According to Malcolm Gladwell, behind the genius of high-achievers that leaves us awestruck is really just 10,000 hours of practice. Let’s see what this might look like for you as a drummer, Tennyson: You’ve put in at least 500 hours thus far. 1 hour of practice a day, 35 free days in a year –>… Read More Genius
What brings me great happiness is to write and talk with you. But I was busy with my minuteman last week. “I’ve been hit!” He gave us some hearty acting.
At Six First bite into food. Mmmmmm. Life is good. At Six-and-a-half How many odd numbers are there? Are there more odd than even? Mom, how many people are there in the world? Mom, how old is Count Dooku? Yoda? Darth Vader? What is three minus four? What is 13-15? What is negative zero? Mommy,… Read More Words Between Mom and Boy, Part 2
So if you can like help me figure out about when and where this linguistic virus like grew, I’d really appreciate it. People use this curious filler like all the time, even on news radio. I worry hearing moms talk like this; they depend on the word like every five syllables like oh my god.… Read More The LIKE Epidemic
I couldn’t resist this post. Five-year-olds memorized facts in seven subject areas along with 1) the names of all the U.S. presidents 2) 24 verses of a chapter from the book of Ephesians and 3) enjoyed hands-on explorations in science, art, and music. Middle and high schoolers also wrote papers, redrew the map of the… Read More We Underestimate The Human Brain
These thoughts emerged as a personal response to the controversial Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Yale Law professor Amy Chua who pushed her daughters to excel in ways that earned her praise and censure. She writes: I do believe that we in America can ask more of children than we typically do, and… Read More A Biblical Perspective of Achievement
My launching pad is an enlightening New York Magazine article that explains how praising kids for being smart often backfires, straitjacketing them to fear of failure. It spoke to me not only as a parent of a boy fairly fresh on the path of formal education, but as the studious girl whose achievements were marked… Read More Greatness, Part 5: Praise, Smarts, and the Myth of Self-Esteem
I got to do the fun stuff with my students when I taught the Gifted and Talented in the 90s. The elementary school kids in the program left their classroom and came to me bright-eyed, bushy-taled. Grounded in the basics, they were ready for a session of poetry or creative writing. Here are some activities… Read More Young Writers in Their Dreaming
Of course we don’t feel drugged when cruising in cyberspace or playing a video game. Nor am I saying schools are not teaching history or providing solid language arts. I’m speaking of the proverbial frog in the water that’s getting unnoticeably hot. When kids go full throttle in all things virtual, it fosters a habit… Read More Technology: The Dark Side of Efficiency, Finale
Will kids accustomed to virtual magic tricks readily invite self-discipline, the handmaid of hard work? We express ourself through the click of likes and flurry of fingers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (not saying I object to your liking this post). The breeziness with which kids are talking online from a progressively younger age will wear… Read More Technology: The Dark Side of Efficiency, Part 4
A Holistic Journey 