Kohn's Zone

Caution: Contents Under Pressure

September 15, 2026 Caution: Contents Under Pressure The psychological consequences of pressuring children to perform well academically (and, worse, to outperform their p

How Not to Deal with Bullying

September 1, 2026 How Not to Deal with Bullying The amount of bullying that goes on in schools is as sobering as the psychological impact it has on its victims, sometime

Teaching Kindness

August 15, 2026 Teaching Kindness How can schools help children to become not only good learners but also good people? What’s involved in cultivating a genuine concern a

The Pseudoscience of Reading

August 1, 2026 The Pseudoscience of Reading What the real science of reading shows is that there isn’t a single method for learning how to read that’s ideal for all chil

The Remarkable Benefits of Diversity

July 15, 2026 The Remarkable Benefits of Diversity Even if you aren’t ideologically opposed to segregation in schools, research shows that it doesn’t make sense for prac

Raising Reflective Rebels

July 1, 2026 Raising Reflective Rebels We’re faced with a silent epidemic of obedience, a pervasive failure to become outraged by outrageous things. Adults whose highest

Fun Without Winning or Losing

June 15, 2026 Fun Without Winning or Losing We have been raised – and, in turn, raise our children – to take on faith that recreation requires competition, that half the

“Progressive High School” Is Not an Oxymoron

June 1, 2026 “PROGRESSIVE HIGH SCHOOL” IS NOT AN OXYMORON In theory, the fact that all but a handful of states have eliminated do-or-die exit exams allows high schools t

Grade Inflation Is Not the Problem

May 15, 2026 Grade Inflation Is Not the Problem When you look at student transcripts (rather than at self-reports), it’s less clear that average grades are rising over t

Beneath the What and the How Is the Why

May 1, 2026 Beneath the What and the How Is the Why In the absence of an affirmative definition of mental health, psychology doesn’t become value-free; its values – and

The Best Classroom Discussions, Hands Down

April 15, 2026 The Best Classroom Discussions, Hands Down In traditional classrooms, students may contribute to a discussion only by raising their hands and waiting for

The Assault on Public Education

April 1, 2026 The Assault on Public Education: A Conversation with Jennifer Berkshire Public schools, says Jennifer Berkshire, are the places "where we start to solve pr

Friendly Excursions into Disequilibrium

March 15, 2026 Friendly Excursions into Disequilibrium Enforced harmony is counterproductive. Pushing students (or employees) to come to agreement prematurely tends to u

Who’s Cheating Whom?

March 1, 2026 Who's Cheating Whom? We're often warned about an "epidemic" of academic cheating and urged to do more to deter and punish the devious culprits. But we've h

The Whole Point Is That There’s No Point

February 15, 2026 The Whole Point Is That There's No Point Early-childhood educators remind us how vital it is for kids to have plentiful opportunities to engage in free

Beyond “Electronic Flashcards”

February 1, 2026 Beyond "Electronic Flashcards": A Conversation with Gary Stager Computers in classrooms may have the potential to radically enrich and democratize stude

How to Kill Kids’ Interest in Reading

January 15, 2026 How to Kill Kids' Interest in Reading Surveys reveal that fewer children and adults are reading for pleasure. This might be due partly to social media,

Who Gets to Decide? – Part 2

January 1, 2026 Who Gets to Decide? - Part 2 Intellectually vibrant classrooms are distinguished by teachers who do a lot more asking than telling. Their motto when conf

Who Gets to Decide? – Part 1

December 15, 2025 Who Gets to Decide? - Part 1 An impressive body of research shows that people of all ages - including students in classrooms - are happier, healthier,

The Curious Case of the Incurious Children

December 1, 2025 The Curious Case of the Incurious Children A Conversation with Susan Engel Everyone agrees that it's good to be curious, but that doesn't mean schools a