As I read, I love to highlight lines that stand out to me.  I shared a collection of quotes that resonated with me here.   The quotes below have jumped off their pages and into my mind, bouncing off the walls, making me come back to them over and over again.  I hope some of them resonate with you as well.

But this issue of “Who gets to ask the questions in class?” touches on purpose, power, control, and, arguably, even race and social class. – “A More Beautiful Question” by Warren Berger

For the last few years, one of the primary aspects of a classroom that stands out to me is who is doing the most talking.  I am constantly seeking ways that teachers allow the students to own their learning, through their speaking and writing.  This quote pushes my thinking into the inquiry work I did with a group of dedicated teachers, who were brave enough to turn the questioning over to their young students.

“Argue for your limitations and you get to keep them.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert in Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

Wow.  This strikes me every time I read it.  We can focus on our weaknesses, our limitations, forever.  Or we can celebrate our strengths and move towards something bigger and better!

“Captivated, invested readers make time to read.” ~ Donalyn Miller in Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

Another wow.  As I read this, though it resonated for me thinking about young readers in our schools, it also struck a chord as I thought about adult learners.  So often I think about the reading habits of the adults with whom I work, and now I wonder if anyone ever helped them cultivate lifelong reading habits.  I also wonder if we ever tap into what captivates our adult learners, ensuring they are invested in the reading that matters.

“In a dialogue, we must say what we think. However, advocacy without inquiry is anti-dialogical; it leads to a competition of wills where the loudest or most aggressive arguer wins.  Dialogue is a partnership activity in which two or more people communicate not to win, but to achieve mutual understanding.” ~ Jim Knight in Better Conversations: Coaching Ourselves and Each Other to be More Credible, Caring, and Connected

“Advocacy without inquiry is anti-dialogical.” I love this statement.  As an introvert, I often sit quietly in large group meetings, letting others battle it out to be heard over one another.  I marvel out the way some people skip the inquiry, or the listening, during what is supposed to be a dialogue.  I also marvel at those people who are able to do both so skillfully, listen with intent and engage in an equal dialogue that leads to greater understanding.

What quotes have resonated with you lately?