Author: 4ckn8

If we want to build students’ internal self-worth and help them get into the habit of evaluating their own choices, we might want to rethink the way in which we provide feedback. Just as I don’t want students making good choices out of fear of punishment, I also don’t want them doing the right thing out of an expectation of being praised. Though well intentioned, I believe we are too...

I believe too often we underestimate the power of our presence.  This weekend I was reminded that just as a person can get a feel for the climate of a room by walking into it, so too can one change the climate by doing the same.  I spent the last two days at the California Kindergarten Conference in Santa Clara with about 800 educators from around the state and beyond.  There was an...

And, we’re off. For many teachers tomorrow kicks off the second half of the school year. I find we usually get about a 24-hour reprieve before students come out of their vacation stupor and kick into full “game on” mode. I hope you enjoyed your break as much as I did and are ready for the adventure. As you head back I encourage you to put on your team jersey and not go at it alone. We know...

There is something incredible about being in community with others. Don’t believe me? Scan Facebook. You will see endless posts about time spent with families and friends over the holidays – cooking, traveling, shopping, watching football games, laughing. Even extroverts like me need some solitude, but hands down, connecting with others is the better deal. It has been a great Christmas...

Parents, although this should be of no surprise to you, be aware your children are being exposed to quite an array of real-world behaviors – and these behaviors are quite different from the ones you encountered at their age.  This became apparent to me when Marc Daniel, my third child was born.  His eyes were about as large as his head and he looked so incredibly innocent.  At that time...

I find behaviors, much like dirt, build up over time. One reaction leads to another, and before long ingrained patterns of unfortunate behaviors become the norm. Put another way, many of our behaviors become habits which are hard to break. Speaking of habits, I tried to break some ingrained eating patterns this week. For the most part I eat well, but a few times a year I re-evaluate my choices...

Perspective and attitude carry a great deal of weight when it comes to behavior.  I need to keep this in mind as I move into the month of December.  Of course my tendency is to speed up.  I work to “fit it all in” and “get it all done”.  Black Friday hits and it feels as though we all jump on a giant-sized hamster wheel racing toward the year’s end.  It is no wonder student behaviors run in...

I know I’m am stating the obvious – but behavior is complicated. Rarely are the surface behaviors we see as simple as we make them out to be. Unfortunately we don’t always know the back stories or issues people are dealing with that might trigger their behaviors. So we assume – and judge – and misinterpret. Yesterday, for my wife’s birthday, we spent 12 hours car shopping...

I confess. I have mixed feelings about this time of year. Though I love the months of November and December, it is a crazy busy time for educators: school programs, altered schedules, special activities, holiday celebrations, breaks…oh yeah, and then there’s the teaching part. My brain hurts just thinking about it. Sadly, as much as I love the upcoming holiday seasons, I don’t care for...

If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard a version of this situation I could have retired a long time ago. “A student in my third period class shuts down, calls me ‘evil’, and yells at me – but then he sees me at the grocery store or walks into class another day, gives me a big smile and tells me I’m the best teacher ever. That’s not normal. Is it?” Actually, yes. Yes, it is. Just...