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”
Tag Archives: Education
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”
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”
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”
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 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”
Relationships Matter
As part of the administrative credential program that I have been working my way through for several months, we’ve had the opportunity to read several case studies and scenarios dealing with students, staff, and parents. What’s interesting about these scenarios is the massive range of situations that you could potentially find yourself in as aContinue reading “Relationships Matter”
Values and Stories
I recently read an article written by business management guru Patrick Lencioni called “Make Your Values Mean Something.” Lancioni breaks values into 4 distinct categories in order to distinguish “Core Values” from other types of values that might distract an organization if they are wrongly deemed “Core.” “Core values,” he says, “are the deeply ingrainedContinue reading “Values and Stories”
A student showed me Quizlet
In the intro to technology class that I teach, students are introduced to a slew of new vocabulary. Over the course of a 9 week quarter, students learn 200 tech-related vocab terms. They take a quiz on a subsection of these terms each week and their final at the end of the course includes allContinue reading “A student showed me Quizlet”
Mr. Zerwas Teaches Here 