Achievement doesn’t happen overnight. Like a tree, it has roots. And it’s the strength and depth of the roots that determines how high the tree will grow. In education and workforce development, the same concept holds true: the young people who succeed are most often those who have a strong foundation—a root system, if you… Read more »
Category: Educational Leadership
The Roots of Achievement, Part 1: Academics
A successful education and career path is like a tree. We see and admire the sturdy trunk, the spreading branches, the luxuriant canopy of leaves, and the delicious fruit. What we don’t see is everything that has taken place below the surface to grow the tree to its present size and strength. To enable the… Read more »
Founder’s Perspective: The Skill of How to Learn
The 2019–20 school year is upon us, and it’s a busy time. Everyone is prepping and planning and putting together the framework of the coming year. Amidst the busyness, it can be hard to think past next week. And yet the reality is that what we are teaching young people today will have an impact… Read more »
TFS Founder’s Perspective: We Should Be Making Students Career Ready, Period.
“College and Career Ready.” It’s a great promise. It inspires confidence. It makes me want to get behind the organizations that are delivering this for students. But are we really living up to what it means? According to the College & Career Readiness & Success Center, “College and career ready means that students graduate from… Read more »
Education with Purpose: A Paradigm Shift
Direction. Confidence. Marketable skills. Passion. All of these things are essential ingredients in a person’s lifelong success—and it’s the laudable goal of most educators in America to teach these attributes alongside their academic subjects. We want to help shape the next generation of intelligent, productive citizens who graduate with a bright future ahead. There’s no… Read more »
Soft Skills…Are You Kidding Me?
Are soft skills important in the age of the technical skills gap? Yes, they are—more than ever. In 2016, The Wall Street Journal surveyed over 900 executives to discover the relative importance they placed on technical and soft skills. Fully 92% reported that soft skills like communication, curiosity, and critical thinking were equally important as… Read more »
Founder’s Perspective: Motivating Young People with a “For-Now” Direction
“Career exploration can be done later. Now’s the time to enjoy your high school years.” This attitude is surprisingly prevalent in our culture, but there are two things wrong with it. First off, it sets the student up to fail in college with no clear direction, no driving purpose, and no real reason to be… Read more »
The Danger of Education for Education’s Sake
Education for education’s sake alone sounds noble, doesn’t it? No mercenary motivations here, just pure learning and the acquisition of knowledge. It may sound good, but unfortunately it doesn’t work so well in the real world. Education debt is at an all-time high in the U.S. today. The New York Federal Reserve Consumer Credit Panel… Read more »
Growth Mindset: Sure, Students Should Have It…What About You?
Growth mindset, a term coined by Dr. Carol Dweck, is a popular topic these days. I’ve written about it before and I’m revisiting it today because I have a fresh observation. To briefly define growth mindset, it’s the belief that a person’s intelligence, talents, and abilities are not innate but can be developed with effort…. Read more »
Why Sir Ken Robinson is Right
I have long admired Sir Ken Robinson and his innovative take on our educational systems. I especially enjoy the RSA Animate illustration from his TED Talk “Changing Education Paradigms.” This speech was given in 2009, but we can still learn from the insights he shares. This is a quick 11-minute watch and it’s well worth… Read more »
