Great Perspective

Ben Wiseman NYTimes

Can someone render an opinion on child rearing if he doesn't have a child? Read "A Childless Bystander's Baffled Hymn" by Frank Bruni, NYTimes Sunday Review columnist.

He ends the piece by saying, "So parents:

• Cut yourselves some slack. 
• Take a deep breath. 
• No one false step or one missed call is going to consign your children to an entirely different future. 
• Make sure they know they're loved. 
• Make sure that they know their place. 
• And make peace with the fact that you don't hold all or even most of the cards."

For My Baseball Players & Fans

As we look to a brand new baseball (and softball) season, I love this video on how baseballs are made. It will fascinate players and fans of all ages.

Strength in Family

"The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative."

"The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem and the more successfully they believed their families functioned."

Both quotes above come from NYTimes article "The Stories That Bind Us" by Bruce Feiler author of the book The Secret of Happy Families: How to Improve Your Morning, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smart, Go Out and Play, and Much More.

Selling Education

Pink is at his best with his latest book. What makes it so relevant to education is that he presents sales of services, something we all do in our lives whether it is convincing a class through a lesson, or asking the boss for a raise, or helping a patient understand the need for a procedure. Particularly in the education and health services fields (Ed-Med) as opposed to the manufacturing sector, sales has changed dramatically from the 1950s when the Fuller Brush salesman peddled wares door to door. 

By looking at the history and reputation of selling, Pink explores sales analytically from his ABCs—Attunement, Buoyancy, and Clarity to going from caveat emptor to caveat venditor; to pecha kucha, a new way of presenting Power Point presentations; and to how to be a servant-leader. Like Drive, Pink’s previous book, To Sell is Human is a must read.

This recent article from Mind/Shift How we will learn, "Dan Pink: How Teachers Can Sell Love of Learning to Students," is right on.

Also, listen to this interview with Pink on NPR.

Interview With Dr. Ned Hallowell

Here is my recently published article in Montessori Life "It Really is All About the Child: An Interview with Dr. Edward Hallowell." The interview is about his thoughts on education in general, and it highlights his passion and advocacy for children with learning difficulties.

I am off to Orlando, Florida this week to hear him speak at the American Montessori Society Annual Conference.

Who Should Decide What Students Read?

Is this what students should hear about reading?

"Comic books are useless." 
"Classics are the only books with any value." 
"Don't read 'Mad Magazine.'" 
"For summer reading, only read non-fiction. "
"The book Gossip Girl? Absolutely not."

Who decides what students should read? Read this article I wrote for Education Week a while back to get one person's view on the subject.

"Who Should Decide What Students Read?"