Josh Stumpenhorst – Page 3 – Josh Stumpenhorst

Horses to Water

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Josh Stumpenhorst

I think it is safe to assume most people have heard the phrase “you can lead the horse to water but you can’t make it drink.” As teachers we do a lot of leading horses to water. In addition, we do a fair amount of herding kittens but that is a topic for another time. […]

Grains of Salt

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Josh Stumpenhorst

For quite a while now I have been a big advocate for teachers using social media. Specifically, I have encouraged the use of Twitter as a way to build strong professional learning networks. I know for me Twitter allowed me to make some very strong professional and personal connections. These connections have been a huge […]

I’m Not Resigning

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Josh Stumpenhorst

There has been a lot of talk about the viral teacher resignations floating around online. I myself have recently engaged in conversations with fellow teachers who have said they are thinking about resigning or retiring as soon as possible. Even more are the individuals who say they would never recommend their children or their neighbor’s […]

Change Won’t Happen

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Josh Stumpenhorst

Lots of people are talking about the need for change in education. Some people may go so far as to say we need a revolution. 😉 Many people think they know the answer about how education needs to change. The ideas and potential fixes range far and wide with each a self proclaimed game changer. […]

Best for Kids

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Josh Stumpenhorst

You don’t have to spend a great deal of time in a school to hear the phrase, “best for kids” mentioned in a meeting or inservice. This phrase permeates into much of what we do in schools and is often the justification behind a great many decisions. You don’t have to look far into mission […]

The Wrong Data

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Josh Stumpenhorst

I have been a teacher in a public school for my entire 13 year teaching career. Over that time I have seen many changes on the education pendulum swing back and forth. One trend, although likely more than a trend, I see creeping or rather blitzkrieging into every aspect of our school in recent years […]

A Curious Teacher – Part Three

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Josh Stumpenhorst

A Curious Teacher – Part Three I am still unpacking many of the insights and lessons shared in Brian Grazer’s book, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. One of my initial takeaways was around the idea of curiosity not being a sought after or overly valued quality in schools. The other insight […]

A Curious Teacher – Part Two

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Josh Stumpenhorst

Previously, I wrote about my initial reactions to reading Brian Grazer’s book A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. Beyond just the role curiosity played in Brian’s life and work he struck another chord with me when we discussed the phrase “good enough”. This if often a phrase we hear in our line […]

A Curious Teacher – Part One

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Josh Stumpenhorst

Not so long ago, I was given a copy of A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life written by Brian Grazer. Now, admittedly this book was not written for educators or with the intent of being considered an education text. However, as I read the book, I couldn’t help but see so many […]

Thank You Mr. Smith

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Josh Stumpenhorst

This post was originally shared a while back. However, as the end of the school year rolls around I wanted to take time to share again as much of what Mr. Smith does is hugely impactful at the end of the school year. As a teacher you are lucky if you find yourself teaching in […]