Matt’s blog about people, culture, & impact.
Rethinking Success: Alternative Metrics for Measuring Achievement
As I navigated through the dense fog of the Gulf of Maine this summer, sailing from Boston to Maine, I found myself enveloped in a surreal bubble. The wall of fog surrounding me created an intimate, isolated space, prompting introspection. I began contemplating success, ambition, and happiness. In that eerie silence, I realized that traditional…
Never Truly Satisfied (with Life and Work)
Mick Jagger sang, “I can’t get no…” Satisfaction. Can we truly ever be satisfied? You probably know the extremes. Someone who is 100% content. Maybe their day evolves around the couch and the TV. Then there’s the other side of the spectrum, someone who is 0% content. They push, drive, and stay busy 23 hours…
Work, Leisure, and Everything in Between: How AI is Transforming Our Lives
Imagine a world where machines handle the mundane, freeing us to pursue passions, explore creativity, and redefine what it means to “work” and “play.” The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) promises such a future, one that fundamentally transforms our time and identity in ways we can only begin to imagine. I’ve used artificial intelligences such…
Creating Content, But not creating it.
Whether you’re an educator with a blog, a traveler with a vlog, or a business owner with a website, there are times when you need to create content. Express your thoughts, communicate your message, and impact your audience. However, you don’t have to always create. Creation is energy-intensive. It can be exhausting (usually after, not…
Unveiling the Canvas: Design and Creativity in 2024
The year 2024 paints a vibrant picture for design and creativity. This dynamic interplay of imagination and craftsmanship is not just thriving, it’s transforming sectors, fostering cultural expression, and shaping the future of education and business. Let’s delve into the canvas of this exciting landscape, with a brushstroke of statistics and a splash of insightful…
Are Chemistry and Biology Relevant?
They’ve dominated the sciences taught in schools from grades 1-12 for at least the last century. But are they still relevant? Here are the facts. So tell me, why do we teach Biology and Chemistry as the two mandatory sciences in 2023? Wouldn’t it make more sense to teach programming and robotics in grades 1-10?…
AI To Replace the Workforce?
AI is set to replace 16% of the US workforce by 2030. 16% may not sound like much, but in 2023 numbers, that’s over 25 million people without work or in need of new training and help with career pivots! With a number that big, here are some of the opportunities for those who have…
Discovering Creativity in Everyday Moments
Whether I’m on a beach watching the waves, stargazing while on night watch at sea, or just picking up the guitar between blog posts – I’m also seeking ways to discover creativity in everyday moments. I figured it might be worth sharing a few ways to find creative inspiration in your everyday life. Creativity in…
Embracing Change as the Currency of Life
Change is a constant in life. Often, change can be intimidating or uncomfortable. Believe me, I know. In the past 5 years, I’ve changed from school administrator to full-time digital nomad. My areas of expertise went from designing curricula and supporting teachers to traveling oceans and helping schools and small businesses find new horizons for…
How Artificial Intelligence Will Replace Schools
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming every aspect of our lives, from health care to entertainment. But what about education? Will AI replace schools and teachers in the near future? The answer is not so simple. AI has the potential to enhance and personalize learning for students, by providing adaptive feedback, customized curricula, and interactive simulations.…
4 Ways to Boost Creativity
Creativity – LinkedIn lists it as the number 1 job skill. School taut it as a top aim of education. Cultures value it as the cornerstone of art and entertainment. But how is it nutured? Per usual, this blog aims to give actionable ideas. So let’s avoid the philosophy and get to the tactics. Here…
The Good and Bad of Ruts
Everything we know about learning suggests that there’s a cadence between routine incremental knowledge refinement and the breakout of new conceptual awareness. Knowledge Refinement. So when you’re at work and you feel like you’re in a rut, consider whether you’re at the maximum of your growth or whether you’re just emotionally bored. The daily routine…
Ostentation as a Requisite for Modern Work?
In a recent article (link below) from The Economist, the headline states: The rise of performative work It’s not what you do. It’s how ostentatiously you do it The article discusses how remote work demands employees to be performative – to look like they’re working. Let’s take the premise – It’s not what you do.…
Where the American Dream Goes Wrong
Hoping you have a great 2022! Here’s a simple opinion post. Where the American Dream Goes Wrong The Dream = Happiness in Things: College Education, Gain Career, Work Hard, Buy House, Buy Cars, Buy Vacations, Pay Down Debts, Keep up Appearances, Save for Retirement Wrong: Buy House, Fill Your House with Stuff, Buy Cars, Buy…
Starting Over is Smart
Imagine climbing a mountain your whole life only to make it 2/3 of the way up at the age of 70. You look up and notice the peak is still steep and far away. But the nature of life is that you also know time is limited. It’s further to go back down and find…
Where in the World is the Mafost Blog?
