Educating kids is rewarding. But it's also exhausting and challenging. Sometimes we give so much of our energy to our students and kids that we forget to take care of ourselves. We burn and burn until we our passion is about to extinguish. When that happens, no one wins. One of my greatest learnings as … Continue reading The Burnout Cure Giveaway!
One Happiness Practice You Need to Try…Now
My dad is a stoic man, hardened by a blue collar upbringing. Thirty-plus years of working construction made his hands and his personality calloused and sinewy. He's prone to show joy after a few drinks and anger after minor annoyances. I've seen him cry twice. The first time, he took a baseball straight to the … Continue reading One Happiness Practice You Need to Try…Now
Time for a Conversational Diet
My conversations might be making me ill. At least that was my thought after my friend Weston posted this: The quote stuck with me as I thought about my consumption: What articles did I spend my time reading? What social media posts did I hover over? Most of all, I thought, "What conversations do I … Continue reading Time for a Conversational Diet
Why Teens Don’t Talk to Us
"My friend told me I should talk to you. I'm really struggling and I didn't know who else to talk to..." Frequently, students come to my room, starting conversations like this. Some of them I have in class. Some I've never met. I work with them after school or during their lunch, listening to their … Continue reading Why Teens Don’t Talk to Us
Stop Hoarding Emotions: Become a Goodness Curator Instead
My wife once pulled a human tooth from her pocket. For a split-second, I thought she was a serial killer who finally let her evidence slip (I watch too much t.v., I know). Then I remembered that: a.) she was a 2nd grade teacher and b.) she often helps students pull their loose teeth.While she felt … Continue reading Stop Hoarding Emotions: Become a Goodness Curator Instead
Are you a mentor or a de-mentor?
There is no shortage of articles and musings on the issue of teacher burnout. Why can't we gain and retain quality teachers? Low pay. Little respect. Testing. Classes wrought with internal and external malaise: apathetic students, dated facilities, finger-wagging parents, administrators, and legislatures all getting speared with blame. I can attest to many of these … Continue reading Are you a mentor or a de-mentor?
We Have a Problem with Alternative Education, and We Need to Talk About It
Educate every child. That is the audacious aim of American education. Sometimes I marvel at our commitment to that aim. Other times, that pursuit seems overwhelming, given the diverse learners in any and every classroom. But, no matter how daunting the task, we go into education wanting every child to succeed. Or do we sometimes … Continue reading We Have a Problem with Alternative Education, and We Need to Talk About It
Essential Questions for 13 Reasons Why
If you work with teenagers (or parent one) you've probably heard of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why, a series based on Jay Asher's book of the same title. It's that show everyone seems to be talking about. The gist, if you haven't seen the series or read the book, is this: A teenager, Hannah Baker, takes … Continue reading Essential Questions for 13 Reasons Why
Let the writing begin . . .
Many people know that I'm an avid "bucket lister." The list, which I started 8 years ago, has pushed me to take risks, prioritize, and never lose sight of my passions. Soon, I will get a chance to check off one of the most daunting items on my list: #5: Publish a book. Since September, … Continue reading Let the writing begin . . .
A Call to Help Students Find Purpose
The simplified story is that one of my students cried after I made her pick up garbage for a day. The real story goes more like this: Each trimester, I take my students on a service learning field trip. We spend a morning volunteering at a local homeless shelter. In the afternoon, students pick up … Continue reading A Call to Help Students Find Purpose
