There’s a good article in the latest Educational Leadership: “The Perils and Promise of Praise”. It’s by Carol Dweck. The wrong kind of praise creates self-defeating behavior. The right kind motivates students to learn. We often hear these days that we’ve produced a generation of young people who can’t get through the day without an … Read more
We had a well-attended college information evening for ninth and tenth grade families last week. Ninth and tenth grade is not time to focus on college but it is time to be assured that “It’s not time to worry yet”. The early years of high school are about focusing on getting involved with academics and … Read more
“The incentives I took as an insult. I didn’t think motivation was needed. It was not the right thing for me, not the right thing for my players.” – Joe Torre, turning down an offer to continue as manager of the NY Yankees. I am not much of a fan of professional sports* but I … Read more
Who’s zooming whom? New kids on the block received a warm welcome last week. Daisy and Clover – five months old – were the center of attention. Even the middle school Japanese theater class could not resist a visit.
Disintermediation – one of those wonderful baggy words that only yields up any meaning after being dismembered into constituent parts, if at all. Or perhaps a word like a string of railway carriages shuttling along clanking and rattling over the rail bed. The word is most usually applied in the field of marketing and economics … Read more
“You must do the things you think you cannot do” Stone Cottage One of the great things about Poughkeepsie is that you are always in striking distance of so many places to visit and things to do. One of them is Val-Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt’s home in Hyde Park – the only place she referred to … Read more
Colleges that Change Lives is the title of Loren Pope’s very useful book for those planning for college. It’s also a website. If you are off to college soon, or know someone who is, then take a look. It is particularly useful in dispelling some of the myths of excellence. As with many things, it … Read more
Gnome update: See Gnome Eruptions or scroll for the original story and commentary There were no further eruptions reported yesterday at PDS. However, I received today the following photographic evidence of garden variety gnome eruptions in London:
Imagine a cleared space in the forest and a circle drawn with a rope; “This is your comfort zone – the space where you are confident and at ease. This you can already do. We all have our comfort zone. It takes many shapes and it is different for all of us.” Then another rope … Read more
They started appearing on campus last week. The gnomes. Peaceful gnomes presiding over the grounds and the walkway between the buildings.And now they are proliferating. Another appeared at my window this afternoon. Does he need to be brought inside? Any information you may have as to their origin and significance – or more importantly about … Read more
In honor of Don Fried and his three decades at Poughkeepsie Day School: Past and present colleagues, students, parents and trustees gathered from far and wide Sidereal sang Reminiscences were shared and new memories made Alumni brought their children to meet him and Don’s service to the school and its generations of students was recognized, … Read more
The world is moving at a tremendous rate. Going no one knows where. We must prepare our children, not for the world of the past. Not for our world. But for their world. The world of the future. – John Dewey (seen saying just that in the film below) Progressive education in the 1940s: I … Read more
“Modern studies indicate that creativity is not a rare, magic gift visited upon the isolated genius; it is the natural birthright of every human child and is a series of cognitive skills that can be taught, harnessed and applied to unleash what we are now discovering is the infinite creative capacity in every child. Learning … Read more
“Modern studies indicate that creativity is not a rare, magic gift visited upon the isolated genius; it is the natural birthright of every human child and is a series of cognitive skills that can be taught, harnessed and applied to unleash what we are now discovering is the infinite creative capacity in every child. Learning … Read more
We added Cross Country to the athletic choices this fall and the team is off and running and doing very well. Clearly we have some outstanding and enthusiastic runners in both middle and high school. The first meet was the Oakwood Friends invitational – the season opener for the Hudson Valley Athletic League. Here are … Read more