Blog Posts
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 30, No 6
April 12, 2021
Hi to MI Fans, Thankfully, it appears that just maybe we are nearing returning to normal from Covid-19. I continue to ponder how this experience has changed education. I will be surprised (and disappointed) if we simply return to educating the way we’ve always done it. I will share more about this in a future newsletter. Applause goes to the health care workers who have bravely taken care of everyone […]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 30, No 5
January 23, 2021
Dear MI Friends, I found myself fighting back tears because I was moved by both significant events and by small, routine happenings. The inauguration of Joe Biden, our 46th president, gripped me and elicited strong feelings of appreciation, optimism, and gratitude. It was a powerful experience, and many others said that it had that impact on them, too. “But why?” I wondered. Days have passed yet I continue to ponder […]
The Tom Hoerr Innovation Lab
January 21, 2021
In November of 2020, New City School announced the opening and dedication of The Tom Hoerr Innovation Lab. Here’s what they said… On Friday, October 16th, Head of School Alexis Wright and a very small group of masked and socially-distanced former Board Presidents and former faculty celebrated the dedication and opening of New City’s newest classroom, The Tom Hoerr Innovation Lab. The Innovation Lab consists of 2,500 square feet of […]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 30, No 4
December 1, 2020
Hi MI Readers, Happy post-Thanksgiving to my USA friends and happy greetings to other readers, too. These are parlous times around the world, but we all, I am sure, have reason to give thanks. Covid vaccines are on the way and while it will take longer than we like to get back to normal, this is encouraging news. Personally, while I am thankful for Zoom I am eager for life […]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 30, No 3
November 1, 2020
Hi Friends, How are things going for you? I hope that you’re safe and not suffering from too much Zoom fatigue. I’ve talked to many, many teachers and principals, and it seems that everyone is working harder and longer in these COVID days than before. Of course, these difficulties are exacerbated when we don’t get to be with our students in person and experience their smiles and joyful learning. It […]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 30, No 2
September 20, 2020
Hi MI Friends, These are crazy times. Who could imagine that we are encouraged to wear masks when entering a bank!?! It’s obvious that Covid is taking an emotional toll on everyone, adults and kids. I work with many teachers and administrtors in in my role at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) and I know how hard everyone is working. Teachers and principals are spending more time now than […]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 30, No 1
July 14, 2020
Hi MI Friends, These times are unique, uncertain, and dangerous. How’s that for a formula for stress! I hope you are safe and healthy. Recently I was Zooming with hundreds of educators in Argentina, and at the end of the presentation, the host, Alastair Grant, asked me what advice I had for teachers. First, I replied, we all need to step back and take a deep breath and make sure […]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 29, No 8
June 13, 2020
Hello to MI Friends, We are experiencing two pandemics. COVID-19 has changed our lives for months, inhibiting our actions and causing illness and death. And now a racial pandemic engulfs us. The Coronavirus is a relatively new phenomenon; it has been around less than a year and has spread exponentially for months. The racial virus, “a harmful or corrupting agency,” is even more pernicious. Racism in this country goes back […]
Microsoft’s Teaching Happiness Team
June 10, 2020
In early February, Tom was interviewed about empathy by Microsoft’s Teaching Happiness team. He recently commented “The need for more empathy in our society has been vividly illustrated by the dual pandemics of Covid-19 and racism that we confront today. While their causes and costs are very different, yet both terribly deleterious, a big step in addressing them begins with taking the time to understand others and appreciate how they […]
Steve Barkley Podcast: Examining Learner Grit
June 9, 2020
Listen to Tom’s conversation with Steve Barkley on an episode of the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast to examine learner grit. Grit is an important success skill for school and life. Determination and the ability to continue through failure and challenging moments are elements of grit. In this episode, Steve and Tom examine ways to build your child’s grit. Listen Now