Some cool stuff and things to read about.
Protecting Teachers’ “Bandwidth”
In our article in the Summer 2022 issue of Educational Leadership, my colleague Ann C. Holm and I…
FREE Webinar for Educator Bandwidth Launch
The launch of my newest book Educator Bandwidth: How to Reclaim Your Energy, Passion, and…
Doable Differentiation Workshop in Minnesota
When groups do this exercise, EVERY item is rated "best" and "worst" by someone. Join…
Research and Data? Teacher Wisdom? Yes, and…!
In Braiding Sweetgrass (2020), author and professor Robin Wall Kimmerer describes one of her students’…
How About a Bill of Responsibilities?
“Your rights stop where your siblings’ rights start!” That was one of the dad-isms I…
What Are Your Creative Questions?
An off-the-cuff math question, “How much do you suppose they’re making off this ridiculous spectacle?”…
My 2021 Top Five Reads
Reading has been my top pastime since I was six years old, so in this…
Will You Grow from Holiday Stress?
Stress Truth #1: Stress is inevitable; the only way to avoid it is to have…
How’s Your Holiday Bandwidth?
What’s your best guess? Will you... Glide through the holidays with tidings of comfort and…
Is Your Staff Resisting Yoga?
Self-care is a deservedly hot topic, especially among our teachers, health professionals, and other frontline…
What is STEAM2? Differentiation for the Whole Child
“She made me do the green packet. No teacher should make a student do the…
If Learning Styles are “Out,” What’s “In” for Differentiated Instruction?
Recently, Bryan Goodwyn wrote an article on zombie education ideas that need to go six…
Holistic School Leadership–Illinois Oct 5
I just learned that there are still a few tickets left for my workshop Holistic…
Typing from Afar
Name a movie or TV show and somewhere on the internet you can find someone’s…
Holistic Leadership, Thriving Schools—to Serve the Whole Child
“Waaaaiiiiit…this is practical,” exclaim the coaches I’ve trained in using Holistic Leadership Coaching. And, “Waaaiiitt…I…
Helping Women Step In—And Up—to School Leadership
It all started in Australia in 2018. My publisher flew me over to keynote at…
Why a Women in Education Leadership Event?
Have you noticed there’s a Women in Education: Leading Perspectives Institute in July? In San…
My Top Five 2018 Reads
Okay, if Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Trilogy can have five volumes, my top five can have…
Type Angels and Saboteur Demons
Personality type is a wonderful tool for personal development, but it doesn’t explain everything about…
Workshop Facilitation: From Good to Great
If I’ve learned one thing in 25 years of workshop facilitation, it’s the importance of…
Teaching Content AND Building Relationships
“Morning meeting time to build relationships? When they’re already asking us to teach more content…
My Top 5 Reads of 2017
Every January, I page back through my Goodreads.com lists to celebrate the books I found…
Homework Magic
Imagine giving a homework assignment that your students can't wait to start. Sounds like you'd…
Can Fiction Help Us Find Truth (with a capital T)?
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett is a perfect example of the Truth with a capital T that…
My 4th Annual Top Five Books
Once a year I look back through my list at goodreads.com to ID the top…
Are Your Students Curious?
Are your students curious, exploring ideas or questions on their own? Or do they sigh…
The RIGHT Extravert-Introvert Conversation!
It happens all the time. People learn a little about something new, think they understand,…
My 2016 Top 5 Books
Another year of growing, questioning, escaping, laughing, and learning through reading. And another blog on…
How’s Your Brain Energy? Productivity?
I've been using the new Brain Energy/Bandwidth quiz that I created with Ann Holm with teams and individuals, during workshops…
Creativity Rules!
Is there any creative dream you’ve been avoiding? Playing an instrument, learning to dance, writing…
Courage for Leadership: The Cowardly Lion Was Right
As you arrive at the leadership meeting, a sick feeling starts to grow—again, the seats…
Are You Really A Type Expert?
I used to facilitate the MBTI ® Certification Program, and over the years started hundreds…
Need Motivation? Try The Power of Why
How do your strengths get in the way of coaching and mentoring those around you?…
Readiness AND Effort Make for Success
I’ve been writing about how effort and perseverance without capacity and readiness simply aren’t enough.…
If Grit is the Answer, You’ve Got Problems!
In a previous post, I wrote about “satisficing”—putting in just the right amount of effort.…
Grit: Too Little, Too Much, or Just Right?
I was only about a half-mile into my run when my legs began whispering, Wouldn’t…
Answering Those Inevitable Personality Type Questions
In just about every psychological type workshop I teach, most if not all of the…
Does Your Vision Need a Reality Check?
Only on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise does saying, ‘Make it so,' make it…
The Train is A Coming!
