Recently, I received a message from a colleague asking for advice on how to approach the coming school year when the plan at her school is to add more to the schedule than ever before in 2021-2022. I love the question because it’s human. The subtext is, “This year has felt like survival swimming, and […]
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Finish Like We’d Like to Start: The Return of These 6 Things
Author’s Note: May the 4th be with you. How’d I do on the title? It was between that and These 6 Things Strikes Back. (These 6 Things: A New Hope seemed a little much.) I was talking with my friend Dr. T a couple weeks back, and he said this line that had immediate resonance: […]
I’m In. Here’s the (Start of the) Plan.
Half a decade or so ago, I had a “should I stay or should I go” soul-searching moment. A few respected friends offered me the chance to join their business as a partner. I’d have to earn my share with lots of sweat, but they saw potential in me and had just the right opportunity […]
Here’s the Thing: We Could Do Something Else
I’ve sat on this article for over a month — not because it’s long, but because it’s risky. In the last six months, I’ve seen at least three people leave education — people who, prior to March 2020, I had expected to be teaching alongside for the next couple of decades. Two have shifted into […]
Habituate What You Can, Motivate What You Can’t
There is no doubt about it: when you infuse your practice, your classroom, your assignments, your relationships, and your culture with the five key beliefs, watch out! The refreshing breezes of inside-out motivation are coming, and your class is about to feel a bit more like the life-giving place you’ve always envisioned. It won’t be […]