Education
When You’re Angry With Students: Six Steps to Take
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Two years ago, I was asked to speak at a high school, and arrived a day early for some meetings in town. While my colleagues got some work done, I chose to take an hour to visit the school, incognito, and observe a typical day on campus. It was enlightening.…
Continue ReadingWhat Parents and Students Should Look for in Colleges and Majors
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Most of the high school seniors that I talk to tell me they aren’t sure what they want to do when they graduate. Some will declare a major course of study for college but even they will concede, “I’ll have to see if it feels right once I start.” Others…
Continue ReadingThe Best Way to Help Kids with Homework
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Parenting experts all agree: your children will always need you while they live under your roof—but how they need you will change over time. One of our problems as parents is—we lock into one way of helping our kids; one leadership style that doesn’t change as they mature. This presents…
Continue ReadingDo Standardized Tests Really Predict Student Success?
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn The one conclusion I’ve drawn about standardized testing over the last several years is clear: no one really likes it. Students feel pressure to score well to get into the college they desire most; educators feel the pressure to ensure students do well, so they can get school funding; and…
Continue ReadingAre We Sending Students the Wrong Message?
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Reports have surfaced recently that some universities are disbanding “outdoor clubs” that have been going on for nearly a century. Why? They are too unsafe. For a century, these student-led outdoor clubs have enabled college students to get outside for hiking, biking, fishing and climbing. Today, however, all of these…
Continue ReadingHow Adult Arguments Impact Kids and What to Do
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I recently witnessed a high school freshman “act out” in a gymnasium after an assembly. It was both sad and embarrassing for him. Everyone was stunned during that awkward moment and the student left absolutely humiliated. Later that day, I got the serendipitous chance to interact with him. Perhaps because…
Continue ReadingWhy Empathy Is Not Wimpy
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I recently spoke to an employer who hired several recent college graduates. After 90 days, he met with each of the new team members to assess how they were doing. In a meeting with a 23-year-old young man, the employer reviewed his positive qualities, then proceeded to challenge him to…
Continue ReadingOne Top Priority for Colleges to Retain Students
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn You don’t have to be a professor or a student affairs director to observe that the world of higher education is shifting. Like it or not, the data is in. I fact-checked a report recently and found eye-opening research to confirm what I’ve been saying for years now. Colleges and…
Continue ReadingWhat Does It Mean To Be a Life-Giving Leader?
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I’m not sure if you’ve heard the rumblings, but people in almost every context are demanding a new kind of leader. I see it in our homes, in our schools, in government, in non-profit work and in the marketplace. In 2001, I began speaking on this “new kind of leader.”…
Continue ReadingThe Unfortunate Result of Some Graduations
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Well, ‘tis the season. Graduation is here for seniors at high schools and colleges. It’s that time when we celebrate the milestone of completing a phase of life requiring both performance and consistency—from faculty, staff and students. But what does our celebration reveal about us? We live in a day…
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