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...

One of the best skills we can foster in youth is independent problem solving. Unfortunately, it is common for adults to get in the habit of “doing for” kids. “Just tell them…. If I were you, I’d…” The problem with this strategy is that when we solve problems for kids, we inadvertently increase the likelihood they will seek us out to navigate future concerns. “He won’t move out of my way… She’s...

I’ll admit it.  Sometimes I don’t play well with others.  It’s not that I don’t want to.  It’s more about my control issues.  I like things done a certain way and when I do things myself, I know what the outcome will be.  Unfortunately, try as I sometimes may, I can’t do it all.  At times we all need a little help from our friends. This point was driven home to me earlier this week at our...

One of the biggest concerns I’ve heard from teachers lately is how they are feeling pulled in different directions at once.  Splinched – that’s what Harry Potter fans would call it – or split in two. Truth be told, I think teachers are feeling more like horcruxes, with their attention having to be divided about seven different ways.  It’s a sad, but accurate description of what...

Parents often ask me what they should do when their children misbehave at school. I have many thoughts about this question, but my answers often circle back to the importance of quality time. The more quality time we have with our children, the more we can teach, model and strengthen relationships.   When I was younger, quality time in the home was the norm. Of course, back then parents...

Ever notice how quickly crazy behaviors spread? We see it everywhere. It can feel like a wind-blown wildfire, or if you are a teacher, an ant invasion at a picnic. I call it the behavioral contagion effect. Simply put, our behaviors strongly influence the behaviors of others. When our four boys were young my wife and I didn’t stand a chance if they were together when the “crazies” hit. For...

It’s hard to believe 20 years have passed since 9-11.  I remember it clearly.  I was sitting in my car listening to the events unfold.  I recall feeling a great deal of sorrow, but also an immense sense of pride at how we came together as a nation to deal with the loss.  This got me thinking about other tragedies we’ve experienced since then, mainly in the school system, and how we’ve...

It’s time. With now summer in our rearview mirrors and students headed back to classrooms, I can pull out my favorite jigsaw puzzle. Though it represents education in a different era, it puts me in the right frame of mind for the start of school. Every time I see this puzzle, I’m reminded of a television show I watched when I was young, Little House on the Prairie. Set in the late 1800s,...

I find poor behaviors, much like dirt, tend to build up over time. One reaction leads to another, and before long, ingrained patterns of unfortunate behaviors become the norm. Put another way, behaviors that are repeated become habits – and once this happens, they can take time to break. Speaking of habits, I tried to break some ingrained eating patterns this week. Have you ever tried a...

Though some schools are already back in session, for others it’s the final countdown until the 2021-2022 year begins.  Remember what it was like purchasing school supplies?  buying new clothes?  finding out who your teachers and classmates would be?  With this tradition students experience a whole host of emotions – anticipation, excitement, anxiety.  Sound familiar?  Yep.  For the most part,...