Education
The Six P’s of an Amazing School Culture
3shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I just finished reviewing my notes on colleges and secondary schools I’ve observed since 2005. The schools are located in Singapore, Canada, England, Germany, Egypt, India, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. I’ve listed below the “best practices” in those schools. Obviously, a key requirement when applying best practices…
Continue ReadingThe Power of “Good” Referrals with Students
6shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I love the story of the 7-year old girl who grabbed her baseball bat, her mitt and a ball and asked her dad if they could go outside and play some baseball. She then followed her request with some clear instructions for him: “I’ll hit the ball, and you…
Continue ReadingNew Study: Students Who Can Manage Emotions Do Better Academically and In Life
12shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn It was a tense moment in the classroom, as two students saw each other’s grades after a mid-term exam. Lamar and Jason had both studied hard, so it was crushing for Lamar to see that he’d gotten 78 percent on his test, and Jason had scored 93 percent. Jason…
Continue ReadingWhat We Can Learn from the Summerhill School Experiment
5shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Back in 1921, a radical experiment was launched in the United Kingdom. It was a school, if you can call it that, that was so unorthodox, it instantly created debate and controversy. It was called the Summerhill School experiment. Began by Scottish educator, Alexander Sutherland Neill, this school empowers…
Continue ReadingTeaching Students Subjects That Don’t Come Natural for Them
7shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn One of the most frustrating experiences for a teacher or a parent is trying to teach something to a young person—something we know will help them succeed later—and finding them unresponsive. It matters not what the subject is: Math Reading Science Changing a tire Work ethic Writing and communication…
Continue ReadingSeven Ideas to Help Student Leaders with Cognitive Bias
5shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Some of you may be leaders of the emerging generation. You lead schools, businesses, sports teams and families. Many of you who work with student-leaders want to help them navigate the privileges and responsibilities of their position. I recently sat in on a Student Government Association meeting on a…
Continue ReadingHow Involved Should Parents Be in Their Child’s Education?
28shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn During the past month, I found myself speaking to more than 6,500 parents in various locations across the U.S. I never have a more engaged audience than when I’m interacting with moms and dads. That month, I found the most popular question was—how do I support my child in…
Continue ReadingWhy Tough Grading Teachers Produce Better Learners in the End
23shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn This may not surprise you, but a new study found that students perform better on standardized tests each year when their teachers are tough graders—and argues that when students have the mindset that says “everybody gets a gold star,” it does “more damage than good.” The report, published by the…
Continue ReadingHow to Motivate Students Who Don’t Want Responsibility
2shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn My friend, Zach, told me about a recent project he gave to a freshman college student. Zach mentioned he’d heard me talk about how we must give ownership of a teen’s learning to them. So, he discussed this project with the student and saw his eyes light up when…
Continue ReadingAre We Talking Too Much in Our Classrooms and Our Families?
9shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Last fall, I observed four high school classrooms in a single day. I saw four teachers offering instruction to four groups of students on four different subjects. After the first class, I made an observation and came up with an anecdotal hypothesis that I decided to test in the…
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