Vestibulum lacinia aliquam justo, a elementum sem. Ut blandit maximus erat, et vehicula erat. Fusce…
Stop Getting Fooled By Research
How often does this happen? You see headlines, within days of each other, one reporting…
Half the Leadership Picture
Recently I stumbled on a blog that told only half the truth about school leadership.…
Land Ho, Backhoe
Phasellus sed nisl at est ultrices volutpat vitae nec eros. Nullam tristique hendrerit blandit. Aenean…
The Myth of the Leadership Silver Bullet
Earlier this week in just 60 seconds of perusing my news digest app, I counted…
Let’s Stop Underestimating What Others Can Do
"I have to hold their hands." "They need constant supervision." "They don't think!" "They aren't…
Are You Thinking About Writing?
Note: This blog is one of many that are part of a National Novel Writing Month…
Three Real Reasons to Read Fiction
I read everything. The best in every genre has something to offer, even if the…
3 Key Mindshifts for REALLY Leading Change
"Get the resisters on board--that's why we're bringing you in" is what I often hear…
Emotional Intelligence and Your Profession
Recently, I've been working with auditors--my former life as a financial analyst provides insights into…
The Myth of the Linearity of Productivity
Many years ago I spent a summer in Malta doing academic research. What stands out…
Yes, Star Trek Into Darkness Holds a Key Leadership Truth
Even if you think you hate Star Trek, or skipped the new movies out of…
Changing on the Job by Jennifer Garvey Berger
Every so often, I work with clients who seem more stuck in their difficulties than…
Ensuring Your Leadership Program Succeeds
According to The McKinsey Quarterly[1] a large percentage of leadership development programs fail because no…
6 Steps that Lead to Changes that Last
Cognitive blind spots present a significant roadblock to the full realization of individual human potential. …
The Power of Three
All of us find ignoring feedback quite easy—all too often the source doesn’t really understand…
Coaching and the Paradox of Choice
[Guest post from Ann Holm] Who feels overwhelmed by all of the tips and suggestions…
Are They Acting On Your Priorities?
I recently heard of a school district with five hundred initiatives underway right now. They're…
What Will We See If It Works?
How does a coach measure effectiveness? At the extremes, one can say, “You can’t. The…
Mastery: Are You Doing All You Can?
Last year, I read a book that challenged me at a personal level, Robert Greene’s…
What’s Your Part of the Problem?
Recently I learned that an organization for which I’d made possible a large (and successful)…
What’s ADHD? What’s Personality?
Adult ADHD finally made it into the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5, their manual on disorders.…
Does a Growth Mindset Develop in Different Ways?
A school leader recently asked me, "Is it easier for students with some personality types,…
Get Creative? Why Not!
This month’s Scientific American Mind has a quick article on being a better artist (January/February…
Is Our “Gold Standard” for Education Research the Right Standard?
First grade students show improved performance with a reading intervention. But what about their enthusiasm…
How’s Networking Going for You?
If you aren’t part of a team with regular meetings, it’s easy to put off…
My Top Five Books That Made Me Think This Year
According to goodreads.com (join me there—it’s great for keeping track of what you’ve read) I…
3 Moves for Moving from SMART Goals to Intentional Results
"Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is…
Tools to End the Time, Money and Energy Wasted on Polarization
I'm so excited about my newest book that I'm breaking from my usual blog content…
Are You a Wild Reader? If Not, Read This!
Do you worry about reading emergencies--getting caught waiting somewhere without a good book in hand?…
A Mirror for Leadership Blind Spots
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (or so it seems), I…
MBTI® Step III and Coaching
MBTI® Step I is a tool for identifying your preferences for gaining energy, gathering information,…
Lessons Learned from a Planful Police Force
Recently, the Charleston, SC, announced a 25 percent drop in violent crimes. I learned from…
How Do You Know You Know What You Know?
By chance....Have you noticed that right now, intelligent people are polarized on issues? They’re holding…
The Test of a First-Rate Intelligence
The Center for Creative Leadership identified it as the second-most important strategy leaders can develop. F.…
Do You Really Know—and Use!—Your 4-Letter MBTI® Code?
Adam Grant’s recent post Goodbye to the MBTI® has gathered forces both for and against…
Get Your Priorities Straight!
Did you know…leaders are great at setting goals, but seldom set priorities. Another way to…
Competition or Cooperation?
Po Bronson's new book Top Dog takes on the how's, why's and who's of competition. If…
The Value of Reminders Over “Life Lessons”
Usually my morning runs take me around the blacktop trails near our house, but up…
Yes, Polarity Thinking is Crucial for Leaders!
In its most recent e-letter, the Center for Creative Leadership listed leveraging polarities as the…
Top 10 Picture Books for Adult Workshops
Today, Nerdy Book Club bloggers everywhere are listing their Top 10 Picture Books for classroom…
Doing the Work AND Preparing to Do the Work
Last week in closing the LearningForward summer conference, Anthony Muhammed spoke on the folly of…
Conference Aha’s from APTi 2013 in Miami
I'm just returning from the 20th Biennial Association for Psychological Type International Conference. Jerry Black,…
Boundaries, Barriers, or Limiting Beliefs?
