Unlike the weak, the strong neither give up nor are driven by pain into rash or stupid behavior. They don't like pain any more than anyone else, but they are not willing to settle for short-term relief if it means reducing their options later. They don't rob Peter to pay Paul, they face reality now.

No human being will work hard at anything unless they believe that they are working for competence.

Told that the passing grade is a B or competence and that we will help you to get there, students do competent work. The lowest passing grade in the real world is competence. Why do schools accept so much less?

The answer lies in preventing these failures, not in looking for better ways to fix the people who are failing.

The Compassionate Classroom is a fabulous book! If teachers will read it, they can transform their classrooms.

If you want to change attitudes, start with a change in behavior. In other words, begin to act the part, as well as you can, of the person you would rather be, the person you most want to become. Gradually, the old, fearful person will fade away.

We may be up against a stone wall, but we don't have to bloody our heads against it unless we choose to.