3.2.1. On growing fast vs growing slow, the value of mastery, and climbing the right mountain
“A critical quality to develop in life is the willingness to try. You simply must find enough confidence to give it a go. The human mind is fabulous at learning. You will get better at whatever you practice. But before you can develop the skill to succeed, you must find the courage to attempt.”
What could happen starting in January
Former President Donald Trump, who has pledged to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, slash K-12 spending, and put public schools squarely in the crosshairs of culture warriors, is headed back to the White House, the Associated Press projected.
Conservative supporters of expanding school choice and parents’ rights groups such as Moms for Liberty are likely to cheer his ascendency. Civil rights advocates have warned for months that a second Trump term would decimate federal protections for LGBTQ+ students, students of color, and students from low-income backgrounds.
Big questions loom over just how much Trump, who is only the second president in U.S. history to be elected to non-consecutive terms, can actually get done on K-12 this time around.
Strategies to increase talk
Teachers can experiment with a variety of strategies to build and assess students’ ability to converse in the target language.
At the middle school where I teach, my colleagues and I stand in the hallways to supervise students’ transition from one class to the next. The kids squeeze in as much conversation as possible in the four minutes between bells. Because we are a dual language immersion (DLI) school, these exchanges happen in Spanish, English, and many creative blends of the two. To capitalize on my students’ (seemingly inexhaustible) desire to chat, I work to increase student talk time in our Spanish immersion classes. I use several strategies to build and assess students’ oral language.
Humble leaders need growth too
How Humble Leaders Overcome Limiters
You aren’t a leader when you do it yourself.
Humble leaders expand their leadership by including people. Excluding competent people limits opportunities.
Openness is strength.
Leadership Limiters:
Know-it-alls think they’re always right.
Feeling superior restricts leadership. Superiority expressed by indifference, distrust, and judging chokes potential.
Arrogance judges. Standing aloof gives permission to close your heart, ignore people, and make snap decisions.
Late start implications
For the 2024-25 school year, Advanced Placement exams will be administered between May 5 and 16. Beyond a small number of exemptions, all students in all states must take the same tests on the same dates, at the same times.
High schools in states that start after Labor Day end up with fewer instructional days before the exams than those that open their doors in mid-August, and sometimes even in late July. Does this discrepancy create a difference in results?
Having had three children in NYC public high schools, where classes start in September, I’ve repeatedly heard from their teachers that they don’t have enough time to cover all the material on the AP tests.
Half time is almost here
For those of us in leadership, halftime offers a chance to redefine our goals and use our influence for a purpose greater than ourselves.
In the world of CEOs and business leaders, there is a phase of life that demands more than mere success—it calls for significance. This transition is often framed as “halftime”—a more virtuous look at the otherwise cliché and demoralizing notion of a midlife crisis. Bob Buford popularized the concept in his seminal book Halftime.
Buford articulated that halftime is the pivotal moment where individuals reassess their lives, moving from chasing success to finding significance. As someone who has lived this journey and mentored others through it—including serving as the chairperson of the Halftime Institute in Australia—I want to explore how leaders can make this shift effectively.
