Mike Matthews

My thoughts after 63 years on this planet on family, public education, cooking, and life.


LATEST POST

Birthdays: Don’t Love Them, Can’t Live Without Them

I turned 63 years old this week. I’m quite good with it. As they say, it’s way better than the alternative! I decided to share some random birthday thoughts in this post, so here we go. When the ground shifts, I’ve found the best thing to do is to be of service. Go where the […]

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Throwing Spaghetti at the Wall

March 1, 2025

Tom Peters, a famous writer on business and management, wrote, “If you’re not confused, you’re not paying attention.” Well, based on my level of confusion, I can confidently report that the good news is that I am paying attention. I have never been more dazed and confused. I think that is what this administration wants. […]


Looking Up for Inspiration

February 16, 2025

I found myself mesmerized by the heavy rains we experienced here in Los Angeles on Thursday. It’s been a while since we’ve had a real rain. I was reminded of some kindergarten students I witnessed when I was visiting an elementary school back in 2017. It started pouring rain, and all of the kindergarten kids […]


Is DEI Really to Blame for . . . Everything ?

February 2, 2025

The last time I wrote a post about political influences on education was back in 2021 when I wrote a post about Critical Race Theory (CRT). I was a school superintendent that year, and I vividly recall getting phone calls and emails from parents asking about CRT – I had to look it up in […]




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BOOKSHELF

Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again

Johann Hari 2022
Read: 2023
Education/Leadership, Non-Fiction, Reading Now

My friend Jenn loaned me this book. That means I read it as a paperback, instead of Kindle-ing it. I read less than 10% of my books in hard copy. This was a perfect one to choose to be part of that 10%. This is a book about why we are distracted, and the forces […]

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Eckhart Tolle 2010
Read: 2022
Non-Fiction, Reading Now

I’m not sure why I haven’t added this book until now. I’ve been reading it and re-reading it for years, and it has helped me through many a stressful time. I love the references to all of the world’s major religions. The main premise is rather Buddhist in nature, seeking the end of suffering through […]

The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self

Michael Easter 2021
Read: 2024
Non-Fiction, Reading Now, Spirtuality

After I wrote my blog post on doing something that sucks everyday, my sister-in-law Libby recommended that I read this book. It was an outstanding recommendation. Michael Easter does a wonderful job of telling the story of a highly challenging hunting trip to Alaska, weaving in research on how we 21st century humans have it […]

Getting Things Done

David Allen 2001
Read: 2011
Non-Fiction, Reading Now

When I started teaching at age 22, with just two large classes in a high powered high school, I had great ideas. About 10% of my great ideas turned out to be pretty good lesson plans. But behind all of the ideas, there was a jumble. I struggled to keep up with all of the […]


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