You get a trophy for reading this

This is my weekly Tinyletter newsletter.
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What I’m doing

I didn’t take a very active role this summer when Clara played T-ball. I tried to watch and cheer her on when it was her turn to bat, but my main parental duty was chasing Xavier around the playground and keeping him occupied. Then my role switched dramatically when Clara’s fall U6 soccer team needed a coach. Suddenly, I found myself thrown into the fire of 5-year-olds. The first week was a learning experience, to put it mildly.

What I’m hearing

Speaking of youth sports, the Slate Hang Up and Listen podcast has a thought-provoking defense of the much-maligned participation trophy. Are we spoiling our next generation, or maybe taking kids running around a field too seriously?

What I’m reading

A lot of old-fashioned newspapers. You know how hard it is to find newspapers today? It took me days to gather a stack. I ended up cleaning out a colleague’s office and took a bunch of dusty yellowed newsprint. I was using them for an activity where I had students cut out ALL the social problems they could find. You know how many problems you can find in the news? Enough to cover all the walls of a classroom. Then I had each student select one problem that they would work on solving this semester. My goal? Get them to see that problem-solving = creativity, and creativity = problem-solving. Do you agree?

What I’m writing

I wrote about why Facebook reach matters, and Facebook fans do not. Reach for the skies.

What I’m watching

Finally, I’ll leave you with a video that was a summer in the making. My goal? Capture the everyday moments like taking a walk, visiting the park, blowing bubbles or eating a donut. At the time they can seem mundane, but in retrospect they are the moments that make up a summer, a childhood and a life. Take advantage of what’s left of summer, and enjoy every moment!