My children attended an elementary school with an open floor plan. I was skeptical when I heard about this design. There are no walls around the classrooms? Isn’t it loud? Isn’t it chaotic? Indeed, Bear Creek Elementary did not have fully-walled-off classrooms. But it was not a single undifferentiated open space. Bookshelves and file cabinets […]
Toast for a Toddler
Toast for a Toddler It’s good to have a sense of humor about these things. Essential, really.
The Wonderful Franzen
I’ve read most of what Jonathan Franzen has published. Not surprisingly, my introduction to him was via The Corrections, his Oprah-endorsed novel. That put him onto my list of authors to watch. While I waited for his next novel (Freedom), I read his essays (How Not to Be Alone) and his memoir (The Discomfort Zone). […]
Pop Some Tags
I learned something new today. From Macklemore. And my teenage son. We were in the car. Macklemore’s Thrift Shop was playing. (Warning! Bad language!) Before it gets to the profanity and obscenity, just before, there’s a catchy beat and lyrics I could make out: “I’m gonna pop some tags.” Hmmm…I wondered out loud…what does that […]
Mouth Like a Puppet
At 1:09: If we want to hear you talk, I will shove my arm up your a$$ and work your mouth like a puppet. There are times I want to say that to someone. I am certain I never will, so posting it here is going to have to do.
Little Johnny is Coming Along!
I attended summer camp from a very early age. When I became a counselor at camp, I got to see some of the behind-the-scenes activities in the operation. One of those activities was the camp director’s pep talk (or, perhaps, the reading of the riot act) the night before Visiting Day. On Visiting Day, parents, […]
Polite Persistence
I help a lot of students with their job searches. I like doing it. Who doesn’t love sharing the I-wish-I-knew-this-when-I-was-your-age wisdom? One of the key tenets in job search is “polite persistence.” My friend and HR expert Liz Ryan describes polite persistence brilliantly. She recounts stories of people who got no response more than a […]