In a word, learning is decontextualized. We break ideas down into tiny pieces that bear no relation to the whole. We give students a brick of information, followed by another brick, followed by another brick, until they are graduated, at which point we assume they have a house. What they have is a pile of bricks, and they don't have it for long.

John Dewey reminded us that the value of what students do 'resides in its connection with a stimulation of greater thoughtfulness, not in the greater strain it imposes.

Contrary to what you think, your company will be a lot more productive if you refuse to tolerate competition among your employees.

If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings, and grow.

If I offered you a thousand dollars to take off your shoes, you'd very likely accept--and then I could triumphantly announce that 'rewards work.' But as with punishments, they can never help someone develop a *commitment* to a task or action, a reason to keep doing it when there's no longer a payoff.

There are different kinds of motivation, and the kind matters more than the amount.

If unconditional love and genuine enthusiasm are present, praise isn't necessary. If they're absent, praise won't help.