This week I was reminded that behaviors are triggered by feelings. Excitement, frustration, stress, euphoria, overload and exhaustion represent some of the emotional states I encountered. Presentations cancelled due to Covid, (sorry, Kearney Nebraska) flight changes, recordings, deadlines, new puppy fun, changes in the weather, paperwork – my cup runneth over. Sadly, I’m not alone. For...

The way students enter our classrooms each day matters a lot.  Ever wake up feeling grumpy? tired? anxious?  Our morning emotional state can negatively impact the trajectory of our entire day.  So, to interrupt this pattern it’s important for teachers to have positive start-of-class rituals.  Need a simple strategy yielding continuous benefits?  Assign the daily role of Class Greeter to your...

A fresh start. A clean slate. A new beginning. Kicking off a new semester affords us the opportunity to strengthen our skills, sharpen our saws, and adjust our attitudes. What’s your New Year’s resolution? Every year something happens and I find myself wanting a “redo” button. I wish I had handled a situation differently, treated a child better, or just kept a better...

“What do you want for Christmas this year?” It’s a simple sentence I have uttered numerous times in my years as a parent. When I ask this innocuous question, I have good intentions. However, if my goal is to raise selfless and grateful children, I might be doing more harm than good. When our children are very young, shopping is easy.  We look for fun gifts and our kids are happy opening them....

Parenting is hard. For some reason we tend to see all the flaws, mistakes, and problems of our children – and accordingly, our natural inclination is to “fix” them. Sadly, when we try to fix the problems, we miss out on the gifts they possess, as well as the teachable moments they afford us. When I take a break from teaching and fixing, I realize I have much to learn from my...

Before diving back into teaching tomorrow, remember that the weeks leading up to a holiday break often bring out the good, the bad, and the ugly.  The good is evidenced in the overall holiday mood, gift-giving generosity, programs and celebrations.  However, these same factors can also contribute to escalating the bad and the ugly when it comes to student behaviors.  We all thrive on routine;...

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 holiday seasons, I don’t care for the frenzy that...

Behavior strategy for the week – Ha. (No, not as in laughter – though this is a good strategy, as well –  Ha, as in the Hawaiian word for “breath” or “breath of life.” ) This is such a simple reflex that we take it for granted. Perhaps that is the problem. On the mainland, we are always in a hurry, rushing to keep up with all the tasks associated with the fast-paced routines...

It’s good to have a place called home.  It’s good to have a warm bed to sleep in.  It’s good to have family members and pets who love and miss me when I’m gone.  Sadly, I often take these things for granted – until I have a really bad day and am reminded of several behavioral lessons I need to revisit. Earlier this week I was scheduled to attend a conference with a group from my church, but...

It’s a common occurrence in kindergarten. A little girl once approached me and said, “Mr. St. Romain, Michael ran all the way back from the library.” My response was the same as it always had been. “Who should you worry about, yourself or Michael?” “Myself…but we’re not supposed to do that. Are we?” she retorted in a somewhat questioning manner. There was a long pause as the wheels in my...