Issue #136, 14th February 2023
What is your kryptonite? In the world of Superman, there is an alien material that has the property of depriving Superman of his powers. For eg. for those of us who want to control snacking, watching TV at night is kryptonite. For those of us who like to spend time learning new things, having friends who want to party every evening might be kryptonite. Kryptonite’s power is detrimental. If it can stop Superman’s powers, it can stop you, your student, or your child from living out your/their vision.
So, what is your child/student’s kryptonite? What weakens their resolve, strategy, and commitment? What can be done about it? Here are some strategies to teach self-management and learning how to learn and keep at it as lifelong learners.
Three Images of the Week



Two Thoughts of the Week
The highest possible stage in moral culture is recognizing that we ought to control our thoughts.” Charles Darwin
“Self-control – what lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.” Aristotle
One Video of the Week
Heidi is a passionate advocate for excellent education for younger children. She believes in an education that preserves the integrity of childhood, capitalizes on children’s natural curiosity, and respects them as competent learners. While what children learn is essential, equally important is how they learn. Heidi Ashton is an international educator with many years of experience. She is the PYP Coordinator at International Preparatory School in Mapou. She is Canadian by birth but has spent most of her adult life living overseas, having previously worked in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.
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This newsletter is supported by the following:
Issue #135, 7th February 2023
It is the season of Love 🙂 Valentine’s day is not to be missed for the marketing is on overdrive after 2 years of pandemic-induced distancings andseparations. As an educator and teacher trainer, loving students and teachers and teaching them to love learning, by teaching what they love are what I love. Here are many ways to love learning and learners, try some of them out for yourselves whether you are a student, teacher, or parent.
Love my newsletter? Share it with others you love and subscribe by putting your email down here.
Three Images of the Week



Two Thoughts of the Week
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”
― Henry Ford
“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”
― Albert Einstein
One Video of the Week
An avid learner and enthusiastic teacher, Sam Lau talks about his experience with the advent of Massive Open Online Courses and how education has shaped his goals and mindset. He challenges his listeners to make the most out of every opportunity by looking for ways to learn and teach.
Sam Lau is a Whitney High School graduate and a current first-year at UC Berkeley studying computer science and education. In his search for new things to learn and teach, Sam hopes to continue growing both as a student and an educator.
He is currently a TA for an introductory computer science course at Cal and is bringing a popular computer science course from Berkeley to Cerritos this summer. Sam enjoys biking, eating, and learning new things!
Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.
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This newsletter is supported by the following:
Issue #134, 31st January 2023
Fear. What is the worse that can happen? What are your worst fears? Have you overcome any of your fears? Have you helped your student or child overcome their fear of any particular thing as a parent or teacher? What was your method of doing so? Here are some thoughts and tips on understanding and overcoming your fears and helping others around you to do so as well. Check them out. Don’t miss the three-step process suggested in the video of the day. If you enjoy what you are finding in my weekly newsletter for parents, educators and students, please go ahead and subscribe by putting in your email here.
Three Images of the Week



Two Thoughts of the Week
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
–Dale Carnegie
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
–Eleanor Roosevelt
One Video of the Week
Often called “The New Einstein,” Olympia LePoint is best known for her role as an award-winning rocket scientist, science entertainer, and educator driving to help people overcome fear.
As an internationally-recognized science leader, LePoint helped launch NASA’s Endeavour, Discovery, Columbia, and Atlantis Space Shuttles. She successfully helped launch 28 Space Shuttle Missions into Space. She won The 2004 Boeing Company Professional Excellence Award and The 2003 Engineer of the Year “Modern Day Technology Leader” Award.
Mathaphobia: How You Can Overcome Your Math Fears and Become a Rocket Scientist is her debut self-help, an educational book designed to empower adults and help students ace STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education.
As CEO of OL Consulting Corporation, LePoint publishes educational books and executive produces Science TV shows. With her extensive experience as a math professor, LePoint educates in person and through the media. As a top-five graduate, LePoint holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics, and a Master of Science Degree in Applied Mathematics from California State University Northridge.
LePoint advises for educational PBS TV programming with Wind Dancer Films, coaches through keynote speeches and workshops, and is a media personality for TV, Radio, News Publications, and Social Media outlets.
Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.
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This newsletter is supported by the following:
Issue #133, 24th January 2023
What is your idea of choice? Is it an innate human desire? Do you like to make your own choices? Does your success or failure depend on what choices you make? Are your choices always individual? When our choices are directed or limited by any other person – eg. parents or teachers for students, how does it impact the outcome? Ready to think? How about sharing some of your experiences of yourself and that of your child/student with me and other readers.
Three Images of the Week



