All posts

Hello, Here’s a truth we can all agree on: most students want to do well in school. But as I explored in the last post, " Cooking the...

Hello, In last week's post, " Just Like Me ," I wrote about how when someone is at the intersted level of engagement, they like what...

Hello, When I present on engagement, I often kick things off with the “Just Like Me” game. I share a series of statements about myself,...

Hello, Are you familiar with the concept of an “invisible backpack?” I've been thinking and writing about this concept for years (see the...

Hello, As a student, I was always good at school. I was the kid who did my homework, studied for tests, and followed the rules. In high...

Hello, I was once a reader. The kind of elementary school kid who would curl up with a book for hours, lost in Anne of Green Gables’...

Hello, In honor of March being Women’s History Month, I’ve gone back to my roots (pun intended?–see below and you decide).  Years...

Hello, My mom would tell you that the first time I flew, I was three. She says I walked onto the plane like I owned it—confident and...

Hello, In The Republic , Plato—through Socrates—distinguishes between craft (technē) and wage-earning. The idea is that a true...

Hello, In my work on engagement, I explore the four levels of engagement—non-compliant, compliant, interested, and absorbed. The last two...

Hello, It's hard to believe it's been nearly a decade since I published my first blog post, " I Already Have High Standards ," back in...

Hello, For reasons that I cannot explain, certain parts of songs, movies, books, and TV shows have stayed with me despite the decades...

Hello, Dirty Dancing. The mere mention of those two words likely conjures up images of Patrick Swayze's iconic lift, Jennifer Grey's...

Hello, If I were to ask you to tell me about a present you received that you really loved—for whatever reason—what comes to mind? A...

Hello, In 1999, The Backstreet Boys released, "I Want It That Way." In the song, the chorus declares, "Tell me why" repeatedly. While the...

Hello, Engagement is a topic I think about constantly. Each week, as I write my blog posts, if there is something related to engagement...

Hello, I am thirteen months younger than my older sister, Brooke. Growing up, our sibling rivalry was intense, and the inevitable...

Hello, While in a recent PD session, the facilitator, Dr. Robert Chalwell, Jr. , had us read three scenarios and choose one or two to...

Hello, This fall, I returned to school for the first time in nearly a decade, pursuing my School District Business Leader (SDBL)...

Hello, Let me say overtly and without question, teachers everywhere deserve raises. They are underpaid and overworked. The pay gap is...