Think you know the story of David and Goliath? Think again. In the hands of Malcolm Gladwell, the story of David and Goliath takes on new meaning. Or rather, Gladwell turns our typical interpretation of this classic biblical story on its head. As Gladwell points out, we tend to read the David and Goliath story as the tale of an improbable victory of a relative weakling over a mighty warrior. Indeed, the phrase has been so incorporated into our language that many use it – in describing the underdog victory of one sports team over another, for instance – without even knowing its source. But as Gladwell tells it, the story is really about a...

“Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” This is just one of Rita Pierson’s statements that is funny, insightful, and right on the target. She was responding to a colleague’s comment that, “They don’t pay me to like kids; they pay me to teach the kids. I teach; they should learn. Case closed.” Except, as Rita explained, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” At the core of Rita’s educational and pedagogical philosophy is one simple but powerful conviction: education is about connection. It’s hard to learn if you don’t feel connected. Which means that kids don’t just need a teacher, they...