trust

  • How to Appreciate Straight Talk

    Blunt. Direct. Forthright. Candid. I spent a year in Paris when I was 18. In 1982, the City of Light was full of possibilities for a young woman unafraid to explore. I met many international and French students that year. I was often introduced as “Suzanne – don’t mind her, she’s very blunt”. My 57…

  • Is It Possible to Create a Culture of Feedback?

    Is It Possible to Create a Culture of Feedback?

    I’ve noticed a disheartening phenomenon. It’s the reluctance to give feedback in the workplace because “they won’t do anything anyway”. People seem to think that if the person or organization they work for doesn’t immediately begin doing what they think should happen, then the feedback wasn’t taken seriously or even listened to. I get it.…

  • Up the Ladders and Down the Snakes

    My siblings and I loved Snakes and Ladders. Zooming up and down the board was fun. You would land on the ladder and advance, only to find the snake, groan, and slide back down. It’s a simple game with parallels to life and learning. I thought about this game at a recent training session for Adaptive…

  • Teachers, Don’t Worry About It

    I like to spend time in classrooms with students.  I work with sixteen schools and try to be in each school at least once a month. And when I’m there talking with principals and vice principals, one of my favourite things to do is go into classrooms. It gives me an opportunity to meet school…

  • What’s Left to Do?

    Chris Crouch wants to save the world. I think that’s admirable.  My goals are a little smaller. When I think about what’s left for me to do, it’s really about influence.  What can I influence? How can I influence? Who can I influence? I participated in #satchat on Twitter this morning (7:30 EST)and was part of…

  • Best April Fools!

    Yesterday, on April 1st, I visited a secondary school to talk with the principal and vice principals about their work and school improvement. Classroom visits are always part of the agenda since I love to see what is going on, meet educators and talk with students about their work. When I arrived, the principal suggested…