My perspective is my reality, which is often the source of my problems.  Of course, I’m very good at seeing things my way.  I’ve had over 50 years of practice doing so.  Unfortunately, I forget the same holds true for others.  Differing perspectives, without some degree of empathy or understanding, often breeds hostility.  My second born son taught me this lesson. Micah once told me, “When I’m...

“What do you want to be when grow up?” Apparently, my answer was always the same. “I want to be a dad.” This is what my mom told me I said when I was young – and it doesn’t surprise me at all. For as long as I can remember I wanted a large family. Four boys and many years later, my love for being a parent hasn’t changed. Mind you, it’s hasn’t always been easy, but most definitely...

Ever have a bad week?  That pretty much describes my recent history.  A lot of negatives took up residence in my headspace.  I was a grumpy monkey.  And I’m confident that since I didn’t enjoy the experience, others probably didn’t find my disposition that pleasant either. I spent the first part of the week nursing a pulled muscle in my lower back.  It’s amazing how interconnected our bodies...

For most, school’s out for summer.  Was that a collective sigh of relief, I heard?  Yes – now is the time for educators to take a well-deserved break from school, paperwork, students, and the administrative duties that often overwhelm and consume us.  Summer’s gift is our chance to step away and disconnect. Of course, the “yin” of disconnecting from work comes with the “yang” of...

As another school year ends, now is a great time for educators to celebrate successes.  However, the problem with doing so is that we don’t always see the results of our labor right away.  Oftentimes our efforts are laying a foundation or simply adding to the work of other teachers.  And since our end goal is to develop healthy, well-adjusted, educated kiddos who can transition into adulthood...

Teachers, the winds of change are blowing, ushering in summer and all manner of crazy and challenging behaviors. Though our students might not be able to articulate it in words, they sense the upcoming changes and are reacting as expected. Routines help ground us. When we get in the habit of doing things a certain way our brains can predict and anticipate what’s coming. This helps us feel safe...

The day a teacher becomes a mom she is forever changed. Because from this point forward she can’t help but see her own students through the eyes of both parent and teacher. This does not mean she accepts things like poor behavior or disorganization, but by having a dual perspective she automatically approaches and responds to these types of situations differently. Moms want teachers to see the...

Do you know any odd birds? Individuals in your life who you love, even though some of their behaviors can be unique and challenging? Or are you like me, the person who at times can relate to being that odd bird? Either way, there are lessons to be learned from this. I’ve spent the last week with family and friends on our annual beach vacation in Galveston, Texas. We started this tradition over...

It’s crunch time in schools right now, as many educators wait on results from their standardized tests. This got me to thinking; I find it fascinating and disturbing how much emphasis we place on paper/pencil evaluations in the school system when most job-related assessments are performance-based. I was one of those students for whom this misplaced emphasis caused huge challenges. I never...

Teachers, don’t feed the beast called drama.  In the spring semester it’s easy to be overtaken by the emotional climate of the school. Everyone is “on edge” and this can bring out the worst behaviors in even the calmest of individuals. The problem is that survival emotions bring out the survival emotions in others. And this type of negative energy can “suck the marrow right out of the bone”...