What pitfalls need to be avoided in leading people to be doers? A few years ago I listened to an episode of the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, where he talked about the Developer’s Dark Side, or more specifically, pitfalls that leaders fall into when attempting to lead their teams. While Read more…
What do you do with the mad you feel? The above quote is a line from one of the many songs that Mr. Roger’s wrote for his television program, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. At the same time the words are very simple but offer a way to understand that a person Read more…
How do you define yourself? What tribes are you in? The featured book for this episode of the Amidon Planet Podcast is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, which is the first time a novel has been featured in the podcast. The inspiration for this Read more…
What are the milemarkers on you path to developing as a professional? This episode of the podcast is a bit different. In early October, I had the opportunity to present and attend the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Regional Conference in Nashville, TN. Also at the conference were Read more…
Blessed with a problem. Sounds like a weird statement, but I once heard author and leadership guru, John Maxwell, talk about the tragic nature of not having any problems. He said if you did not have any problems then you were not a candidate for a miracle. He then called Read more…
Who does this belong to? This is a common question in my house. Trying to find the owner of a shoe, a book, a bag, a spill, a mess, even a task. If I can find the owner, I can determine who is responsible for making whatever it is better. Read more…
What do you do when you are not working? The answer is resting. But how do you rest? Are you resting enough? Could you rest better? The answers to these questions and more questions that you probably have never considered are in this book Rest: Why You Get More Done Read more…
Helping without Hurting Is helping always helpful? I thought the answer was “yes”. Why wouldn’t it be? But then I had an encounter where I told a student how to do a problem, but then just a few seconds later his hand shot right back up into the air, looking Read more…
Mind Your Moments How powerful is a moment? Can you make a moment powerful? Throughout my life I can think of a handful of moments that have led to drastic changes in my life, my relationships, my teaching. I think of these “defining moments” as historical markers where something significant Read more…
Mentorship and the Patience of the Padawan What is a mentor? And where do I find one? As someone who can point to several mentors in my life these might seem like silly questions. But after my conversation with my friend, Dr. Gary Williams, Vice President and Director of Athletics Read more…