On sabbatical. It’s a part of a planned half-time. If you haven’t planned your half-times (learn about it here), I highly recommend it. Not just for a refresh, not just for a creative boost, but for an increase in results. So while I’ve been sailing the high seas, half-time has been in full mode with…
Ditch That Textbook, A Failed Hoax
Look, it sounded great back in 2005 and 2010 to ditch that textbook. Folks made good money off of the idea and there are good reasons for it. Heck, I’m guilty of helping many teachers on my campuses move beyond textbooks and into embracing digital platforms – moves that resulted in increases in student engagement…
Anchor, Focus, and Align
My friends over in the Principals Masterclass (TJ Vari and Joseph Jones) taught an invaluable lesson on communicating with candor. In that lesson, they gave three concepts to use when giving feedback. These concepts also apply to communicating to a broader audience. Anchor. Focus. Align. We’ve been talking about story-telling this week here and again…
I’m Not A Cat, The Second Story
The I’m Not a Cat Zoom call is so relatable. It, in some shape, has happened to each of us. And the lessons are many. Regardless of the stories we tell, there’s always going to be a second story. The second story is the one our audience hears, and it could be vastly different than…
Story Telling
You have a story. Your team has a story. Your organization has a story. You are uniquely positioned to tell that story and craft that narrative. But if you do not tell your story, someone else will. While most stories are positive, if someone else is telling your story, it might have unintended negative consequences…
The Case for Curiosity
If you have a strong desire to know something, it’s much like any other strong desire humans have – the desire to eat, to drink, to breath. Once that desire takes place, there’s no obstacle that’s too large. It’s curious then, that not one single teacher preparation program has a course on curiosity. It’s curious…
9 Quotes About Discovery
Yesterday’s post with the quote from da Vinci inspired today’s post about discover. Sometimes the best moments, and the best learning, happen as discoveries. So here are 9 quotes about discovery. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ― Mahatma Gandhi “The real voyage of discovery consists…
Sometimes Learning is Painful, A Quote from da Vinci
“Learning never exhausts the mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci It’s true. Just like an hour of play, learning doesn’t wear us down. It invigorates, it energizes, and it enthralls us. Except for when it doesn’t. Remember that time when you went too fast on your bike and learned a lesson about inertia? That wasn’t energizing. Remember…
When the Wind Blows
When the wind blows, like really blows, and you’re in a boat, you have two options – go back in or head out away land. Option 1 has the dangers of strong currents pushing you into the shore or into structures. Option 2 helps you avoid the danger of land but introduces the danger of…
When Holding Back is a Mistake
Sometimes it’s timidity, sometimes fear. Occasionally it’s lack of skill, and usually it’s just trying to be nice – trying to maintain relationships. Because relationships matter, as you well know. Real trust isn’t built by avoiding hard conversations—it’s built by navigating them together. That’s why Dr. TJ Vari and Dr. Joseph Jones are targeting 9…
Masterclass Is Now Open!
This is a limited seating professional learning opportunity. It’s a Masterclass from Principals’ Seminar featuring authors, superintendents, and educational leaders TJ Vari and Joseph Jones. You should consider registering. Here’s why. Compassionate Candor Creates Success You have audacious goals. But the reality is – you’re never going to accomplish them without mastering the craft of…
With Feedback, Less is More
As with most things, less is more. This is especially true with communication, but not less quantity of communication (redundancy is good). Less words is more effective. Think of this. Your communication includes numerous aspects beyond words: Eye contact Body language Attitude The delivery Listening (not just to the positive parts) Tone of voice What…
No One Can Help You
In yesterday’s post we looked at the quote that tied willingness to learn to helplessness. Essentially, without the will to learn, no one can help you. It sounds logical. You know the old saying, you can lead a horse to water… But it’s only half true. Yes, if you’re delivering a mandated curriculum in a…
If you are not willing…
If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you’re determined to learn no one can stop you. ??? I’m not sure who said this originally. Often it’s attributed to Zig Ziglar but can’t verify it. Either way, it’s true. Determination is more valuable than curriculum. Determination is more valuable than…
Characteristics of Evergreen Videos
Whether you’re making your own or trying to find a good evergreen video for to communicate your message, here are 6 characteristics to look for: Scalable. An evergreen video can be made by one person, a YouTuber, a teacher, an author, and be used by thousands of learner each day. Short. Relative to the concept…
Hey, it’s Matt here. Welcome to my blog.
Explore Blog Topics
AI Agents AI and Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Assistant Principals Authenticity Book Review Brain-Based Brand Awareness Business Change Leadership Communication Connectedness Creativity Data Digital Literacy Education Failure Focus Goal-Setting Growth Hope How To Human-Centered Innovation Instructional Climate Leadership Skills Mafost Mashup Marcus Aurelius Marketing Strategy Mission Motivation Policy Principals Relationships Sailing School Culture School Leadership Social Media Student Learning Teamwork Travel Velocity Virtual Learning Walk-Throughs Workplace
Blog Categories
- Culture (44)
- Impact on Learning (66)
- Leadership (87)
- Motivation (67)
- News (19)
- People (79)
- Vision (57)
Ready to level up your inbox?