Blog Posts
Podcast: Thinking Classroom Podcast
May 9, 2023
Does your school culture ‘feel right’? Does it express who you are and what you want for your pupils? In the Thinking Classroom Podcase, Educator Mike Fleetham talks to Tom about the six facets of organisational culture – vision, values, people, place, practices and narrative. They look at empathy, gratitude, parent relations and how to make those values you display in the reception area actually mean something. Tom shares wisdom […]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 32, No 4
March 9, 2023
Hi MI Fans, Are you ready for Spring Break? A break should be a time for some reflection and relaxation, not simply catching up on tasks, so with the gift of some extra minutes, how about stepping out of your dominant MI? Yep, why not carve a 90-minute block or two so you can engage in an intelligence that isn’t your forte? (Me? I live linguistically so I’m going to […]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 32, No 3
January 14, 2023
Greetings MI Fans, This edition of Intelligence Connections features two articles, both of which highlight the value of Multiple Intelligences. The first refers to everyday use of MI and an article by Temple Grandin. The second article, “The Healthy Break: Kinesthetics in the Classroom,” that looks at the importance of exercise in learning. Margarita Mariana Falco, is by an English Language III at the EFL Teacher Training Program at Universidad […]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 32, No 2
November 20, 2022
Greetings MI Fans, This newsletter presents two perspectives on MI. First, I write about the hierarchy inherent in the terms “gifted” and “talented,” and argue that we need to expand how we think about “gifted” to include all of the intelligences. Special thanks to Megan Roegner, teacher of gifted students at Lindbergh High School (MO), for helping me ponder this issue. Any errors or misinterpretations, though, are mine. The second […]
For School Leaders, Empathy Isn’t Optional
November 16, 2022
Leading with empathy helps us become more effective supervisors. “Leading through empathy sounds wonderful,” the principal said to me, “but how do you do this while also being a good supervisor?” She was attending a workshop based on my book, The Principal as Chief Empathy Officer (ASCD, 2022), and her question inspired me to reflect on the pressures that cause tension between the need to give strong and directive supervision […]
How School Design Can Hinder Or Help Collaboration
October 20, 2022
If your school culture lacks energy, think about reworking physical spaces to encourage “creative collisions.” Do you remember hearing about the medieval tales of King Arthur and his knights of the square table? Well, most likely that’s not how you remember the tale. That’s because, beyond being strong enough to extract a sword, Excalibur, from a stone, Arthur was wise enough to convene his team around a round table, one […]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 32, No 1
September 20, 2022
Greetings Fans of Multiple Intelligences, I hope that your school year has begun on a positive note. Covid hasn’t gone away but life seems getting back to normal in schools. However – and it’s a big however – our students’ scholastic progress slowed during Covid, and many educators have told me that there is a corresponding loss in students’ personal intelligences, their ability to manage themselves and relate to others. […]
Why Surveys Are a Key School Leadership Tool
August 26, 2022
If you want feedback, you have to ask for it. Principals, how effective was your back-to-school preservice this year? Did teachers gain knowledge and learn new skills? Sure, everyone enjoyed the donuts in the teachers’ lounge, but how did people feel about the professional development sessions that were offered? Were they effective? Did they meet teachers’ needs? The past couple of years have been especially tough for educators, and I […]
Podcast: No Silly Questions
July 3, 2022
What does it mean to be intelligent? On No Silly Questions – An Education Podcast for Parents, Tom explains that there are many other smarts, beyond the classic book smarts and street smarts. And enormous possibility can exist for kids when we recognize their unique aptitudes, in school and at home. Hopefully this episode expands the perception of what it means to be quote – “good at school.” Listen […]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter, Vol 31, No 5
May 9, 2022
Greetings MI Fans, Spring has finally sprung in this section of the Northern Hemisphere (MO) and it feels good to be able to use the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence outside. It’s not nearly as much fun to walk on a treadmill as to be outside. That said, years ago Howard Gardner convened the group of us who had written for his book, MI Around the World, and an educator from Norway talked […]