Category: Perspective

  • The Art of Perspective: Lessons from a Mural

    The Art of Perspective: Lessons from a Mural

    I drive by it every day on my way to work. It’s a group of cows painted on a building, standing behind a fence. At least that’s what it looks like from the highway. However, today I parked right in front of it, and discovered a different perspective. It’s challenging to make out what these animals…

  • Up the Hill: A Matter of Perspective

    Up the Hill: A Matter of Perspective

    Here’s a picture of a hill, behind the elementary school where I work. Two weeks ago, our fourth and fifth grade run club ran up this little rise three times. All in the course of a 1.5 mile route. Before we started, I showed the group the side view above. Looks doable.😀 Here’s a look…

  • The Power of Perspective

    The Power of Perspective

    I love greeting students at my elementary school when they get dropped off in the morning. We exchange positive affirmations like, “Have an amazing day!” or my favorite, “It’s a great day at Freedom Elementary!” Earlier this week, I gave my “It’s a great day…” pitch to a fourth grader, who stopped in his tracks.…

  • Is the Sky Really Falling?

    Is the Sky Really Falling?

    In the early 1990’s, social psychologist Roy Baumeister began exploring the negativity bias–the widely accepted belief that bad has a stronger impact on people than good. His team conducted extensive research, hoping to find situations where a single positive circumstance was actually stronger than a negative one. They couldn’t find any. In fact, Baumeister and…

  • Context Lenses

    Context Lenses

    A lesson in focus.

  • You Didn’t Know?

    The young boy in my music class was on my last nerve. No matter what the rest of the students did, he just sat there—staring into space. Enough was enough. During a group movement activity, when everyone was supposed to stand but he didn’t, I pounced. “On your feet, young man!,” I yelped with obvious…