Pershmail

Sep 22, 2023 | pershmail.substack.com | Michael Pershan

Here’s a question that I wrote myself, but is extremely similar to a bunch of things I’ve seen people actually ask: I’m a 3rd Grade teacher (or: parent, or: journalist) and I’m enthusiastic about the Science of Reading. It’s totally changing how I think about reading, especially for struggling learners. But what about math? Isn’t it time for a Science of Mathematics movement? And I always want to answer with a very respectful, no, I don’t think so.

Aug 16, 2023 | pershmail.substack.com | Michael Pershan

Couldn’t we just get rid of homework? Basically no one likes it. And students get plenty of practice at school (or at least they should). The homework experience can go wrong in so many ways. Who needs it? The first decades of the 20th century actually did see widespread agitation in the United States to eliminate homework. It came from educators and reformers who saw homework as an unfair burden on children and the home as a poor environment for learning.

Jun 14, 2023 | pershmail.substack.com | Michael Pershan

I. Building Thinking Classrooms contains Peter Liljedahl’s comprehensive system for getting kids to actually start thinking in math class. According to Liljedahl’s research most students spend math class subverting the expectations of their teachers. They “student” and find clever ways to avoid doing any actual thinking. Without thinking, there is no learning, and so teachers need to gets kids thinking. His system is truly comprehensive.

May 31, 2023 | pershmail.substack.com | Michael Pershan

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May 31, 2023 | pershmail.substack.com | Michael Pershan

This piece originally ran in Larry Ferlazzo’s column in Education Week. Larry runs a cool column over there, where he asks teachers a bunch of questions that people don’t usually ask teachers. I don’t remember what Larry’s original question was, but I hope it was about the purpose of school, because that’s what I ended up talking about. I have no idea what the purpose of school is. I don’t even know if I’m supposed to know what the purpose of school is. Is it to prepare students for college? For work?