I was about to experience one of the worst teaching examples of inclusion ever. The auditorium was packed. I was sitting in my seat with my palms sweating and a cage full of butterflies in my stomach, which were threatening to escape. I was nervous and completely out of my element. I’d … [Read more...] about My palms were sweating and the butterflies in my stomach were threatening to escape
Rain chimes Prisms, rain chimes, textured pillows, the Fete de la Musique in Paris and the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Any guesses what these all have in common? They’re all examples of things that bring joy which Ingrid Fetell describes in her book Joyful, the surprising power of … [Read more...] about Ten tickets to sparking more joy for yourself (and why that’s so darn important)
“You can’t develop a side thing, lob it over the fence and expect it to be picked up,” said my lovely coffee companion Steven Webb, Senior Advisor, Change Management for UNHABITAT. I believe we’re all change agents, so when I got the chance to site down with a change master maestro, I nabbed … [Read more...] about Change management musings from a change master maestro
The family favourite cornbread recipe is dog eared and not a little stained. It’s passed through many kitchens in a couple of countries. Now I’d brought it to Kenya. And it was the reason I was standing dazed and not a little confused in an endless aisle of flours, searching for … [Read more...] about Four tools of intercultural living (maise meal included)
The rain poured down so hard it formed a veil, one that I couldn’t see through but I hoped my driver could. As we pulled up to the UN Base in Entebbe, Uganda, he tried to get the car as close to the building as possible so I wouldn’t get soaked. Wishful thinking. I was in Entebbe to do a … [Read more...] about The roof collapsed, the venue was flooded, I was soaked and I was about to give a workshop
Imagine you’re a professional clown for a minute. You’ve perfected your makeup. Your face is your work of art. It’s what makes your clown you. How do you protect your clown face from someone else copying it? And what the heck does this have to do with learning? Hang … [Read more...] about Imagine you’re a professional clown for a minute.…
Learning means putting your nose to the grindstone. Learning means aches and pains in places you didn’t know could hurt. Learning means being awkward at best, acutely embarrassed at worst. Right? I feel for you if that’s your history with learning. We can do better! … [Read more...] about Suffering is optional- games for learning
I’d gone from a balmy +30 degree Celsius at my home in Nairobi, Kenya to -20 in northern Sweden. My feet, covered only in thick socks, were warming beside a roaring fire. Later on I’d go to grab my boots to put them back on and find they were frozen to the thick reindeer pelts I was … [Read more...] about Learning how to learn from a traditional Sami reindeer herder
Treasure part one: ‘No way! That can’t possibly be true,’ screamed the refrain in my head. How could I not have known that all these years? I was absolutely gobsmacked and giddy with curiosity. The lowly thing that was causing my brain to explode? You probably have one of them … [Read more...] about A simple hidden treasure life hack (with a nod to Johnny Depp)
