A good friend of mine, Mike, sent me this cartoon. Coincidentally I had just facilitated a workshop where I asked participants to envision what “beings” from another planet would infer about the millions of earthlings who spend money to watch others chase a ball. They might speculate that the “balls” (golf-balls, footballs, tennis balls, soccer […]
Last week at the Scholarship of Teaching Learning and Assessment Conference an amazing group of West Chester University Students gathered to share their perspective on the topic of compassion and engagement in higher education. They had wonderful comments, examples and stories, but for the sake of space and clarity I’ll summarize. They want to be […]
On Thursday I’ll be delivering a keynote at the West Chester University Scholarship of Teaching, Learning and Assessment Conference #wcusotla . The audience will be predominantly professors from various universities. What’s impressive about this, is the topic. The committee asked me to speak about Cultivating Compassion. There aren’t words for how extraordinary this is. For […]
During the Winter in Wellness Retreat we’ll lay the foundation for 25 wellness practices that you can tap into immediately and keep with you going forward. Instead of dreading re-entry of everyday life, you’ll walk away with new insights and actionable next steps for creating more of what you want in your life. Recent advances […]
Everyone feels the pace escalate around this time of year. The grocery lists are longer, the money spent is greater, and the time needed to pull it all together is increased. If you’re in education, this week is typically survivor week. Schools typically have parent -teacher conferences and report cards scheduled right before the Thanksgiving […]
Retreat comes from the Latin verb “to pull back”. Wouldn’t you like to pull back from the world for just a few hours in the midst of the holiday season? Here are 5 reasons to step out of your structured day to day routine and create a bit of novelty in your life. 1. Reset […]
For educators everywhere, the stretch between late October and Thanksgiving is akin to a survivor episode. Second only to March (read my book Practicing Presence for more on March meltdowns), this is when we are most likely to lose our sh_t. I apologize for the profanity, but if you can’t relate, just stop reading. The […]
Just about every day I wonder if I’m really making a difference. It helps to have some evidence that your thoughts, words and actions do indeed sometimes impact others. I have a file folder that I’ve labeled “Happy File” where I put notes, cards and other keepsakes that can quickly uplift my mood. I have […]
For educators and students everywhere, it’s the time of year when we have either more projects to complete or more to grade than we have hours in the day. One technique that works better than powering through fueled with too much sugar and frequent internet surfing or other distractions is the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro […]
What if every Sunday you vowed to in some way reach out to one person that you’re grateful for in your life? My favorite gratitude practice in action was when Fred Rogerss accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award. He modeled that we should always be acknowledging the people that have helped us become who we are. […]
