But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
The powerful ending to Robert Frost’s classic poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” resonates so deeply with me, as I’m sure it does with any educator, parent, or advocate who understands how much work must be done to leave our world in better shape than we inherited.
Another classic poet, Nasir Jones, aka Nas, went even further in his hip-hop classic N.Y. State of Mind when he said “I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death.” For those of us who adopt this relentless approach in our quest for social change and justice, this feeling is understandable. But it is unsustainable.
6 years ago, I started thinkLaw during a 3 month period after leaving my fancy law firm job. At that point, I realized that since 10th grade, I never took a breath. Summer school every year so I could finish high school on time after an awful 9th grade year, a summer bridge before starting at Syracuse University, some sort of research program or internship every summer in college, Teach for America Institute right after graduation, summer school every year I taught, going to law school while teaching during the day, and then burning the candle on both ends as an attorney and new father.
Before I could even conceive of a critical thinking revolution, I needed to realize the revolutionary power of rest.
So please, give yourself permission to REST!
The same way muscles need rest to grow, you need rest to keep fighting.
Enjoy your summer!
– Colin
A Perfect Time To End Our STEM Obsession: 3 Ideas For Teaching Critical Thinking At Home
With all we currently know about the negative consequences of children having too much screen time, how can parents balance their children’s educational needs and limit screen time while also managing their own schedule? The solution to this challenge may also be the same solution to a growing challenge in K-12 education that few are concerned about: our STEM obsession. Here are 3 easy-to-do ideas that will allow them to build crucial 21st century skills without being glued to a screen for hours. Continue Reading
Help Your Kids Build Their Critical Thinking Skills This Summer Using The thinkLaw Family Experience
Invite your family this summer to join the critical thinking revolution with parent critical thinking workshops and practical resources using The thinkLaw Family Experience! Our screen-free learning activities are sure to help you keep your kids busy and improve their critical thinking abilities at home and on-the-go. (Use code SUMMER21 for 20% off!)
thinkLaw Success Stories
Thousands of educators and schools across 40 states (and counting) are benefiting greatly from thinkLaw.
What do they get out of our program?
Educators with tools to make an impact at the classroom level. Students who are more engaged and develop stronger critical thinking skills. Districts that successfully build towards equity. And of course, improved academics. Discover some of their stories here.
Thinking Like A Lawyer: A Framework For Teaching Critical Thinking To ALL Students
Critical thinking is still a luxury good, and students with the greatest potential are too often challenged the least. Thinking Like a Lawyer introduces a powerful but practical framework to close the critical thinking gap and gives teachers the tools and knowledge to teach critical thinking to all students. Get your copy today (over 10,000 copies sold), buy as a gift for someone you care about or put in a bulk order for your team!
Have You Renewed Our Partnership Yet For Next Year?
Working with you this past year has been an absolute pleasure – we value our partnership and can’t wait to continue our work together. We look forward to supporting you in this upcoming year to ensure that our kids have access to the best critical thinking instruction and equity at the classroom level.
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