Stephen Hurley

I have been involved in public education for 29 years, and am passionately committed to the idea of effective, powerful learning experiences for all participants. A musician, technology-watcher, father, husband, I find life in the world of education, even when the conversations get a little contentious. If I were to be doing anything else right now, it would be hosting my own syndicated radio program on--you guessed it--education. I blog in a few spots. My personal blog can be found at http://teachingoutloud.org. I can also be found hanging around http://www.cea-ace.ca and, most recently, http://voicEd.ca I can be found on twitter as @stephen_hurley

Stephen Hurley has written 18 posts for Cooperative Catalyst

Early Learning: Changing The Rules of Engagement

Posted by Stephen Hurley ⋅ March 18, 2012 ⋅ 5 Comments

This is a cross-post of a piece that I submitted to the newly-established website voicEd.ca. Inspired by the work that the Cooperative Catalyst has been doing, and dismayed by the polarization that sometimes characterizes online conversations about education, we had the idea that the time might be right for a collaborative working space dedicated to schooling … Continue reading »

In the year 2012, I will strive to become a student of…

Posted by Stephen Hurley ⋅ January 9, 2012 ⋅ 3 Comments

I’ve had it with New Year’s resolutions. I’m sure I’m not alone in that sentiment, am I? Oh, I still welcome the New Year as an opportunity to look back, look ahead, and to think about how my life might be just a little better. But after 53 years of life on this planet, I … Continue reading »

Please leave a light on—I’m comin’ home!

Posted by Stephen Hurley ⋅ December 26, 2011 ⋅ 6 Comments

It’s the day after Christmas–Boxing Day here in Canada. The kids are down for an afternoon nap, and the house is relatively quiet. I’ve put some Rosemary Shortbread in the oven in anticipation of a second family gathering this afternoon, and I’ve poured myself a glass of red wine to help hold open this wonderful … Continue reading »

Sunday afternoons, Slow Cooking and Modern Schooling

Posted by Stephen Hurley ⋅ May 30, 2011 ⋅ 6 Comments

If you ever want to catch me at my most relaxed and “tuned in”, drop over on a Sunday afternoon. At about 1:30, you’ll find me in the kitchen, working at preparing an inviting, comfortable family dinner. If you catch me in the early stages of the process, the counters will be clean, the sink … Continue reading »

Teaching as Improvisation

Posted by Stephen Hurley ⋅ May 11, 2011 ⋅ 18 Comments

After years of faking it, I recently decided that it was time to give myself over to the study of jazz piano. In particular, I want to develop a greater sense of confidence in the area of improvisation. I can read music quite effectively, and I was taught at a very young age that it … Continue reading »

Excuse me, I would like to talk to you about my son’s chick!

Posted by Stephen Hurley ⋅ April 24, 2011 ⋅ 14 Comments

I wanted to let you know that I haven’t given up on the work of the Co-op. The past few weeks have been wonderfully hectic as I try to draw some threads together before the end of June. The following entry is also posted on my personal blog space, but I was always get different … Continue reading »

Images of Reform: If a Picture Paints a Thousand Words

Posted by Stephen Hurley ⋅ March 21, 2011 ⋅ 10 Comments

This is the second of three reflections written after reading the recently released McKinsey report, How the World’s Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better. The first of these reflections can be found on my personal blogsite, Teaching Out Loud, and the final excerpt will be posted on the Canadian Education Association website later this … Continue reading »

Nurturing Wonder and Awe in our Schools: A Placeholder

Posted by Stephen Hurley ⋅ March 11, 2011 ⋅ 1 Comment

I wanted to check-in and let you know that I’m still around and plan on posting again in the next couple of days. Although I’ve been devoting most of my energy to a few of the other projects in which I’m involved (!), I wanted to let you know that I miss the unique energy … Continue reading »

Community-based Schools–Really!

Posted by Stephen Hurley ⋅ February 18, 2011 ⋅ 12 Comments

I need to keep my finger on a couple of the conversations going on in other posts here. To me, we’re getting at some of the important philosophical foundations of what it means to be in school. But I woke up this morning thinking about an issue that I tackled last week around mental health … Continue reading »

Pondering The Values That We Bring To The Classroom

Posted by Stephen Hurley ⋅ February 6, 2011 ⋅ 9 Comments

I just posted the following on my personal blogspace, Teaching Out Loud, but thought I might get some different feedback here. This is all leading me to some bigger questions in my own practice around the values that I bring into my teaching everyday. I’m in a bit of a quandry. As part of the … Continue reading »

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