Tag Archives: college

Changing the Definition of Success

Changing the Definition of Success I’m closing in on retirement and so I’ve been sitting back a bit and looking at my career and my life overall and thinking about the idea of success.  Personally, I feel like I’ve had a pretty successful career.  By the most important metric to an educator, which is haveContinue reading “Changing the Definition of Success”

So, you don’t have any children?

Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of an individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honor for me. ~ A P J Abdul Kalam So tonight a cross-list between two of my blogs, The Ministry of Happiness and Higher EdContinue reading “So, you don’t have any children?”

The Power of Purposeful Meetings: A Guide to Running Effective Sessions

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence. ~ Robert Frost The Power of Purposeful Meetings: A Guide to Running Effective Sessions If you’ve worked in higher education for any amount of time, and particularly if you’ve been a manager for any amount of time, you goContinue reading “The Power of Purposeful Meetings: A Guide to Running Effective Sessions”

The Higher Ed Mental Health Crisis

There is no health without mental health; mental health is too important to be left to the professionals alone, and mental health is everyone’s business. ~ Vikram Patel Let’s set the background, first in America, according to a piece in Time Magazine: Suicide rates have risen by about 30% since 2000. Almost a third ofContinue reading “The Higher Ed Mental Health Crisis”

A Happy Student Loan Monday

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. ~ Benjamin Franklin Today I also wrote a post on my other blog, the Ministry of Happiness with the same title, A Happy Student Loan Monday. That post is a discussion of my own personal journey with student loans. Today, 41 years after I took my firstContinue reading “A Happy Student Loan Monday”

The Fallacy of Legacy

We enter a career in higher education to help students. Most of us start as instructors and we have that wonderful opportunity to be in a classroom helping people understand something they previously didn’t. I’ve always called them the lightbulb moments, those moments when you see that look of confusion transition into the light ofContinue reading “The Fallacy of Legacy”

Back into the breach, opening day

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man, as modest stillness and humility: But when the blast of war blows in our ears, Then imitate the action of the tiger. ~ William Shakespeare Tomorrow will begin myContinue reading “Back into the breach, opening day”

The Higher Education Zodiac

You might be a teacher if…you are thankful that your thought bubble is invisible in staff meetings. ~ The Teacher Next Door The Higher Education Zodiac I was sitting with a couple of colleagues talking and someone joked about their Sun Zodiac symbol and then we got talking about our Chinese Zodiac signs and itContinue reading “The Higher Education Zodiac”

Happy New Year Higher Ed

What’s so fascinating and frustrating and great about life is that you’re constantly starting over, all the time, and I love that. ~ Billy Crystal After thirty-five years in higher education, the calendar year loses relevance. For those of us in higher education July 1st is New Year Day. To celebrate my academic New Year’sContinue reading “Happy New Year Higher Ed”