Be Truman-like When Engaging Criticism

We are admonished by President Truman, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Heat in this context is the hot breath of criticism and the red-faced anger of disagreement inflicted upon those whose decisions are vulnerable … Continue reading

Morale: A Wavering Variable That Can Be Improved

Early in my working career, a venerable mentor told me, “If you think there is a problem, there is a problem until you either resolve it or decide, with new information, that it is not a problem. Your job now … Continue reading

School Choice Is Complicated And Intentional

One should not accept a blatantly generalized statement as Gospel, especially any statement ladened with politico-economic overtones. Parsing a person’s motives and self-interests is an important tool for screening generalizations for truth and untruth, transferability and usability. School choice is … Continue reading

If You Are Lost in the Lesson, Call a Time Out, Kiddo. It’s Okay

“Time out! Stop, take a breather, and let’s take a moment to talk about this.” In many games there are signals a player can make that says “Time out!” Athletes use their hands to make a letter “T” to stop … Continue reading

Give Books, A Gift Full of Rewards

I give books to my grandchildren as Christmas and birthday gifts. At other times of the year, I may gift them with clothing or sports equipment or something that just makes Gramps feel good to give. But, at Christmas and … Continue reading