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You have to be playing two strategies at once when you play Scrabble. Of course you have to practice Rack Management. If you don’t have the right letters in your rack, you can’t play the right words. That’s the part most people are extra mindful of. But positioning is just […]

These insightful words from retired soccer legend Abby Wambach hit me during a recent episode of On Being:  “If somebody breaks my record, that means the game is better. That means the game is growing. That means other people are achieving greater, bigger heights than me. And that is the kind […]

The arc of the year is long and every year has its own successes and setbacks. But here are a few signposts of success to let you know you’re moving in the right direction. Your arms get tired midway through rehearsal, because you’re conducting more and playing parts less. (This […]

We have a running joke idea for a silly social media page called “Oddly Specific Life Hacks.” It would feature posts like, “if you put a knife in the first silverware compartment in the dishwasher, it often gets stuck in the door.” Or, “When you make bread in our KitchenAid, […]

The best way to learn generosity is by being close to a generous person. I have little doubt that Jimmy Carter’s family, watching his lifelong acts of generosity, have learned the value of selfless acts themselves. Same for the family of Bill & Melinda Gates or J.K. Rowling, whose acts […]

My colleagues and I are, rightly, concerned about progress and momentum. Eight Snow Days in two weeks has left every West Michigan choir program–not to mention the musicals, Variety Shows, and AP Classes–in a fairly frightening state of not knowing how to get back on track. And yet. And yet. […]

I was filled with joy as I watched the beautiful CBS Morning segment on the new Grammy Educator of the Year, Dr. Jeffery Redding. (I got to watch him work in 2008 when we had a group of students sing under his baton in Carnegie Hall; he is truly outstanding.) […]

Have you ever watched a child climb stairs? You’ll see the child take two steps for each step of yours, or find other ways to fit their small gait to the steps. Everything we design has form built into it, and that form is designed with specific uses in mind. […]

Every educator I know in my area is dealing with the fallout from last week’s Polar Vortex – specifically, the teaching/rehearsal time lost to it. One teacher I heard was sending assignments every day via email to his AP students, and started off yesterday (the first day back) with a […]

Teachers get a few chances during the year to start again. Winter Break. Spring Break. Maaaaaybe Thanksgiving Break. Anytime there’s been long enough to do at least a brief reset. Even then, the resets we are able to execute are small, a matter of degrees. Include a few extra minutes […]