Morgan and I went to Tower Theater to see The Life of Chuck this week. When it finished, I felt like I needed to watch it again to be able to fully process it. It’s a story about time, memory, and what it means to have a life at all. Without giving too much away,Continue reading “What To Do With 39 Years”
Author Archives: Nick
People Change
Earlier this year, at the recommendation of a good friend, I read The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin. It’s one of those memoirs that doesn’t follow a straight line. It’s jagged. Raw. Funny when it shouldn’t be. Honest when it would have been easier not to be. Hardin was a suburbanContinue reading “People Change”
Reclaiming Attention
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt articulates something I believe many of us (both inside and outside the world of education) have been feeling for quite some time. The book is both a diagnosis and a call to action. Haidt lays out the deep connections between rising rates of anxiety and depression in young peopleContinue reading “Reclaiming Attention”
Why Is Change So Hard?
That’s the question at the heart of Switch by Chip and Dan Heath. And to their credit, they don’t answer it with vague ideas or motivational fluff. They answer it with clarity, story, and a framework that actually makes sense. The basic idea is this: if you want change to happen, you must address bothContinue reading “Why Is Change So Hard?”
The Truth Is Not a Luxury
Earlier this summer, I read The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. The novel is historical fiction, but it moves like a courtroom drama, a mystery, and a personal reckoning all at once. Set in 1789 Maine and based on the real-life diary of Martha Ballard, the story revolves around a midwife who becomes entangled inContinue reading “The Truth Is Not a Luxury”
Let’s Mean What We Do
I recently finished All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker, and I keep coming back to one line: “Do something meaningful, or maybe just mean everything you do.” That sentence is sticking with me. It is simple but pointed, and it captures what the book seems to ask of its characters and readersContinue reading “Let’s Mean What We Do”
The Numbers Don’t Lie. But That Doesn’t Mean We Understand Them.
I just finished The Math of Life and Death by Kit Yates. Yates walks the reader through stories where a misunderstanding of math led to bad decisions, dangerous outcomes, or even tragedy. It’s not a book about how to do math. It’s a book about how math already shapes our lives, whether we realize itContinue reading “The Numbers Don’t Lie. But That Doesn’t Mean We Understand Them.”
The Story of Four Graduations
Yesterday was Del Oro’s 64th Graduation, but only my second as principal. For my second commencement address, I chose to tell the story of four graduations. Here’s the bulk of the message: One of the things that’s really special about Del Oro is how many alumni return—whether to work here, raise their families in theContinue reading “The Story of Four Graduations”
Superblooms and Coaching
It was a typical fall sports coaches’ meeting, with 20 or so coaches sitting around the library discussing athletic clearance, first aid kits, concussions, field trips, and attendance on game days. The meeting felt mostly informational. I had a small section on the agenda where I would share my expectations (as the principal) for theContinue reading “Superblooms and Coaching”
The Body – Bill Bryson
What a fascinating book… offering all sorts of insight into what is known and unknown about the human body. In addition to lots of somewhat technical, scientific, and medical information about different parts of the body, Bryson also shares several engaging and funny stories. My favorite was about an emergency appendectomy on a US submarineContinue reading “The Body – Bill Bryson”
Mr. Zerwas Teaches Here 