Author Archives: Steve Piscitelli

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About Steve Piscitelli

Community Advocate and Author

(Issue #656) The Mindset of Practice

Posted on April 19, 2026 by Steve Piscitelli

~~~~~“It’s one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, three to get ready, three to get ready….”-attribution unknown-~~~~~ Perhaps you’ve read or heard how New Year’s resolutions tend to go off the rails within a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Goals, Life lessons | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

(Issue #655) Purposeful Being

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Steve Piscitelli

I think, therefore, I am. ~ René DescartesI think (too much), therefore, I am (not there to live my life). ~ Thich Nhat Hanh ***** Sitting with friends at lunch, you hear about their latest projects.  One is actively involved … Continue reading →

Posted in being, meditation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

(Issue #654) Introducing The WeTones!

Posted on November 16, 2025 by Steve Piscitelli

This blog has an underlying theme of community building. Community as a Safe Place to Land evolved from posts about dialogues, collective monologues, collaboration, energy vampires, leaders, flibbertigibbets, and more. This post presents an alternative perspective on the importance and … Continue reading →

Posted in Life lessons | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

(Issue #653) If I Only Had Six Months to Live

Posted on September 14, 2025 by Steve Piscitelli

At times, the stories we tell ourselves and the stories we live contradict one another. [Note: Before you leave this post, check out the video link at the end.] One exercise I did with my students and national audiences was … Continue reading →

Posted in boundaries and limits, Life lessons, Life's purpose, lifelong learning, Mindfulness, priorities | Leave a comment

(Issue #652) Knowing It Without Knowing It?

Posted on August 10, 2025 by Steve Piscitelli

A frog in the well knows not the ocean.~attributed to a Japanese Proverb~ A few months ago, Laurie introduced me to one of her aqua fit classes at our gym. She raved about the workout she got in those 45-minute … Continue reading →

Posted in Choice, Community, conversation, Critical Thinking, Life lessons | 2 Comments

(Issue #651) To Know History, We Need to Read History

Posted on July 13, 2025 by Steve Piscitelli

One of the lessons I built upon was the importance of reading, understanding, and evaluating different viewpoints.That involved reading, listening to, and discussing various ideologies.Critical thinking was, well, critical! As a teacher, I enjoyed the connections I helped students build … Continue reading →

Posted in community development, Connection-Disconnection, conversation, teaching and learning | Leave a comment

(Issue #650) Fahrenheit 451

Posted on June 1, 2025 by Steve Piscitelli

What lessons or warnings did Bradbury present? Re-reading Fahrenheit 451  left me shaking my head. Was this book really written in 1953? (Rhetorical question. It was.) Bradbury wrote about censorship, interactive TV, people connected to technology rather than each other, … Continue reading →

Posted in bullies, censorship, Critical Thinking, curiosity, Education, education reform, ethics, fear, ideologies, Personal growth, question skills, Teaching, teaching and learning, truth, wellbeing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

(Issue #649) Lessons from Third-Graders

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Steve Piscitelli

I started collaborating with five students who quickly reminded me I still have so much to learn. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This week marks ten years since I retired from teaching. I was fortunate to be in the classroom for thirty-three years: middle … Continue reading →

Posted in mentoring | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

(Issue #648) “I Don’t Want Him Fired, Damn It…!”

Posted on September 15, 2024 by Steve Piscitelli

And so begins the journey of Professor Cole Fitzgerald as he battles outside forces and his inner demon. Set (mostly) on an inner-city college campus, The Voice in Your Ear tells a gripping story of deception and retribution as the bullied … Continue reading →

Posted in faculty unionization, imposter syndrome, inner critic, marginalization, visibility, white saviorism | 2 Comments

(Issue #647) Recording A Song & The Power of Friendship

Posted on September 8, 2024 by Steve Piscitelli

I think the true blessings of friendship involve candor, honesty, and compassion. With one of my long-time friends, Billy Bowers, I made a “rough-cut” recording of my song “The Voice in Your Ear.” It serves as the “soundtrack” for my … Continue reading →

Posted in Friendship, inner critic | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments