Teaching & Schools

  • Unbonded

    ByAllen Reding

    I remember the teachers who acted more like prison guards than guides—brash, strict, and distant. I never felt a connection with them; trying would have been like grabbing a live wire. And after a long career in teaching, I know how quickly the work turns to drudgery when the relationship is missing. Do you remember the toughest teachers you ever had? I do not mean the ones that held you to high standards in your field of study. Tough graders make accomplished writers, mathematicians, and economists. The Classroom Drill Instructors The tough ones I remember tended to be generally disagreeable … Read more

  • Teaching Through the Pandemic 2

    ByAllen Reding

    In 1979, I was caught in a flood that forced me to abandon my car and wade through the dark toward safety. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the confusion and fear of that night would echo decades later in the classroom. Teaching through the pandemic carried the same weight—sudden changes, no clear path, and the need to lean on others. We Survived and Grew During the summer of 1979, a torrential downpour fell on my hometown. In what seemed like no time, flood waters engorged most of the surrounding streets. Instead of staying in the safe, relatively … Read more

  • Teaching Through the Pandemic 1

    ByAllen Reding

    I taught through the biggest disruption most of us have ever seen. What finally made sense wasn’t the screen time or the tech—we were just trying to be present with kids who needed something steady. Now I know it wasn’t about keeping up with the chaos—it was about holding on to whatever sense of classroom felt human. As I think about my schooling in the 60s and 70s, I am amazed at the amount of technology available to teachers and students today. Back in my high school days, using a simple four-function calculator in math class was considered cheating. Back … Read more

  • Teaching: A Most Unusual Rollercoaster

    ByAllen Reding

    Teaching was never a smooth ride. Some days climbed with promise, others dropped without warning, and the turns came faster than I could prepare for. Lookin g back now, it wasn’t the chaos that defined the journey—it was how much I carried away from it. And what I recognized about teaching has turned out to be true for all of life. A school year is a strange kind of rollercoaster. You strap in, ready or not, and before you know it the chain is pulling you up that first hill. The ride starts slow—syllabus days, names to learn, new shoes … Read more