by Oliver DeMille Embracing the Challenge I read somewhere a while back that while in Western nations we tend to think of student educational success as the result of being smart, Oriental cultures assume everyone will struggle with learning (because learning is supposed to be [...]
by Oliver DeMille Abigail’s Crayon Drawing She looked at Abigail’s crayon drawing and praised it. And this was no ordinary praising. Vernie’s comments were specific and insightful, and went on and on and on. Eight-year-old Abi beamed with happiness. I sat and watched, a little [...]
To anyone who ever has or ever will tell a bedtime story... By Sara DeMille* There once was a great Storyteller. The people of the land sought him out to hear his amazing stories of adventure, love, comedy, and daring. So great was his skill [...]
by Oliver DeMille The Principle Successful people do things that unsuccessful people don’t. This is a great principle of life, and it applies to many things, from business and finance to relationships and fitness, from health and happiness to education and career. It also applies [...]
(What Every Parent, Teacher, and Student Should Know) The New Rules The Millennial Generation (born between 1982 and 2001) started entering the job market in about 2004. Since then they have grown as a percentage of those in the work force (this will continue until [...]
A Deeper Problem One day. One trip to Barnes and Noble. Two magazines. It was interesting to read the two articles within five minutes of each other. It really made me think. First came a piece in Psychology Today (April 2014) reviewing a groundbreaking new [...]
The Size of Dreams “Dad, why do teachers think their students should only have small dreams?” I just about choked on my bottled water. “What?” I sputtered. “Well, before I tell you, don’t make me quit the public school class I’m taking, okay?” I laughed. [...]
The New Name for the Conveyor Belt I got excited when the next reading in my day’s pile of news clippings was from Parents magazine, but the title made the corners of my mouth turn down just a bit: “School Discipline Gone Bad.” I almost [...]
The New Problem Time magazine and The Economist recently ran articles on education and career, and how the changing economy has made the current conveyor-belt style of schooling almost entirely obsolete—for everything except low-paying jobs. The Atlantic ran a similar article showing that American workers [...]
Stand Up! I read somewhere, I forget where, that the only people who ever get a truly great education are those who just plain stand up and demand one. They do this in spite of schools, bureaucracies, and the educational system—not because of these things. [...]
