My Favourite Teacher and Why #001

Peter Savage tells us who his favourite teacher was and why…

Jared gives feedback

Nice feedback from a History teacher on playing MAKEorBREAK:

“Man I just had a Period 5 with my 12 History and it cranked hard.  Thanks
so much for this game! Its the most excited, engaged and enthusiastic
I’ve ever seen a Y12 class in 3 years of teaching here; …the format is massive mate.

If I was John Key I’d flippin make you chief educational game maker and pay you very well.

Rock on.”

Jared Lynn, HOD History, Opotiki College.

Thanks Jared!

What’s important?

I’ve been super, crazy, busy distracted in the last couple of months. It’s had me thinking what’s important and what’s valuable in protecting.

I developed a couple of rules in my mind:

1. When you’re doing what you love and what you’re good at, stick at it

2. So, treat distraction with contempt

3. But, be distracted by what you love doing

This is a liquid list.

John Key Q&A

If you didn’t catch it in the Sunday Star Times, these 50 questions, and John Key’s answers are a good read.

Charm offensive

It’s been fascinating watching the usually arrogant and uppish New Zealand Rugby Union take its medicine and turn on the charm. It’s hugely obvious that they’ve had a scare in the last 18 months and some of the actions taken around the country in the first week or so of Super Rugby have been evidence of this…

• Fans allowed onto AMI Stadium post match round 1. (Don’t believe it was only AMI Stadiums initiative)
• Conrad Smith doing a half-time interview at the Cake-Tin just tonight. Eh?
• Blues coach Pat Lam appearing on Re-Union. A coach.
• Last night in Dunedin, 15-20 plain clothed eight year-olds sprinting around Carisbrook minutes before kick-off.
• Michael Jones doing something in a helicopter pre-Hurricanes v Blues week 1.
• Demanding that players (and refs) are more positive.

A fantastic start. Sky Sports could take a leaf out and scaffold these improvements:

1. Censor Grant Nisbett from using the words “fires the pass” or “fires it out to…”
2. Get rid of Willie Lose NOW
3. Send Ian Jones on a speech therapy course
4. Get more guys like Grant Fox who actually have a rugby brain
5. Charisma, sports callers with charisma

Back to the NZRU charm offensive. The old dog has shifted a little. The question is, will it last? I hope so. Though, I still can’t sit through a whole game of rugby. It’s alot better, but it’s still just too slow. Like watching grass grow.

Dual-use discovery

This week while teaching, I made a ‘dual use’ discovery in one of my Level 2 Economics classes.

Early on in the year we cover the basic concepts of Economics. Mostly Level 1 content; demand, supply, the market etc.
What better way to kick things off than use the Level 1 MAKEorBREAK games.

The same would apply to Level 2 Accounting.

Efficient and economical.

8 rules of courtesy

I was put onto Zeald by a friend this week and enjoyed reading their courtesy system [scroll].

Here they are:

“At Zeald.com, we have eight rules of courtesy that we follow. They are as follows:

1. Speak very politely using a person’s name – ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ as a minimum.
2. When you talk about a person who is not present, speak as if they are listening to your conversation. Use the person’s name in each sentence in which you refer to them.
3. If you have a problem with someone, talk about the problem only with him or her and in private.
4. Apologise and make restitution if someone is upset by your actions.
5. Greet and farewell everyone by name and with eye contact.
6. Blame a system not a person.
7. Tell the truth!
8. Use positive conversation.”

It’s great to see a company writing these into their ethos and not just relying on ‘manners’ or ‘the done thing’ to make them happen.

The result;

“By following this system of courtesy, we have developed an incredible team environment at Zeald.com. We have an amazing team of unique individuals that get on well with each other despite their vast differences and backgrounds. Moreover, we have an environment that is largely free of complicated politics, backstabbing and the various other unpleasant things that are common practice in many organisations. We are determined that this is not lost as the organisation continues to develop and grow.”

MAKEorBREAK? tips and tricks

When playing MAKEorBREAK? I’ve found it can be fun to add the odd ‘double-point score’ bonus from time to time.

Before I click on the next question I’ll simply call out “double-point score”.

There are conditions however…

If the player/team gets the question correct, then sure they can ‘MAKE’ two castles. But if they get it wrong they lose one castle. Simple!

The plan with MAKEorBREAK? is to keep it simple and flexible so you can have it your way!

Top 8 to remember

I’ve been considering a few market opportunities in the last couple of weeks. It’s been great to recall some of the biggest lessons i’ve learnt, alot of which can be summed up in posts i’ve either read or written.

It can be so easy to slip into the emotion of an idea or a product and forget about the simple rules of business success. Now I make a conscious decision to remind myself of these fundamentals before committing to an opportunity.

1. Marc Andreessen’s life changing (for me) post: Idea, Team, Market!
2. Don’t waste time caring about idea theft, patents, etc.
3. *Seth’s thoughts on protecting an idea
4. Remember your filter
5. Answer these 8 questions, I dare you!
6. Marketing Blah!
7. “If someone say’s ‘I’d pay for that’, then you are most probably onto something.” Business mentor
8. e-book: What I learnt from web-failure

When tradesman ‘go out on their own’

View the [awesomeness] of an email from a tradesman informing acquaintances he’s going out on his own (the full email is further below).

*Extra good bits bolded

“Subject: Need any building work done?

I am just emailing you to say that I am starting up my own building business on the 17th December.

So if you need building work done. I am the man you want to call.

At this stage I have a couple of days free before Christmas.  So if you need anything done before then. Get back to me soon.   First in first served.

In the new year I will still be around looking for work.  So if you have a kitchen, bathroom, addition, new house or maintenance you want done.  Call or Email me.

I can give you a fixed price quote on your building work.  Or I can work “charge up”.”

Full email:

I am just emailing you to say that I am starting up my own building business on the 17th December.

So if you need building work done. I am the man you want to call.

At this stage I have a couple of days free before Christmas.  So if you need anything done before then.  Get back to me soon.   First in first served.

In the new year I will still be around looking for work.  So if you have a kitchen, bathroom, addition, new house or maintenance you want done.  Call or Email me.

I can give you a fixed price quote on your building work.  Or I can work “charge up”.

My rates are
$45 an hr plus GST.
But if you live in the Porirua basin or Tawa its $42 an hr plus GST.

Feel free to forward this on to anyone needing building work done.
Look forward to hearing from you.

XXXXXXX XXXXX
xxxxxxxxx@gmail.com
(04) xxx xxxx
027x xxx xxxx