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Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work People are always motivated. The question is not if, but why they are motivated. Those two lines immediately stand out in the opening pages of Susan Fowler’s bookWhy Motivating People Doesn’t Work…and What Does: The New Science of Leading, Energizing, and Engaging. Do you understand the principles of motivation? If you do,…

Growth usually feels risky. The feeling is a protection mechanism, a way to avoid failure or even the fear of failure. Of course, risk also feels risky (or at least it should). Differentiating between the two is difficult, which is why finding institutions, methods or coaches that have experience in the difference is valuable. When…

Sub Title: Seven stories of talented people held back by the fear they weren’t good enough In a nutshell: I have imposter syndrome, and I suspect many other people trying to have a big impact with their career do, too. For a long time, imposter syndrome massively limited the impact of my career by causing me…

During an interview on The Creative Classroom Podcast with John Spencer, John shared with me that he was resistant to the idea of coaching when he was in the classroom. Resistance is a mask. When faced with resistance, your job is to figure out the underlying emotions and issues at play. One helpful tool to use in…

Generative A.I. has created some very real challenges with academic integrity. Schools have been scrambling to create systems and policies that address the potential for cheating. In the past, I’ve written about how we might redefine the essay in an age of A.I. or how we might incorporate it into our creative projects. But it’s…

A business deal or a sacred promise? The handshake depicted on this Treaty 6 medal is understood by nêhiyawak to symbolize asotamâkêwin – a sacred promise to live together in the spirit of good relations. In September 1874, Treaty Commissioners representing Queen Victoria traveled to Fort Qu’Appelle to negotiate the terms of a sacred promise…

What is the role of play, agency, compassion and nature in children’s wellbeing and development? ‘Learning to thrive’ provides a space to explore how caregivers and educators might support young people to thrive. This is also a space for researchers and science journalists to share the latest evidence on the role of nature, play, creativity…

An intervention to promote a growth mindset boosts learning. A 13-year-old high school student named Emma is watching intently as a little ball moves rapidly up and down her laptop screen. Eventually, using just the power of her brain, she is able to gain control over its movements. This may seem like a scene from…