Author: 4ckn8

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...

The fine art of patiently waiting is a challenge for a great number of kids and adults. Please understand, I include myself in this group. Truth be known, I think I was better at the skill when I was younger – but then again, I had more practice waiting than I do now. Each year our family would pile into our station wagon and drive from Louisiana to Colorado for our annual vacation. And...

I think it happens more often than not. We get overly focused on one thing and fail to see the bigger picture of what is at play – or at least that is what I believe happens with teachers when it comes to understanding the impact of our work. It was my second year presenting the opening evening session at the Oregon Educational Association’s fall conference, and though my message was...

Ever notice how you can walk into a school or classroom and get a feel for the climate without anyone saying a word? Every individual has the opportunity to contribute to the overall emotional climate of the school. This can be positive or negative, depending on the choices adults make. One of the best ways to positively influence the climate around you is to focus on having positive...

People often make me smile – sometimes, so much so that I write a blog about them. This was the case for an airline employee I encountered several years ago. Randomly, I thought about her earlier this week when I was at the airport, so I took it as a sign and found the blog to repost:...

If there is one lesson adults need to teach children it is the idea that they don’t always get what they want. Disappointments throughout life are inevitable, so the more we can help children understand this concept when they are young, the better. Sadly, some very well-intentioned adults don’t always see how their parenting or discipline styles works against this concept. On my plane ride...

I wish I could say it was an uneventful day, but this was definitely not the case.  As part of my normal weekend ritual I was watering the plants on my front patio when two cars rounded the corner and zipped past our home.  Though I did notice the loud music and obscenities streaming out of the second vehicle, I really didn’t think twice about it until the cars were just out of my sight and I...

It was just one of the numerous comments I heard from teachers throughout the week about nature’s perfect storm: “If we make it out alive, I think we should get combat pay for having to teach on Friday the thirteenth during a full moon.”   In addition to discussions, Facebook memes stirred up a hyper-focus on the escalated behaviors kids were sure to exhibit.  Not surprisingly, many students...

Disagreeing appropriately – it’s an important social skill, but at times, one that seems on the verge of extinction. Adults and kids alike struggle to master the concept. Fortunately, I had a great discussion with strangers earlier this week and was given a glimmer of hope. After a long flight I sat down in a crammed airport restaurant. With one man on my left, another on my right, and a TV...