Welcome to the lounge!

This is the place to take a closer look at teaching methods and philosophies, and catch a few glimpses of what has worked for others. Dave and I will be taking turns on this blog, and occasionally even inviting guests. In a world where almost any information you can imagine is at your fingertips, we're hoping we'll all enjoy sitting around the "lounge" with familiar colleagues (you'll be surprised at how many you know already), trading ideas with those who think along the same lines we do. What are those lines? Well, starting at our very "bottom line philosophy" it would be the necessity of equipping children with tools for life. Real life.

In many ways, the world has become a rather scary place for children these days. It is our belief that the best way to combat those fears is to make every effort to raise up confident individuals who are capable of not only thinking for themselves, but who do a good job at it. Kids are amazing! And the more we focus on that, the more we will all be amazed. Take for instance the recent review one young reader posted on Amazon. He had just finished reading Jules Verne's Mysterious Island (whether as an assignment or for pleasure, he didn't say), and wrote: "After reading this book, I now know I could survive..."

Wow. That's the kind of impact every teacher dreams about. What exactly was it that got to this kid? Can the same things work for others? More importantly, will it work for ours?

Let's find out together. I'm really glad you stopped by!

Ann