Personal Development

Debunking Myths about Creative Thinking

One of the trickiest things about discussing creativity is its personal, subjective nature. If I claim that whatever I’m doing is creative, who are you to contradict me? Or, if I feel that creativity isn’t something I’m capable of, what does it matter if you feel differently? For some people, the idea of teaching creativityContinue reading “Debunking Myths about Creative Thinking”

Cultivating Leadership among Students

Leaders are likely to have leadership development experiences well before their careers take off (Murphy, 2011). Early life history experiences are predictive of later leader success, therefore it is important that the education system, a child goes through should provide opportunities for the child’s leadership development. The usual way to identify and build student leadershipContinue reading “Cultivating Leadership among Students”

When should, and shouldn’t, you think twice?

One common misunderstanding when it comes to critical thinking is the assumption that human emotions and instincts are inherently faulty or unreliable – and that thinking critically thus means trying to overcome them. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with following your instincts in most everyday situations. Indeed, attempting constantly to distrust your own feelings andContinue reading “When should, and shouldn’t, you think twice?”

Awaken the Giants

It is increasingly been advocated that teachers should take a more active leadership role in schools. This call comes from several quarters. First, there is a consensus among practitioners and researchers that schools have become too complex to be led by the principal alone especially when it comes to instructional and curricular matters. Principals, withContinue reading “Awaken the Giants”

Ever wondered… why do people like to vent online?

When going to online review sites, you often notice some reviews raging wildly about how bad the product is, the service, just about anything… Have you ever wondered why do people love to vent online? Electronic “venting” behaviour is well known, and so are the concerns and potential consequences. Yet, while there is much discussionContinue reading “Ever wondered… why do people like to vent online?”

The vital art of questioning your assumptions

Assumptions are those things we take for granted: whatever we don’t explicitly spell out, but that our thinking relies upon. They’re also extremely important. Indeed, it’s the existence of shared assumptions that makes communication (and much else) possible. As I write these words, I’m assuming they mean approximately the same thing to you as theyContinue reading “The vital art of questioning your assumptions”

Growing ‘good’ men

At the time of writing, the world’s media is focused on angry women who have had enough of misogyny in families, across organisations and in our public institutions. This has come to a head in the abduction and murder of a young, white, professional woman in London by a member of the Metropolitan police. ThisContinue reading “Growing ‘good’ men”

Rethinking the Way We Talk about Tech

Almost every aspect of our individual and collective lives, today, is touched upon or mediated by technology. But this doesn’t make technology something easily or inherently comprehensible, whether or not we are digital natives (a phrase that conceals as much as it reveals). Indeed, many of the systems we use every day are specifically designedContinue reading “Rethinking the Way We Talk about Tech”

The Importance of Thinking Charitably

There’s something paradoxical about the power of reasoning. The more you disagree with someone – or the more different their worldview is to yours – the more valuable it often is to be as thorough as possible when considering their perspective. To understand why, consider the alternative. Imagine that someone presents me with this observation:Continue reading “The Importance of Thinking Charitably”