In teaching, the details matter. When educators make small changes to their practice, they can reap big rewards . . . and produce big results.
AcknowledgmentsIn May 2020—two months into the pandemic shutdown, when life was uncertain and unfamiliar—I got an email from a senior acquisitions editor at ASCD asking me if I'd ever thought about writing a book. Four books later, we have finally been able to work together. Susan Hills, thank you for finding me, for being a discerning editor with a keen eye for the details I miss, and for being such a champion of my work. Also, many thanks to everyone at ASCD who worked so hard to make this book a reality, especially Miriam Calderone. My writing career has continued to grow with help from editors who believe in me. For that, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Carol Chambers Collins, Tom Berger, and Kelly Clancy. For the past 24 years, I have been fortunate to work in a school district with dedicated, talented educators. To all my teammates, past and present, you inspire me and make me better. Whenever I need to learn more about social-emotional learning, my go-to experts are Alex Shevrin Venet and Phyllis Fagell. You are both so supportive, not to mention ceaselessly generous with your time and ideas. Thank you for always being willing to help me put things in perspective. To the Plotinsky crew, I'm glad we are both geographically and emotionally close. I continue to learn from my mother, who is a model of persistence and courage. Only the strongest people are resilient enough to keep embracing new experiences, and I'm so proud to have a mom who has taught me by example. Not every education writer is lucky enough to have three supportive kids who come to local book events and get excited when each new book is published. Even better, they are all a lot of fun, especially now that we've solidly hit the adolescent years. Koby, Ayla, and Dalya: keep being your distinct, incomparable selves, and thank you for patiently teaching me about this whole motherhood thing. I'm still working on getting it down pat. Kenny, I hope you don't mind that I keep dedicating books to you. But how can I help it? Nearly 20 years in, you are still the best thing that ever happened to me, and I don't expect that to ever change. Thanks for the coffee, for walking our fourth child at crazy hours (and driving the other three around), for keeping it all going, and for loving me, just the way I am. Printed by for personal use only |
In May 2020—two months into the pandemic shutdown, when life was uncertain and unfamiliar—I got an email from a senior acquisitions editor at ASCD asking me if I'd ever thought about writing a book. Four books later, we have finally been able to work together. Susan Hills, thank you for finding me, for being a discerning editor with a keen eye for the details I miss, and for being such a champion of my work. Also, many thanks to everyone at ASCD who worked so hard to make this book a reality, especially Miriam Calderone.
My writing career has continued to grow with help from editors who believe in me. For that, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Carol Chambers Collins, Tom Berger, and Kelly Clancy.
For the past 24 years, I have been fortunate to work in a school district with dedicated, talented educators. To all my teammates, past and present, you inspire me and make me better.
Whenever I need to learn more about social-emotional learning, my go-to experts are Alex Shevrin Venet and Phyllis Fagell. You are both so supportive, not to mention ceaselessly generous with your time and ideas. Thank you for always being willing to help me put things in perspective.
To the Plotinsky crew, I'm glad we are both geographically and emotionally close. I continue to learn from my mother, who is a model of persistence and courage. Only the strongest people are resilient enough to keep embracing new experiences, and I'm so proud to have a mom who has taught me by example.
Not every education writer is lucky enough to have three supportive kids who come to local book events and get excited when each new book is published. Even better, they are all a lot of fun, especially now that we've solidly hit the adolescent years. Koby, Ayla, and Dalya: keep being your distinct, incomparable selves, and thank you for patiently teaching me about this whole motherhood thing. I'm still working on getting it down pat.
Kenny, I hope you don't mind that I keep dedicating books to you. But how can I help it? Nearly 20 years in, you are still the best thing that ever happened to me, and I don't expect that to ever change. Thanks for the coffee, for walking our fourth child at crazy hours (and driving the other three around), for keeping it all going, and for loving me, just the way I am.
