This is an excellent article from Karen Young a psychologist and therapist in Australia. Her website focuses on strengthening the mental wellness of children and adolescents, and attracts millions of […]
In Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, Meg Murray feels very much alone. She has braces, glasses, and flyaway hair. She can’t seem to get anything right in school, where […]
This past school year I was the paraprofessional teacher in our local juvenile detention center. Our school was called a “Transition School” as we helped our students, who lacked a […]
A growing body of research is confirming that practicing gratitude enhances emotional and physical well-being. “The practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects in a person’s life,” said […]
“I could not stand being home doing homework because, like, I told you I was living with my best friend. So we had, like, 14 people in one house, and, […]
Excellent article from Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child. Remembering these keep points helps to keep all of us on track when working with young children. This article was originally […]
Everyone is capable of working through challenges and coping with stress. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from stress, adversity, failure, challenges, or even trauma. It’s not something that […]
Three weeks left until the end of school — and I can hardly wait! I feel what seems to be a weird mix of emotions: relieved (that we’re almost done), […]
John Lennon wrote “I Feel Fine” which was released as a single in 1964. “Fine” may have worked in the 60’s, but it doesn’t work as an emotion in the […]
The dancers in ballroom tango initially move across the floor through the flexing of the lower joints (hip, knee, ankle) while the feet are delayed, then the feet move quickly […]
We all know how to maintain our physical health and how to practice dental hygiene, right? We’ve known it since we were five years old. But what do we know about […]
Adolescence designates the teenage years between 13 and 19, and is typically seen as the transition period into early adulthood. However, the physical and psychological challenges of adolescence may begin […]
Robert (not his real name) was 17-years-old and was always angry. VERY ANGRY! His world had not been kind to him when he was growing up. Dad drank heavily and […]
Empathy is often defined as the ability to appropriately perceive and relate to the thoughts, emotions, or experiences of others. Empathy is a core factor in our work with students […]
This single question is immensely powerful. It exposes the individual’s hidden resources and can point to solutions to persistent problems. It asks the student to consider an alternate reality. Here’s […]
Research has shown that gratitude can improve general well-being, increase resilience, strengthen social relationships, and reduce stress and depression. Four years ago there was a death in my family, and a week later […]
Sure, this title sounds like a bad Halloween story, but let’s dig into it. Sometimes our students behave in ways that seem way beyond the size of the issue. There’s […]
This amazing short video is from our good friend Noemi Weiss. She showcases that what makes this school so different: they educate from the inside out. Take 4 minutes to […]
There are eight very common unpleasant feelings that most of us feel from time to time: sadness, shame, helplessness, anger, vulnerability, embarrassment, disappointment, and frustration. Each of these feelings make […]
I’m a paraprofessional working with high-school-age students inside our Juvenile Detention Center. I’ve never been a paraprofessional before, so when school started two weeks ago, it was a brand new […]
[This article is from Love and Logic — reprinted here with permission.] Many parents and educators struggle with feeling disrespected by their kids or students. Does this resonate with you? […]
Imagine that you have just entered the classroom and three students frantically approach you about the assignment you have given out yesterday. In your mind you are already saying, “Oh […]
Everyone falls into self-limiting beliefs sometimes. But with self-awareness and maybe a little nudging from a mentor or teacher, we can re-train our brains and create a Growth Mindset. With […]
The CLRS Approach fosters authenticity, genuine listening, and compassionate support so that students and staff uncover solutions to their problems, and find the relief and support that comes in sharing […]
We have written about the key elements of our CLRS Approach (Curiosity, Listen, Respect, and Support), and have provided in-depth information about Curiosity and Listening. Now I want to dive […]
In its simplest form, empathy is the ability to recognize emotions in others and to understand other people’s perspectives on a situation. Understanding others is more than just sensing other […]
Sometime before the COVID pandemic, we were leading a training session and a psychologist that was in the training stopped the conversation by saying, “Those are all bad, negative emotions. […]
We are living in an age of uncertainty. For educators, in particular, this uncertainty causes high levels of stress and anxiety as we move closer to the start of the […]
When we speak with groups, we always begin by asking people how they are feeling right in this moment, and to share that with the group. “How are you feeling […]
Whether it’s in the boardroom or the classroom, individuals need the skills to communicate, work in teams, and let go of the personal and family issues that get in the […]
During these (hopefully) waning days of COVID and the “promise” of a new year, you may be finding more opportunities to listen to friends, co-workers, or family members share their […]
[This article comes from PanormaEd.com] Educators have long understood the benefits of SEL. Yet, the national conversation about why students need social-emotional learning is more ubiquitous than ever in 2020-21. […]
We know that parents are the experts on their children. Yet, school district leaders know that effectively and equitably engaging families is far from simple. When families are engaged in […]
Columbo solved his mysteries by asking many questions; as all the great detectives have done – in real life as well as fiction. All the great inventors and scientists asked questions. Isaac Newton asked, “Why does an apple fall from a tree?” and, “Why does the moon not fall into the Earth?” Charles Darwin asked, “Why do the Galapagos islands have so many species not found elsewhere?”
The class of 2020 has graduated high school with little fanfare except for being shut-in at home with their brother and sisters. And when they look to their immediate futures, […]
We live in uncertain times. Maybe we always have. Maybe the “certainty” that we invented was just that — an invention in our own minds that may not have reflected […]
A few weeks back we were meeting with an educator that just a few hours before had noticed a child sitting alone and looking distraught. He took time out of his day to sit down for a minute and be curious about this young man.
I have been involved in discussion circles for about 5 years now, sometimes in schools with teens, sometimes with other adults in training settings, and I have enjoyed them all. […]
I recently had an engaging conversation with my cousin in New York and she was telling me about a shift in her business focus from plain old digital marketing and […]
A good open-ended question cannot be easily answered with one or two words. The classic “How was school today?” for example, is open-ended, but lends itself to be answered with […]
The Zula tribes of South Africa live in community and believe that every child, starting even before birth, is to be powerfully and ritually welcomed into the world. They are […]
When was the last time you listened? I mean, really listened. With no agenda to persuade. No desire to give advice. No desire to change the trajectory of the speaker by sharing your […]
Back in the 1960’s we had the Beatles and Woodstock, and a trend toward getting high through the use of drugs, especially hallucinogens such as marijuana and LSD. Today we […]
The developmental work of each teen is to cultivate an authentic identity that is socially acceptable. This is actually two separate, but related things. Teens are working hard to discover […]
Many people have either battled depression themselves or know someone who has. The unfortunate truth is that so much of the hectic, competitive, and isolating culture we live in contributes […]