Co-active coach Cynthia Loy Darst kicked off the ICF Midwest Coaching Conference, "Breaking Boundaries," by asking…
Fairy Tales, The MBTI and Other Truths
It rained in Minnesota just about every day in June--after raining 28 out of 31…
The Truth About Math Curriculum
A few years ago, two of the school districts I work with adopted new mathematics…
The Right Kind of Lazy for Math
What if students approached math problem sets as if they were fascinating puzzles rather than…
Avoiding Educator “Summer Slide”
We all know about the “summer slide,” the fact that many children’s reading and math…
Any Initiatives Not Working?
Three times this weekend, friends relayed tales of woe regarding initiatives, strategies or decisions that…
Common Sense for the Common Core?
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS)...once again educators, politicians, parents, and business leaders are taking…
Yes, Play is Crucial!
When did you last play? How about your employees or your students? As Linda…
The Difference Between Speakers and Workshop Leaders by Jill Chivers
Note: This is a guest blog from my dear Australian colleague, Jill Chivers, who excels…
What’s In Your Handout?
I'm just back from speaking at two conferences and getting ready to teach at another--and…
Are You Nurturing Creativity?
Last month's edition of Educational Leadership was all about creativity. The article that struck me…
Must We Be For Or Against?
Last fall, I did a tremendous amount of reading on the Common Core State Standards…
What’s Involved in this Math Problem?
A blog this week asked us to guess the grade level for which this math…
Could You Slow Down For a Bit?
Have you in the past six weeks A. Complained about "so much to do, so…
Who Are You Leading?
I once saw a great leader, a camp counselor, up in the Boundary Waters of…
Were You Ever a Child???
Last time, I posted about the Platinum Rule for leaders: "Treat others in the way…
The Platinum Rule for Leaders
The Golden Rule, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, can…
Direct Instruction? Sure, If You Don’t Want Einsteins!
I get a bit hot under the collar--okay, a lot hot under the collar, when…
Caution: Use as Directed!
I was just 10 years old when I attended my first Shakespeare play, The Taming…
Get Real: The Key to Leadership
Reality Testing—your capacity to see things the way they are rather than the way you…
If the Common Core Devalues Narrative Writing, Who Are We Devaluing?
Last week I voiced my concerns about decreasing the emphasis on narrative writing in schools,…
Why Narrative Writing is Crucial For Students: A Warning for Common Core Implementation
As 46 states implement using the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), one big change is…
What Kind of “Complex Text”?
Saturday morning, I read a book cover to cover. I laughed, I pondered, I underlined,…
Are Either/Ors Slowing You Down?
"Beware the Either/Ors" is as important a consideration for school reform as "What will best…
Intellectual Persistence? Let’s Model It!
Yesterday, I completed a whopping one page in my newest book project (more on that…
Aren’t Math Mistakes Beautiful?
It’s official. Here's the research: having students analyze how math mistakes were made is more…
Math Assessment Hope
What will be measured drives what will be taught. Any more reason needed for paying…
The Benefits of Working With PLC Styles
Last week I introduced four professional learning community (PLC) styles that provide a framework for…
What’s Your Professional Learning Community Style?
What do you want out of collaborative time? Has your team ever discussed the…
Does Your Professional Learning Community Have a Coaching Culture?
If your PLC is endeavoring to go beyond data analysis to deep collaboration that has…
Instructional Coaching as Ritualizing
A few weeks ago I wrote about similarities in coaching myself as a cyclist and…
Coaching to Leverage Teacher Strengths
My blog on bicycling and instructional coaching lays out some key ideas for helping new…
New Teacher Goals
In my last blog, I discussed how my experiences with coaching myself as a cyclist…
Differentiated Cycling AND Coaching
Have you noticed that "who you are is how you teach"? Colleagues who are a…
Chocolate Chip Cookies and Instructional Coaching
How is baking chocolate chip cookies similar to implementing teaching strategies? It has a lot…
Are We Open to Finding Answers?
Before you read this, read Bill Ferriter's great recent blog, Are We Asking the Right…
Genuine Professional Collaboration
Recently I overheard a conversation between two eye doctors. One was treating a patient who…
Differentiated Professional Development
Besides telling me, “That was practical,” attendees at my daylong workshops also comment, “You kept…
Are You Scaffolding Instruction? Or Proceduralizing It?
I'm often asked to help professional learning communities (PLC’s) develop common definitions of rigor. We…
Are You Helping Parents Help Their Children?
Volunteering at an education booth at Minnesota’s State Fair let me observe parent-child interactions as…
A Window Into Effective Problem-Solving
True story: A school board decided that middle school students weren't paying attention in class…
Of Course Teachers Can Become More Effective!
A recent article proclaims that “The findings of several recent studies by psychologists, economists, and…
Tripped Any Teachers Lately?
One of just a handful of early risers using a hotel health club, I was…
Coaching for the World Cup of Life
[From a keynote address to the New Zealand Association for Psychological Type, July 2, 2011]…
What Does “Whole Child” Mean to You?
"The only thing that kept me motivated in high school was singing in the choir."…
Deep, Level III Collaboration for Professional Learning Communities
Occasionally people ask me, "Aren't you introverted? Then why all the co-authoring and co-presenting?" Because…