Hagan Nash

Married to my best friend, father to one gorgeous girl, passionate teacher and Principal.

[Katharine Birbalsingh @Miss_Snuffy]

Wise words.

PARENTS!!

Have a listen! 🙏🏽

[James A. Furey @JamesAFurey]

“Every student has the right to an education.”

Okay. But also…

No student has the right to make a school unsafe. If they bring violence, threats, or weapons, they don’t need a “restorative plan.”

They need to be shown the exit. Put them in online school. Find an alt ed program. Give them a chance at an apprenticeship.

But don’t let them ruin the education of the other kids in the school.

[James A. Furey @JamesAFurey]

The refusal to enforce real consequences doesn’t protect kids; it sets them up to fail.

The real world doesn’t hand out endless second chances.

Whoever it is, parents or teachers, if you don’t teach accountability when they’re young, life will do it later. And life can be a far harsher teacher than you.

[David@Nautilus @DavidNautilus1]

The only thing that matters is what you do in your school, with the children you serve.

The rest of this stuff is just noise.

[James A. Furey @JamesAFurey]

For anyone that needs to hear this:

It is not even *remotely* a teacher's job to make sure their students get good grades. That is the job of the student.

[The Modest Teacher @ModestTeacher]

When your lesson is to open Canvas, read the article, watch the video, and answer the questions, you diminish your role as a teacher and expert.

If you want to be valued as a teacher, make yourself valuable.

[Hagan Nash @HaganNash]

@Mr_Raichura Fantastic explanation, especially after seeing you model this. Thank you.

[Hagan Nash @HaganNash]

@MarkSham Very well written and thought provoking. Thank you for bringing balance to the insanity.

[Daniel Buck, “Youngest Old Man in Ed Reform” @MrDanielBuck]

If a school or administrator is t willing to enforce a rule (phone, dress code, anything) it’s better to not set the rule at all

Doing so without follow through completely undermines adult authority in the building

[Dissident Teacher @educatedandfree]

The parents of students new to classical schools across our nation are annoyed.

They are annoyed that assignments must be handwritten instead of typed or voiced-to-text.

They are annoyed that points are deducted for writing in anything other than blue or black ink.

They are annoyed at how often their child has to re-do assignments because she never learned to form letters properly.

They are annoyed that spelling counts.

They are annoyed at deadlines.

They are annoyed that late work earns zero points.

They are annoyed that kids receive disciplinary consequences for chewing gum, failing to complete assignments, eating in class, and being disruptive in the slightest.

But the STUDENTS?

The students are not annoyed.

Indignant at first, they quickly learn to accept correction. Their willingness to conform comes from the mostly-forgotten truth that STRUCTURE makes learning easier and (dare I say?) fun.

They see how strictly-enforced rules make a classroom calm and safe. A calm, safe classroom means they can take risks.

Kids LOVE risk.

They learn that instead of distracting themselves with 18 different colored gel pens on their assignment, the blue or black ink focuses them on the quality of their writing AND ideas. A single red pen for corrections makes errors obvious, easier to address.

They learn that being disciplined for not bringing required forces them to be responsible. They also learn that preparedness decreases stress and allows them to get right to work when it's time.

They learn that extended bathroom breaks double homework time because they miss instruction that would've helped them finish assignments faster. They learn to plan bathroom breaks for passing period so they don't miss instruction.

Look, classical schools are not the panacea they are too often purported to be. Much depends on the quality of administration and teaching; many classical schools struggle with both.

But here's your takeaway: while kids don't necessarily need a particular type of school, if you place your child in one, she would almost certainly do better in one that says to her, very clearly, and with no reservations:

"We will hold you accountable for these small things because mastering them will prepare you for far, far greater ones."

Does your kid's school do that?

[James A. Furey @JamesAFurey]

Being a parent of three young kids has made something very clear to me that many teachers would do well to understand:

Enforcing discipline is NOT about being harsh; it's about showing kids we care enough to teach them right from wrong.

We need to stop confusing leniency with love. It's actually destructive.

[The Principal’s Office @educator4ever36]

It’s one thing to submit work electronically on a laptop. It’s also great to post notes and review work in Google classroom. But if your child is on a laptop more than 25% of any class, that teacher ain’t teaching and that class ain’t learning. Ask your kids about this. Go visit a class or two.

[Rachel, Maker of Wild Sparrow Naturals @SpiritedSparr0w]

Children are often actually begging for boundaries. They have no idea what to do and where to go and how to act and it seems very comforting to them to be given the tools to navigate those things.

[Brent Lindeque @BrentLindeque]

This incredible explanation about what happiness is and where it exists is exactly what I needed to start my day today.

The author is unknown, most probably just someone who jotted down their thoughts and set them free for others to read them and feel again.

So, so powerful.

Let this be the first thing you read today, and maybe save it for a "rainy" day when you may need it again.

Hope you have a happy day.

Okay. Love you. Bye.

"I think we’ve been taught from such a young age that happiness is meant to be this big, all-consuming thing.

That it is this moment that cracks open our bones, changes our lives and sweeps all of the weight inside of us away. That it is something that is awarded to us, gifted to us by the world.

That it is something we are all constantly in pursuit of until we find it.

And so we are always waiting.

Waiting for this experience, this simplifying in life, this ‘aha’ moment where the wounds are all healed, and the growth is all organised neatly within our ribcages, and our hearts aren’t afraid of loving anymore, and the warmth never leaves.

But I don’t think happiness is big or infinite at all.

I think real happiness, true happiness exists in acceptance of the fact that we will always be balancing what is light and dark within ourselves.

I think real happiness, true happiness exists in the quiet, in the smallest things. In the morning cup of coffee, in the sound of your parents' voice on the other end of the phone. I think real happiness, true happiness is believing that you are meant to be here, that you are meant to take up space in this world. I think real and true happiness is finding the human beings who take care of you - not in a materialistic way, but rather finding the human beings who take care of your soul, who take care of even the most chaotic parts of you. I think real happiness, true happiness is all around you at all times, pinned and blooming in things you stopped paying attention to because you were always searching for more. Flowers when you take a stroll on the road, the intensity in the air when you meet someone, and you know they’re going to change your life, your pet cuddling with you after a tiring day, the way your stomach flips when you hear your favourite song, the way your eyelashes feel as they blink across your neck when you’re holding them.

And I don’t think happiness is something you find, or that it is this destination you get to where the night never comes, and you are bulletproof and unaffected by the mayhem.

I think the mayhem will always, always exist - we are literally made from it; we wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for the crashing and banging of atoms within this universe.

No, I think happiness exists in the understanding that the pain holds just as much importance as the beauty.

I think happiness exists in finding the things that make us feel known and special and at peace in this world, no matter how small or insignificant they feel and letting them save us.

I think happiness exists in learning how to embrace the dark, in learning how to see it as the very thing that makes us appreciate the light!"

- Author unknown, but what powerful words.

[Hagan Nash @HaganNash]

This is so true and relevant for our times.

[Andrew Old @oldandrewuk]

Not all discomfort is a disorder or a mental health problem. Stress and sadness are normal parts of being human and crucial for building character. Let’s stop teaching kids to treat life’s struggles like medical emergencies.

[Zach Groshell @MrZachG]

Oh dang, the whole documentary is online! I was about to start e-mailing folks to get early access, but no need 😅

See you in a few hours:

Episode 1: Harnessing Attention
Episode 2: Teaching Behavior
Episode 3: Securing Success
Episode 4: Embedding Development