We learn most readily, most naturally, most effectively, when we start with the big picture - precisely when the basics don't come first.

If faculty would relax their emphasis on grades, this might serve not to lower standards but to encourage an orientation toward learning.

Whoever said there's no such thing as a stupid question never looked carefully at a standardized test.

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.

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

Most of us would protest that of course we love our children without any strings attached. But what counts is how things look from the perspective of the children

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