Helping Ourselves & Others, Together.

Hello Friends, I hope this blog post version of an email finds you happy and healthy! I continue to thank my lucky stars for having connected with you at some point in my life, whether I met you as my teacher, coach, mentor, colleague, or friend, or you were my student  in yoga class, aContinue reading “Helping Ourselves & Others, Together.”

Why I Created Landscapes for Learning

A LOVE FOR LEARNING & HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS My “WHYS” My experience observing others within learning environments has taught me that when people fall in love with learning (especially about themselves but not in a narcissistic way!) everything gets better, including physical and mental health, schooling, work, and relationships with self and others. The problems ofContinue reading “Why I Created Landscapes for Learning”

COLLEGE SCANDAL, VALUES & VITALITY

“It’s no coincidence that a Mindfulness Movement has erupted yet SADLY I see how schools co-opt this by USING it as a tool to serve their utilitarian values which are outcomes and results-focused—that is, for kids to “do better” in measurable ways, to be more productive, competitive, higher achievers, and…umm… “successful.””

Podcast 17: LEARNING as OPPORTUNITY MINDSET

In this podcast, I read Part V: LEARNING from Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human: A Self-Study Guide for Wellness (2019, Amazon). The podcast includes subtopics like: *Vulnerability as intrinsic to learning process and creating meaning *Parenting without safe-space or victim mentality *Schooling discourages failure and uniqueness *How and why to continue learning as aContinue reading “Podcast 17: LEARNING as OPPORTUNITY MINDSET”

How and Why Self-Study, Podcast #16

Landscapes for Learning is podcasting again! I took the year “off” from recording podcasts to write the Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human: A Self-Study Guide for Wellness (2019, Amazon)!  Now I want to continue sharing the mission of LFL and teaching its self-study curriculum through podcasting and conversations online! Since the Classic Wisdom forContinue reading “How and Why Self-Study, Podcast #16”

A Reading List for Hannah

A few months ago, a yoga student at my studio asked me what I read. She wanted a list of recommendations. So, Hannah, this is a visual of what’s on my Kindle App and the few books in my living room at the moment! This list is incomplete because, well, I am old and IContinue reading “A Reading List for Hannah”

Adventures in Learning Familiar & Foreign

I have heard Joe Rogan interview Jordan Peterson many times, so often that I was reluctant to listen to them talk again.  As I plugged in my headphones and headed out the door on my usual morning walk with my fantastic dog, Finn, I asked myself, what else can I possibly learn from these guys?Continue reading “Adventures in Learning Familiar & Foreign”

Everybody Wants More Wisdom & Wellness

Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human  Self Study Guide Coming Soon! I believe so strongly that dedicating more time and energy to understanding oneself is the foundation for balance and wellness in this day and age of speed and data overwhelm that I left the security of my career as a high school teacher toContinue reading “Everybody Wants More Wisdom & Wellness”

Problems, Purpose, & Shitty First Drafts

“The meaning and design of a problem seem not to lie in its solution, but in our working at it incessantly. This alone preserves us from stultification and petrifaction.” — C.G. Jung Problems define us. Rather than ignoring them, pretending they don’t exist, or that they are someone else’s responsibility to solve, facing problems andContinue reading “Problems, Purpose, & Shitty First Drafts”

Return to Uniqueness

Why can’t we inform people that they can be their truest selves sooner, encourage them to slow down to  practice stillness, to listen to their inner guide, and give them the loving support and tools to do so? That’s a question I ask in my book and am answering with the creation of my coachingContinue reading “Return to Uniqueness”

Podcast 015: Future of Education: Learning Beyond Schooling

“I hope to help dismantle traditional schooling and its unhelpful, outdated, damaging values and persuade teachers, school leaders, parents, and students to focus their attention on better, more important ways of learning. My goal is to support ALL parties in this transformation with their humanity and a love for our shared humanity in tact.”  Continue reading “Podcast 015: Future of Education: Learning Beyond Schooling”

List for Learning: 27 Take-Aways from It’s Not About the Grades

 27 Take-Aways from It’s Not About the Grades: Landscapes for Learning Beyond Schooling Since everyone seems to be publishing books with rules for life and lists for “best” something or other, I thought I would make a list of possible take-aways from It’s Not About the Grades: Landscapes for Learning Beyond Schooling, my newest memoirContinue reading “List for Learning: 27 Take-Aways from It’s Not About the Grades”

Know Thyself & Save the World

We need to stop subscribing to traditional, outdated schooling and attitudes about conventional education and instead engage in authentic learning for psychological health and wellbeing, balance,  to preserve our shared humanity, and prepare for a radically different future.   Q. How should we be educating people for the future? What should we study? Some answers:Continue reading “Know Thyself & Save the World”

About LFL Podcast

In this first podcast, I introduce myself and my purpose for the Landscapes for Learning podcast. http://traffic.libsyn.com/landscapesforlearning/001_ABOUT_LFL_PODCAST.mp3 I was motivated to create the Landscapes for Learning project to counter students’ and parents’ and schools’ over-valuation of grades and competition for college acceptance as the key to “the good life.” As a long-time educator, I sawContinue reading “About LFL Podcast”

No Mud, No Lotus: A True Story about Limits

I was nine years old the first time I ran away from school. The nuns at St.Mary of the Annunciation had a strict rule: “the boys play with the boys and the girls play with the girls.” I ignored that rule, mostly because I thought of myself as more of a boy than a girl,Continue reading “No Mud, No Lotus: A True Story about Limits”

Love for Learning Beyond Schooling

A love for learning is much different than a love for school. My greatest concern during my tenure as a high school English teacher was kids’ lack of understanding of and appreciation for learning. I don’t mean that they did not appreciate or love my lessons (some did, some did not). I mean, they thoughtContinue reading “Love for Learning Beyond Schooling”

Restoring Balance: Too Much Schooling & Not Enough Learning”

Part of the this Landscapes for Learning mission is to draw attention to teaching and learning in a broader sense than schooling and to begin a new conversation about the kinds of learning we currently value in our American public schools. What I think is based on my own personal experience as a student, asContinue reading “Restoring Balance: Too Much Schooling & Not Enough Learning””

Who am I?

My previous “Calling a Spade a Spade” post is about telling the truth–– something our world desperately needs at this exact moment in time. Each of us has to talk about the truth, within our seemingly small and insignificant spheres of life, however uncomfortable or however much it may threaten our reputations.  Our integrity andContinue reading “Who am I?”

A Meditation on Learning

Every moment has something to teach. Can you look closely, deliberately, at the landscapes in your life as opportunities to learn — to live fully and authentically as you, as nobody else can ever do, except the one and only you? You don’t have to do it well. Just try. Learning lends life its meaning,Continue reading “A Meditation on Learning”

Podcast 000: About Me

In this, the inaugural podcast, I introduce myself, the purpose of the Landscapes for Learning platform and the LFL Podcast Features. I look forward to sharing the inspiring stories and conversations I’ll be having with extraordinary “ordinary” people from around the world. I hope you’ll tune in and enjoy the journey with me!

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