school. As you are reading it, you are likely to have already experienced a brilliant beginning of the school year. As always, I was up very early this morning because I couldn’t sleep out…
-
Continue reading →: Adolescent Resiliency
Is it OK for your child to fail? You may reply, “It depends on what it is they’re failing?” The middle school years are filled with opportunities for kids to experience failure and disappointment. Some examples: (a) Kids don’t make the basketball team; (b) they get a bad grade; (c)…
-
Continue reading →: I Dont Like Food
I have a two-year-old at home. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her eat… At least when I’m home for dinner. She’s very picky. But my in-laws tell me that she eats all day, like a blue whale, she goes around the house eating everything in sight. I guess I…
Hello,
I’m Don
Let’s connect
Join the fun!
Stay updated by signing up to recieve latest posts.
In the middle of learning - by Donald F. Gately 
You must be logged in to post a comment.