I know in my current posts I’m focusing a lot on teachers and reframing their thoughts, but it’s August and I know teachers are getting ready. The way a teacher sees their work, their students, and themselves—especially at the start of the school year—shapes their energy, effectiveness, and joy more than the physical preparations they […]
Teaching Through a Fresh Window Read More »
“A river does not resist. It flows. It yields to what is, and in doing so, carves canyons.” As August ripens, there’s a subtle change in the air—slightly shorter days, the occasional golden leaf, a hush between summer’s brightness and fall’s urgency. For years, this was the time I’d start to turn inward again, anticipating
The Wisdom of the River: Listening Before the Year Begins Read More »
My wife, Kelli, and nephew, Gavin, and I drove to Florida the other day. We drove the 17 hours switching off and on, the kind of trip that stretches your patience as much as your mileage. The open road always has a way of slowing you down, even when traffic isn’t. There were stretches of
Sacred Space on the Highway: What the Road Taught Me About Teaching and Letting Go Read More »
areI. A Slow Exhale Before the Rush It starts quietly—an aisle at Target filled with bins of crayons and colorful planners. A newsletter in the inbox. A few friends texting about bulletin board ideas. And suddenly, summer begins to tighten into structure. I remember that shift so well. Even in retirement, I still feel
Reconnecting to Your Why: Preparing the Heart, Not Just the Classroom Read More »
A recent experience got me thinking about aging. The other morning I went in for a tooth extraction. This is the second one I’ve had. The first went extremely well and healed up very nicely. Still, as I drove in, I noticed I was anxious and worried about the experience. As I prayed for calmness,
Aging Gracefully: What It Really Means to Expand Instead of Shrink Read More »
“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.”— John Dewey As we grow older, we begin to realize that reflection isn’t just a luxury — it’s a necessity. It’s how we make sense of life’s many chapters. But more than that, it’s how we come to see ourselves with new
Looking Back to See Ourselves Anew: How Reflection Reframes Identity Read More »
In 1998, psychologists Daniel Simons and Daniel Levin conducted a fascinating experiment now known as The Door Study. A stranger approached someone to ask for directions. Mid-conversation, two people carrying a large door walked between them, momentarily obstructing the view. Behind the door, the original questioner quietly swapped places with someone entirely different. Remarkably, many
Do You See Me? Attention, Encouragement, and the Power of Presence Read More »
In 1999, psychologists Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris conducted a study that’s now legendary in psychology circles—and in every intro psych class I’ve ever taught. In the experiment, participants watch a short video and are asked to count how many times a basketball is passed between players wearing white. Most people focus in, count
What Are We Missing? Lessons from the Invisible Gorilla Read More »
