Published in 2013, I was surprised when my principal recommended this book to me – but I shouldn’t have been. His understandings of the world still apply, and though there is nascent progress in many areas, we are still in the early adoption of many of his findings. This book is about how taking an…
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This is Week 5. I was warned that Week 5 was when the fatigue sets in, when the energy dips and when finding sources of positive energy requires a little bit more effort. So, I’ve bought glasses that block the light from the computer – blue light. We will see if this helps. Also, this…
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This week has been an interesting one – with the long weekend it’s the back half of two short weeks in a row. What impact has this had on you? For me, it has pressurized my wellbeing, in that work continues to expand throughout the day. I count myself very fortunate in that my work,…
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In his latest book, Nuance, Michael Fullan refines his previous research and writings on what it takes to be an effective leader of educational organizations. We can all agree that this has never been more important. We can also agree that concepts of leadership, and practices successful leadership have never before been so disrupted. Gone…
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It is a happy coincidence that I read this book Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett as I was also researching student agency. Emotions and agency are inextricably link through the cognitive processes, such that: “The three most important aspects of learning – attention, focus, and memory – are all controlled by our emotions, not…
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Chess is not an infinite game, nor is football. These have defined beginnings , ends and winners. In his latest book, Simon Sinek argues that many organizations, businesses, corporations and even politicians are playing ‘finite games’. They are concerned about the various finish lines, be they quarterly reports, the next mid-term, the bottom line, or…
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Do you want to be good at something? Do you want to excel or be the best? How might you do this? Start early, focus early, train early and get that head start, right? This book, by the same author of The Sports Gene, advocates that our natural inclination to applaud and seek ‘head starts’,…
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Everything is f*cked. Really? That’s some bold language to use to describe the world. Sure, you might even agree that this sentiment sums up the the current state of affairs. However, this isn’t a book about the current state of affairs, it’s a book about YOU. No, I’m not saying that you’re not “F*cked”. No,…
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Perhaps you’ve heard the story of Greg Wells, breaking his neck early in life and this awakening him to pursuing of human health by studying its fragility and potential. His work is prolific, important and accessible. His first book that I read is called “The Ripple Effect” and addresses how to make incremental change by…
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The school where I work is an incredible place to be, especially this time of year. The capacity of giving and thoughtfulness know no bounds, as does their holiday spirit! Our sustainability initiatives are extending and being integrated into long-standing programming: something as simple as hot chocolate mornings requiring students to bring their own mugs,…
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