Dads, today I celebrate you as teachers. In fact, I believe it is one of your most important roles. Fathers are always teaching, mostly by example, and most of the time without even knowing they are doing so. In this regard, I have seen some masterful work. I have witnessed dads teach empathy, self-control, humility, determination, and gentleness – all through modeled behaviors....

Quite often the inspiration for my blog hits on Sunday mornings when I sit down to write. However this week the seed was planted early and continued to take root and grow. I was reminded how much our behaviors are influenced by our surroundings and habitual attitudes. My wife and I spent a great three days at Niagara Falls this week. The landscape was amazing, the history was inspiring, and...

“The only person who likes change is a wet baby.” This quote from Mark Twain seems appropriate given the changes occurring at home as another school year ends. Parents, we’re lucky. Our kids have had nine months of consistency thanks to the hard work of many teachers. We just need to follow their leads and not blow it. Although students are taking a break from the typical school schedule...

Teachers, you are probably running on fumes. It has been a very challenging year and one that has taken a toll on your physical, emotional and mental health. Of course, you might not consciously be aware of it because your brain and body are still in “go” mode – and when you are moving full steam ahead, you don’t always see what’s happening underneath your hood. For the past six...

What languages do you speak?  When working with kids, there are exponential subgroups from which to choose – toddlers, tweens, hyper boys, babies, and the ever-so-scary-and-dramatic, teenage girls.  I feel confident many problems between adults and children arise simply because we don’t understand the vernacular of our kids.  This problem becomes more pronounced as we get older.  (I, for...

Teachers, now is a great time to remember the virtue of patience.  As you already know, it is quite normal to see an increase in the number of crazy behaviors around this time of the year.  With summer approaching, students sense their routines will soon change, and for some this change causes stress and anxiety. This is especially the case for students who deal with a lot of change in their...

It’s Mother’s Day – and the end of Teacher Appreciation Week.  This seems appropriate since most teachers play the role of surrogate mom about 180 days per year.  Teachers nurture, support, encourage, provide boundaries, model, listen, and teach.  These aren’t their only jobs, but if you just look at the traits, it is hard to distinguish whether you are describing teachers or mothers....

  This week I was reminded of a former student. He had significant behavior issues. Every day he told us how much he hated school, how he didn’t like us, and how he wanted to be somewhere else. Yet oddly enough, when the end of the day arrived, we couldn’t get him to leave the building to board the bus home. It was at a meeting for this child that I got some insight into his world. He had...

Are you familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? This theory highlights our need for physical and emotional safety. Included in a lower ring of needs are “love, acceptance, and freedom from fear.” Sadly, it took me many years of parenting to learn that although I treated it as such, “good behavior” is not part of Maslow’s hierarchy.   As a parent, I had a proclivity for addressing...

Up for a new adventure? I’m thinking about pitching a new television reality series: Survivor: The Classroom. Contestants are divided into tribes and individually placed in classrooms abounding with students and their varying cognitive and behavioral challenges. With minimal supplies, hit-or-miss bathroom and lunch breaks, and sporadic support from outside resources, participants compete to...