Two Thoughts of the Week
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
‘I don’t much care where -‘ said Alice.
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.
‘- so long as I get SOMEWHERE,’ Alice added as an explanation.
‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
One Video of the Week
Sheena Iyengar studies how we make choices — and how we feel about the choices we make. At TEDGlobal, she talks about both trivial choices (Coke v. Pepsi) and profound ones, and shares her groundbreaking research that has uncovered some surprising attitudes about our decisions.
Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.
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This newsletter is supported by the following:
Issue #132, 17th January 2023
Feedback – to give, is as tricky as it is to receive. Feedback from a teacher to student, from a parent to child, and from a student to teacher? from child to parent? from peers and to peers? from supervisor to juniors or juniors to a supervisor? is it one way… is it two ways… is it always to be evidence-based? is it feelings based? is it to be discussed and formative? or just given and summative? What are your thoughts and experiences on feedback, I would love to hear them? As an educator, administrator, school advisor, and parent counselor I have worked through the feedback processes over the years and would like to learn from your experiences and thoughts.
Please comment, share and subscribe to the newsletter by your email here.
Three Images of the Week



Two Thoughts of the Week
– Ken Blanchard
– Mark Twain
One Video of the Week
Nick Coles is a primary school teacher based in Peterborough. The school he works in recently made the national press when they decided to ‘scrap marking’ and instead focus on developing a more child-centered form of verbal feedback. The decision was taken by the school due to the fact that the process of marking had often become a demoralizing task for the teachers and an unhelpful form of feedback for pupils. Conferencing was introduced as the alternative – every child would spend 1:1 time with their teacher discussing their work. The process has proved successful so far and has been met with a positive reception from pupils who feel that they now better understand their learning.
Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.
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This newsletter is supported by the following:
Issue #131, 10th January 2023
Do you know what is your comfort zone? Your students’? your child’s? How often do you step out of it? help and encourage your student/child to move out of their comfort zone? shift gear to move into the learning zone? take a chance, risk failing while trying, feel the unease, a bit of panic perhaps? Remember the popular 2020 Hindi song by Sukhwinder Singh… “Darr ke aagey jeet hai…”
Psychologist Lev Vygotsky’s much-talked-about theory of sociocultural cognitive development, ZPD – Zone of Proximal Development – when you move just a bit out of your comfort zone, when you are just a bit short on resources, just a bit short of help that you need to step, just a bit nervous to try… learning begins. Comfort is not a bad thing. The point of learning and education is to expand the comfort zone continually, all through, being a lifelong learner.
Here are some thoughts and tips. Go ahead, take a chance this new year and navigate from comfort to learning. Join me in my learning journey, we can do it together. Subscribe and comment on this weekly newsletter on various aspects of learning. Of being a parent, student, and teacher.
Three Images of the Week



Two Thoughts of the Week
“Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”
― Helen Keller
One Video of the Week
What risk would you take to learn, grow, or change something in your world? In 2012, Victor embarked upon an unconventional journey to design his Masters through twelve experiences in twelve months – an endeavor he and his friends entitled The Leap Year Project. His discoveries led him to explore new forms of higher education through an initiative called Experience Institute. But, more importantly, it helped him grapple with the roles that comfort, learning, and panic play throughout our lives.
Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.
And Finally…

This newsletter is supported by the following:
Issue #130, 3rd January 2023
Life is the story we tell ourselves. Right? Meaning, balance, and joy are what I wish for myself, my family, my friends, and my greater circle of readers. If you are looking for a fresh start as a student, teacher, or parent, here are a few tips that might be helpful for you. Don’t miss the powerful story in the video of today’s issue for managing the transition in life. Check out the Lifequake matrix he has worked out and shares in the video quite evocatively. It might come in handy for you or anyone you know.
Enjoy this newsletter? go ahead and subscribe to continue your fun learning journey with me.
Three Images of the Week



Two Thoughts of the Week
“Every day is a new opportunity to begin again. Every day is your birthday.” —Dalai Lama
“You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So get on your way!” —Dr. Seuss
One Video of the Week
Bruce Feiler, the author of seven New York Times best-sellers, has long explored the stories that give our lives meaning. Galvanized by a personal crisis, he crisscrossed the United States, collecting the life stories of hundreds of Americans who’d been through major life changes, or “lifequakes” as he calls them. In this timely, uplifting talk, he offers powerful, detailed strategies to rebuild our lives in times of uncertainty and transform them into periods of growth and renewal. BRUCE FEILER is the author of seven New York Times best-sellers; the presenter of two prime-time series on American television; and the inspiration for the drama Council of Dad on NBC. Bruce’s two TED Talks have been viewed more than two million times. Employing a firsthand approach to his work, Bruce is known for living the experiences he writes about. His work combines timeless wisdom with timely knowledge turned into practical, positive messages that allow people to live with more meaning, passion, and joy. His new book, Life is in the transitions: Mastering Change at any age, describes his journey across America, collecting hundreds of life stories, and exploring how we can navigate the growing number of life transitions with greater purpose and skill. The book was a Top 10 New York Times bestseller.
Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.
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This newsletter is supported by the following:
Issue #129, 27th December 2022
It has been a very busy year and I am looking forward to another busy one. I like high octave, high activity, high output, high engagement… for I always think carpe diem, seize the day. However, the end of the year is a good time to put a halt on all that and do some self-reflection. After all, it is quite the practice for educators to plan their lesson, go through executing the lesson plan as diligently as possible, include deviations, and at the end of the unit, jot down their reflections as a feed-forward.
Here are 5 questions that I am reflecting on. What are yours?
2. What were some of the best or worst moments of this year?
3. Which of my current habits will help me in short-medium-long term goals?
4. Which relationships helped me become a better version of myself?
5. What will I do less/more next year?
Happy New Year dear readers. Looking forward to learning-teaching with each of you in 2023. You can participate in my learning journey by subscribing to this free newsletter with your email.
Three Images of the Week



Two Thoughts of the Week
“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom,” says Francis Bacon.
“A man must find time for himself. Time is what we spend our lives with. If we are not careful we find others spending it for us. . . . It is necessary now and then for a man to go away by himself and experience loneliness; to sit on a rock in the forest and to ask of himself, ‘Who am I, and where have I been, and where am I going?’ . . . If one is not careful, one allows diversions to take up one’s time—the stuff of life.”
― Carl Sandburg
One Video of the Week
Maria sees her secret to improvement and success as being reflective. Although self-reflection requires patience and introspection and is sometimes uncomfortable, it can be productive and serve as a concrete way of attaining one’s full potential. Maria is a grade eleven student in her first year of the IB DP program. Originally from Russia, Maria grew up in Tashkent, but moves periodically between Virginia, USA and Tashkent. She identifies as an ethnic Russian-Korean, part of the group of Koreans that were resettled in Central Asia during the 1920’s-30s.
She loves to golf, read fantasy fiction novels, and watch anime. In her free time, she likes to sleep, and write her own fiction stories. As a teenager, suddenly, on the brink of being thrown into a world of adulthood and leaving home, she recognizes the simultaneously scary and anxious experience for both herself and her friends. For that reason, she finds one of the best ways of coping with and facing new challenges to be the small quiet, contemplative moments of momentary self-reflection on long car rides, and solitary golf games. She hopes to share her passion for the limitless possibilities of continuous improvement through self-reflection with her friends and audience.
Showcase of the week
Have you ever wondered…What will teaching look like in 2030? 🤔
As CENTA is turning 8 🥳, CENTA is launching its global initiative, ‘The Future of Teaching’, through 4 online events in the week. 📱
Join in to ask questions at these events❓, vote in polls ✍🏻, and give your views 💬… AND raise your hand 🙌🏻 – you could get selected to join the live online stage and share your views! Parts of these will feed into a global publication 🔖 to be released post-June 2023 and shared with policy-makers, industry leaders, media, and more.
As a CENTA Master trainer, I would look forward to your active participation in this journey – beginning with the events in the coming week! 💫
Here’s the registration form, use coupon code NM10 to get a 10%discount on your registration amount: https://m.centa.org/pwa/tq_registration/TPO/new/0/outside?_ga=2.17552889.1971720538.1662956587-1663591830.1660621246
More details here:
https://centa.org/tpo2022/embed/#?secret=7k8AtVvXDE#?secret=vMFExG4XuI

Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.
And Finally…

This newsletter is supported by the following:
Issue #128, 20th December 2022
Why is it so hard to stay resolute on a resolution? Do you make one? Have you ever made one? Would you like to make one?
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year dear students, parents, and teachers. Let me know how did it go this year if you made a resolution and if you are planning to make another… you have some more time to go before we roll out of this year and ring in the new. Here are some tips for you.
Three Images of the Week



Two Thoughts of the Week
Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account. Oscar Wilde
Don’t make resolutions without an action plan.
The secret to success is right in your hands.
J. Allen Shaw
One Video of the Week
Getting up in the morning to workout on January second is pretty easy, but why does it become more difficult as the year continues? In this dynamic presentation, Adithya explores the science behind motivation.
Adithya Chakravarthy is a Grade 11 student at the University of Toronto Schools. At his school, Adithya is a senior executive in the Speech and Debate Society. Since grade 9, he has debated in tournaments across North America and Europe. He is also one of leading Indian Classical Vocalists in North America and has performed in venues across the globe.
He has won various music awards including the Carnatic Music Idol USA Junior Title. Adithya’s public speaking and debate performances have helped strengthen his persuasion skills. His TEDx talk will be focusing on ways people can motivate themselves to complete various tasks even when they struggle to find the drive necessary. When Adithya isn’t debating or leading a club, you will likely find him reading a science fiction novel or watching cooking shows.
Showcase of the week
Have you ever wondered…What will teaching look like in 2030? 🤔
As CENTA is turning 8 🥳, CENTA is launching its global initiative, ‘The Future of Teaching’, through 4 online events in the week. 📱
Join in to ask questions at these events❓, vote in polls ✍🏻, give your views 💬… AND raise your hand 🙌🏻 – you could get selected to join the live online stage and share your views! Parts of these will feed into a global publication 🔖 to be released post June 2023 and shared with policy-makers, industry leaders, media, and more.
As a CENTA Master trainer, I would look forward to your active participation in this journey – beginning with the events in the coming week! 💫
Here’s the registration form, use coupon code NM10 to get a 10%discount on your registration amount: https://m.centa.org/pwa/tq_registration/TPO/new/0/outside?_ga=2.17552889.1971720538.1662956587-1663591830.1660621246
More details here:
https://centa.org/tpo2022/embed/#?secret=7k8AtVvXDE#?secret=vMFExG4XuI

Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.
And Finally…

This newsletter is supported by the following:
Issue #127, 13th December 2022
What is your life’s purpose?
I asked myself these 5 questions this weekend, to summarise my year, my work, and my purpose – I am an education advisor to schools and higher education institutions so that they can become more enriched, engaged, and happy teaching-learning communities.
It is the end of the year and a great time to reflect on your life’s purpose dear educators and parents, school administrators, and owners of educational institutions. Go ahead, you can ask yourself these questions to have a better understanding of your life and work’s purpose. I am sharing here a few tips for summarising your year’s story as well. While we all teach our students how to summarise stories and literary or scientific texts, it is also a learned skill to be able to summarise our day, our month, and our year… a good tool to be able to reflect upon and move with purpose towards the next story, next year, creating more meaningful lives for ourselves and helping those around us to be more purposeful and intentional.
Three Images of the Week



Two Thoughts of the Week
“A simple summary of my life is that my parents worked very hard so that I could have a great education, and I took that education and worked very hard to get where I am. I would like my kids’ lives to be exactly the same. ” Guy Kawasaki
“Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have. “Louis E. Boone
One Video of the Week
Adam Leipzig has overseen more than 25 movies as a producer, executive, and distributor. He has produced more than 300 stage plays and live events, and he was one of the founders of the Los Angeles Theatre Center.
AdamLeipzig.com
Showcase of the week
Have you ever wondered…What will teaching look like in 2030? 🤔
As CENTA is turning 8 🥳, CENTA is launching its global initiative, ‘The Future of Teaching’, through 4 online events in the week. 📱
Join in to ask questions at these events❓, vote in polls ✍🏻, give your views 💬… AND raise your hand 🙌🏻 – you could get selected to join the live online stage and share your views! Parts of these will feed into a global publication 🔖 to be released post June 2023 and shared with policy-makers, industry leaders, media, and more.
As a CENTA Master trainer, I would look forward to your active participation in this journey – beginning with the events in the coming week! 💫

Here’s the registration form, use coupon code NM10 to get a 10%discount on your registration amount: https://m.centa.org/pwa/tq_registration/TPO/new/0/outside?_ga=2.17552889.1971720538.1662956587-1663591830.1660621246
More details here:
Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.
And Finally…

This newsletter is supported by the following: