A book that shifted my thinking to focus on what people can do versus what they can’t do was Jennifer Fox’s “Your Child’s Strengths.” From the book: Children cannot develop interest in a subject just because adults tell them they should be interested. Children become unmotivated when they don’t understand the importance of what they are required to learn. … [Read more…]
Read More Valuing the Strengths of Learners that Go Beyond Academics
A book that shifted my thinking to focus on what people can do versus what they can’t do was Jennifer Fox’s “Your Child’s Strengths.” From the book: Children cannot develop interest in a subject just because adults tell them they should be interested. Children become unmotivated when they don’t understand the importance of what they are required to learn. … [Read more…]
Read More Valuing the Strengths of Learners that Go Beyond Academics
Students who are in trouble almost always have a good reason for why they did what they did. Sometimes a student will admit fault and take full ownership, but that’s not usually the case, especially for students who habitually shift responsibility. U…
Read More Never Ask a Student This Question About Their Behavior
I am currently recording some podcast episodes that I am planning to release in January 2020. Honestly, I am frustrated with the process. My mic sounds terrible and doesn’t have…
Every person in your school is at a different level of growth. Not just students, but teachers are also at stages of growth. Leadership is not any different. Some educators are just beginning the journey. Others are finishing their first few years, and…
Read More PMP174: 10 Areas to Focus on for Growth as a Leader with Chris Legleiter
I have always struggled with the “it is easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission” mentality. I know this is a mantra for many, and sometimes, depending on where you…
I have always struggled with the “it is easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission” mentality. I know this is a mantra for many, and sometimes, depending on where you work, it makes sense. I am someone who gets bad anxiety and wants to do right by those I work with and for so it … [Read more…]
In April 2010, I wrote my first blog post. I am almost at the ten-year mark, and I have published over 1700 posts in that time. The sole purpose of…
In April 2010, I wrote my first blog post. I am almost at the ten-year mark, and I have published over 1700 posts in that time. The sole purpose of starting this blog was to understand how students could use this medium for learning in their education. In short, I didn’t want to skip to … [Read more…]
Teacher as compass: Teachers provide the true north, and help students find a worthy course… one that will challenge their skills on the open learning seas.
I recently read this great post from David Truss, who I have followed and connected with for several years. This portion resonated: I used to ask my kids, “what was…
I recently read this great post from David Truss, who I have followed and connected with for several years. This portion resonated: I used to ask my kids, “what was your favourite part of the day”, then I added “Who did you help today?” And as I mentioned in the post reflection: It was only a matter … [Read more…]
It’s been great to see all the posts today for #WorldKindnessDay. It got me thinking about what it means to be kind. I think there are a few myths out there about this concept, and I wanted to address them.
Myth #1: Kindness is weak.
Kindness is NOT weak. In fact, it takes courage to show kindness. It takes strength. It takes setting aside what’s easy for what’s valuable. Being kind requires strength of character.
Myth #2: Kindness is the same as being nice.
Kindness is NOT just being nice. Being nice is one aspect of kindness, but that’s not the end of it. Kindness is about making decisions that result in healthy relationships. It’s about giving your time, your attention, your caring heart, your extra efforts, your helping hand, your selfless actions to lift up others.
Myth #3: Kindness is a feeling.
Kindness is NOT a feeling, it’s a choice. It’s a behavior. You’re not going to like everyone you meet. You’re probably not always going to feel like being kind to them. But you can choose to treat everyone you meet with all the care and concern of people you do like.
The more you practice being kind, the easier it is to demonstrate this behavior consistently. It becomes a habit. It becomes who you are, and you don’t even hesitate to act in kind ways.
You can never do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
How has someone shown kindness to you? How are you growing in your own ability to be kind to others? What other myths exist around kindness? Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.
When I was in college, I had a blue 1981 Toyota Celica that overheated on the long trip to Oklahoma, and the engine burned up. It was my first car. I had bought it with the money I earned over summers as a shell diver in the Kentucky Lake area. But now it was toast, […]
I saw the following tweet from Chasity Beatty and wanted to share a few thoughts: The simple answer is this; yes, there is failure. But in all failure, there can…
I saw the following tweet from Chasity Beatty and wanted to share a few thoughts: The simple answer is this; yes, there is failure. But in all failure, there can be feedback if we choose to look for it. Sometimes failure can teach us that we need to tweak things and get better. For example, … [Read more…]
I saw the following tweet from Chasity Beatty and wanted to share a few thoughts: The simple answer is this; yes, there is failure. But in all failure, there can be feedback if we choose to look for it. Sometimes failure can teach us that we need to tweak things and get better. For example, … [Read more…]
I recently shared this video based on an interaction that I had with a teacher who was sharing about how they felt uncomfortable trying new things. I wanted to share…
I recently shared this video based on an interaction that I had with a teacher who was sharing about how they felt uncomfortable trying new things. I wanted to share my thoughts in video form below: Some random thoughts I shared last week on the importance of celebrating those in our buildings and local communities. … [Read more…]
