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Learning Network: Writing Prompts about Food, Culture, and the Holidays

Link to NYT Learning Network - prompts about food and culture

10 more prompts about Thanksgiving - link

15 more prompts about Holidays and The New Year - link

Becoming a Strategic thinker

 From Harvard Business Review:

Elevate your perspective

Instead of focusing on specifics, describe the broader landscape and articulate the bigger-picture narrative. By using language such as “Considering our organization’s three-year vision…” or “Reflecting on the trajectory of innovation in our industry…” you shape the context in which the tactical details can then be explored. This also helps to align stakeholders, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Be forward-looking

Strategic thinkers see emerging challenges and opportunities. You can demonstrate that you are thinking about the future by using statements like “Projecting our growth, by 2028…” or “In light of our competitors’ plans, should we be…” By communicating a forward-looking stance, you demonstrate your capacity to help the organization develop long-term strategy.

Anticipate potent impacts

Strategic thinkers don’t just make decisions; they assess and communicate their broader potential effects. You can showcase your critical thinking ability by highlighting possible outcomes or unintended consequences, for example, “This product has the potential to…” or elaborating with “Beyond the immediate benefits, our long-term gains include….” Doing so shows that you value thorough evaluation over immediate action.

Connect the dots

Show you look beyond surface events to the deeper picture of systems and interconnections and that you recognize their importance, for example, “This unexpected increase in digital adoption directly influences our e-commerce strategy…” or “Because of these supply chain constraints, we must revise our production timelines and product development strategy….” Doing so shows you have an integrative and holistic thought process.

Simplify the complicated

Strategic thinkers can break down complex situations in simple yet powerful terms. To distill complicated issues into their essentials, use explanations like “In essence, this technology can…” or “At its core, our strategy rests on three pillars….” In doing so, you indicate masterful comprehension of the topic.

Use analogies and metaphors

Analogies and metaphors help to communicate strategic ideas in relatable ways. When you make comparisons like “Think of our infrastructure as the backbone, supporting every function…” or “Imagine our marketing approach as a net, widening to capture diverse markets…,” you show you can translate strategic jargon into everyday language, fostering broader understanding and alignment.

Stimulate strategic dialogue

When engaging with colleagues in strategic conversations, ask reflective questions such as “If our brand were a story, what chapter are we in?” or “How does this decision echo our company’s foundational values?” This creates an environment where strategic thinking is collective and prompts discussion that will help you refine ideas and encourage others to adopt strategic mindset.

Show you are informed

Your strategic insights will be more impactful when grounded in current realities. Observations such as “Given the recent shifts in digital consumption patterns…” or “The latest research on consumer behavior suggests…” prove you are informed about the evolving landscape, an essential strategic thinking capability.

Practice strategic listening

Strategic thinking is best when it incorporates disparate views so it’s important to listen closely and actively to others. Comments like “Building on what you’ve said…” or responding with “Your point about market saturation aligns with…” highlight your ability to do just that, enhancing your reputation as a strategy collaborator, enriching the discussion, and activating the group’s collective intelligence.

Seek feedback

After strategic conversations, show you are focused on learning by asking for feedback from others. Use questions such as “Did the strategic direction resonate with everyone?” or suggestions such as “How can we better align these discussions with our broader mission?” to demonstrate your commitment to growth and improvement.

In summary, business leaders must be strong strategic thinkers and communicators. Those who can speak about strategy as well as they formulate it are the ones who will rise to the top.

The Smallest Bit of Praise: Jennifer Gonzalez on Pausing Helpful Suggestions and Just Appreciating

Jennifer Gonzalez on Pausing Helpful Suggestions and Just Appreciating

In this Cult of Pedagogy article, Jennifer Gonzalez says she recently had a conversation

with a teacher who sometimes feels inadequate reading all the ideas Gonzalez shares on her

website and podcast – and with well-meaning suggestions from her principal, PD workshops,

articles, and material on social media. To a hard-working teacher, the message that comes

across is, Do more!

  Looking back on the material she’s shared over the years, Gonzalez hears this teacher.

“While I fully believe it’s all good, useful stuff,” she says, “I get how it could be

overwhelming…” especially when higher-ups are pushing teachers to implement this and adopt

that and get better.

“So right now,” says Gonzalez, “I want to pause my usual stream of ideas and

suggestions and talk to those administrators, to principals and superintendents and instructional

coaches and anyone else in a position to tell teachers how to do their jobs. I have no new

strategies or tools or books to share with you this week. Nothing new to implement. My only

message for you is that your teachers need a win, and they need it now.”

“When a person receives criticism,” Gonzalez continues, “– direct or implied – and no

praise, they’re drained of motivation. And this is especially true when that person is doing

something difficult. Something like teaching. Without any feedback about what they’re doing

right, it becomes easier and easier to give up. The opposite is also true. Sometimes even in the

toughest situations, the smallest bit of praise can give a person enough confidence, enough of a

dopamine hit, to keep going and keep trying. But to work, the praise needs to be specific.

Generic praise does no good at all.”

Gonzalez suggests that this week administrators choose ten teachers and make a point

of giving each one of them specific, positive feedback – either for something you know they’ve

been doing well, or for something you observe in a short classroom visit. Maybe ask them to

invite you in to see something they’re pleased with. Some possible areas for praise:

- Relationships and rapport with students;

- Conveying excitement and interest;

- Clear and engaging explanations and examples;

- Well-chosen curriculum materials;

- Checking for understanding and wait-time;

- Providing tools students need to manage their own learning;

- Smooth classroom management and making good use of unexpected leftover time;

- Nimble decision-making.

This is not a checklist, says Gonzalez. “It’s not a walk-through sheet.” Just a list of possible

areas for appreciation. “Every teacher is good at something, and they need to hear about it – the

more specific, the better.”

Having given compliments to ten teachers this week, she urges, pick another ten (or

five, or two) for the following week, and keep it up. “My guess is that once you’ve done just a

few, you’re going to want to do more, and it’s going to get easier. Because the person receiving

the compliment isn’t the only one who gets a dopamine hit. The giver gets one too.”

“Your Teachers Need a Win” by Jennifer Gonzalez in Cult of Pedagogy, October 22, 2023;

Gonzalez can be reached at gonzjenn@cultofpedagogy.com .