Dr. Becky Kennedy’s “Good Inside” is written for parents, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how relevant it is to the work we do with teenagers in schools. The core idea is simple, yet powerful: people (including children and teenagers) are inherently good. Even when they mess up. Even when they push back. Even when theyContinue reading “Good Inside the Classroom”
Tag Archives: Books
What Drives Us
I first read Drive by Daniel Pink about ten years ago. At the time, I was thinking about it mostly as a parent and a teacher, and it gave me language for something I had seen but had not been able to name. Rewards and punishments only go so far. Lasting motivation comes from somethingContinue reading “What Drives Us”
The Teenage Brain – Under Construction
I just finished The Teenage Brain by Dr. Frances E. Jensen, and if you’re raising or working with teenagers, it’s one of those books that helps everything make a little more sense. Jensen is a neuroscientist and the mother of two teenage boys. Her book combines the science of adolescent brain development with the livedContinue reading “The Teenage Brain – Under Construction”
Slowing Down on Purpose
A teacher friend recently let me borrow a copy of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, and it’s one of those books that calls for some action. The message is deceptively simple: hurry is not just a scheduling problem. It’s a spiritual one. And it’s hurting us more than we realize. WeContinue reading “Slowing Down on Purpose”
More Than the Right Words
Reading Think Faster, Talk Smarter by Matt Abrahams reminded me that good communication is not just about what you say. It’s about how you make people feel while you’re saying it. One of the final ideas in the book stood out more than any technique or structure: “People do not remember every word you say.Continue reading “More Than the Right Words”
What Do We Make of a Life?
On the way back from a camping trip on the coast, I downloaded and listened to a dystopian novel from the 1990s – I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman. As I listened, my mind regularly went to The Life of Chuck that Morgan and I saw a few weeks ago. On theContinue reading “What Do We Make of a Life?”
It’s Not Your Job to Have All the Answers
The author reflects on “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott, emphasizing that effective leadership involves fostering collaboration rather than simply providing answers. By shifting from directing to guiding and prioritizing listening, principals can create a supportive environment. They intend to frame future discussions around helping staff perform their best work.
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”
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”
Mr. Zerwas Teaches Here 