The first time I served on a jury, the judge announced that I would be its foreperson. I had no idea why I’d been chosen and wondered if it was a random selection, like the ball that pops out from a lottery machine, or if it had anything to do with the details I furnished on the juror questionnaire.

After two full days of hearing testimony and a third deliberating, we pronounced our verdict, were thanked for our service, and dismissed from duty.

Continue reading Using a Talking Stick Is More Than Speaking Uninterrupted at Debbie Zacarian EdD, and Associates, LLC.

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, founder of ‘growth mindset,’ defines the concept as believing that every student can succeed and teaching them to believe in their abilities to: (1) embrace the challenges and complexities of learning; (2) learn the positives of being persistent (3) value effort as a positive; and (4) be inspired to do more (2007).

She contrasts this to a ‘fixed mindset’ where educators believe some students can’t succeed based on their intelligence and circumstance and students may believe the same thing about themselves and others.

Continue reading What is a Growth Mindset and How Can It Be Applied in the Classroom? at Debbie Zacarian EdD, and Associates, LLC.

A Middleweb Blog by Kevin Hodgson

Like many educators, I find the first days of school are a time to get to know my students through community-building activities. I am always curious about family connections, yet never feel as if I do nearly enough to forge partnerships with families, beyond the Curriculum Night, Parent-Teacher Meetings, and regular newsletters.

As a parent of three boys, ironically, I also often feel that I don’t know what my role as a parent should be in our own children’s classrooms.

Continue reading Why Partnerships Can Energize Our Classrooms by Kevin Hodgson at Debbie Zacarian EdD, and Associates, LLC.

by Debbie Zacarian & Michael Silverstone

How do two separate people from different places and with different roles actually go about writing one sentence let alone a book? Our answer takes some explaining as it reflects what we believe is needed in education, now.

Partnerships are key 

The process of co-writing this book began by talking about teaching, talking to define what we were after as educators, and talking about what we thought was working and what wasn’t.

Continue reading We Can Only Make Education Work When We Are In It Together at Debbie Zacarian EdD, and Associates, LLC.