Category Archives: teaching and learning

(Issue #492) Using Demonstrations for Teambuilding and Prioritization

Posted on October 27, 2019 by

Regardless of the topic, demonstrations can drive home a point that may be lost in a lecture or in a reading. My decades of teaching, speaking, and facilitating have reinforced that people need to connect with the speaker and the … Continue reading →

Posted in awareness, Being REMARKABLE, effective teaching, public speaking, teaching and learning | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

(#404) Risk, Empty Spaces, and Self: Lessons from the Stage

Posted on February 18, 2018 by

“There is no failure in result; there is only failure in process.” Sam Wasson’s Improv Nation: How We Made A Great American Art provides more than an improv history lesson. He deftly lays out a philosophy of life.  For all … Continue reading →

Posted in acceptance, amplifying, assumptions, authenticity, awareness, Being REMARKABLE, childlike, confidence, Mindfulness, risk-taking, Teaching, teaching and learning, vulnerability, wisdom, Words, Words and Action | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(#401) Improv and Leadership

Posted on January 28, 2018 by

Incompetent and fear-based managers rely on rigid scripts. Sam Wasson’s Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art provides lessons for transformational leadership. As early Improv players experimented and developed the art form, they learned the power of two … Continue reading →

Posted in acceptance, Appropriate Behavior, Choice, Civility, collaboration, collegiality, Communication, effective meetings, generativity, growth, improv, professional development, resilience, self-awareness, self-regulatory behavior, Teaching, teaching and learning, vulnerability, wisdom, Words | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(#387) Lessons from Elementary School

Posted on October 22, 2017 by

Adults, are we listening? Three lessons from elementary school this week. (1) Mrs. Hullender teaches 1st grade at the Atlantic Beach Elementary School. Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to visit her classroom during a mini leadership conference.  That’s right. … Continue reading →

Posted in accountability, action, Being REMARKABLE, Goals, Gratitude, habits, happiness, initiative, inspiration, Teaching, teaching and learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(#379) Accommodations For My Students Made Me A Better Teacher

Posted on August 27, 2017 by

Being a teacher is more than knowing one’s content and “covering” the material. Effective teachers do what they can to connect with each student and build a community of learners who connect with one another. The Individuals with Educational Disabilities … Continue reading →

Posted in accountability, awareness, Being REMARKABLE, Choice, coaching, Community, Discipline, emotional intelligence, faculty development, fortitude, Gratitude, growth, Integrity, intentionality, resilience, teaching and learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

(#327) Structures for Organization: Implications for Teaching and Training

Posted on August 28, 2016 by

Just because it was tossed, doesn’t mean it was caught. Just because it was talked, doesn’t mean it was taught.   How do you define “learning”? And, what causes it? How much of your schooling exposed you to a stream … Continue reading →

Posted in effective teaching, learning, resilience, structures of learning, structures of organization, Teaching, teaching and learning | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

(#296) Not Us. Them.

Posted on January 24, 2016 by

“A building is not just about itself, but the place where it resides.”-Craig Dykers Did you hear the one about the college president’s view of how to handle struggling students? Reportedly his suggestion was to “drown the bunnies.” No, that’s … Continue reading →

Posted in assumptions, Choice, collaboration, college retention, common sense, Community, faculty development, ideologies, intentionality, leadership, Life lessons, Making a Difference, Relationship, teaching and learning | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

(#284) Gaining Clarity

Posted on November 1, 2015 by

We would do well to surround ourselves with people who care about us— but won’t allow us to skate by with minimal reflection and action. I first read about the Clearness Committee  (Quaker tradition) in Parker Palmer’s works. This powerful … Continue reading →

Posted in assumptions, Balance, collaboration, focus, growth, Integrity, life success, mindset, teaching and learning, tenacity, wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

(#281) Collisions for Collaboration or Crashes of Confusion?

Posted on October 11, 2015 by

Whether talking about the college classroom or the corporate boardroom, conscientious nurturing of authentic relationships improves the chances for effective communication, meaningful connections and powerful creation. A major work published in 1991 on effective college teaching emphasized the importance of … Continue reading →

Posted in collaboration, collegiality, Communication, Community, community development, Creativity, mentoring, self-efficacy, soft skills, teaching and learning, teamwork | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

(#274) Igniting Passion: Seven Superlative Student Stars

Posted on August 23, 2015 by

They spoke directly to the power of teaching and the importance of relationships in life.  This past Thursday I had the honor to deliver the keynote address for the annual faculty convocation at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). The organizers … Continue reading →

Posted in Appreciation, Being REMARKABLE, Gratitude, Grit, Living a remarkable life, Making a Difference, Passion, Teaching, teaching and learning, tenacity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment