Michael Guzder, Special to Gulf News

Michael Guzder is Senior Vice-President of Education at GEMS and a former Principal.

Articles from the author

The world has enough experts. It needs more thinkers

We have more knowledge and advice than ever, but good judgment still requires patience

In a world full of experts, the rarest skill is not more knowledge — but clearer thinking.

The conversations leaders cannot afford to avoid

Honest feedback, delivered with clarity and care, builds trust instead of damaging it

Feedback is never only about words. It is tone, body language , facial expression, timing, restraint, and presence.

Why do we stop asking questions as we grow up?

Curiosity defines childhood — but adulthood slowly replaces questions with certainty

Children are not embarrassed by what they do not know and uncertainty does not trouble them.

When holidays meant leaving everything behind

There was a time when switching off wasn't a choice - it was simply life

On train journeys during the holidays there were no headphones, no screens, no private world to slip into. Just the compartment, the delays, and everyone in it together.

The three words we need to say more often

Why ‘I don’t know’ may be the most honest starting point for learning

Sometimes, real learning begins with the courage to simply say: “I don’t know.”

Have we stopped noticing? The people we rarely thank

In a fast-moving world, gratitude begins with paying attention to those around us

A good leader notices people who greet every morning without recognition - the rickshaw puller, the cook or the watchman.

We don’t always learn from people we admire

Some of life’s most valuable lessons come from contrast rather than inspiration

The clearest lessons are not always about aspiration — they come from contrast, and from patterns we choose not to repeat.

The quiet power of choice in an always-on world

Why not every message, interruption or moment of urgency deserves immediate attention

When everything receives an immediate answer, everything begins to feel the same. Importance flattens, urgency blurs, and over time attention spreads too thin to hold anything properly.

The marks you’re upset about are someone else’s dream

Board exam results now carry far more than academic meaning in a competitive world

Marks open doors, shape direction, and influence opportunity, but they also begin, quietly and almost invisibly, to define worth in ways that extend far beyond the classroom.

Beyond the classroom: What students truly need to learn

Knowledge still matters — but knowing how to use it matters more

Classrooms are changing. Learning is becoming more inquiry-led and connected, with less emphasis on repetition and more on understanding.

Pages that remember, rooms that listened

How wedding albums turned memories into shared experiences

Between laughter, faded edges, bell-bottoms, and puffed sleeves, the wedding album was more than photographs. It was a witness to beginnings, a keeper of stories, a space where past and present met.

What regret can you live with?

Choosing courage over comfort in every life-changing decision

Regret is part of life. The real question is not how to avoid regret - it is which regret you are willing to carry.

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