I believe too often we underestimate the power of our presence. Last weekend I was reminded that just as a person can get a feel for the climate of a room by walking into it, so too can one change the climate by doing the same.   I spent last Sunday at the California Kindergarten Conference in Santa Clara with a great group of educators. There was an exceedingly positive and frenetic energy...

It was an emotional week for the NFL.  I was watching the game on Monday night when one of the players, Damar Hamlin, suffered cardiac arrest after making a tackle.  After being administered CPR and tended to for about 30 minutes on the field, he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. I continued to watch as grieving players and fans from different teams came together in concern for...

Welcome to 2023.  Being a goal-oriented person, this is one of my favorite times of year.  I like making lists, outlining tasks, and of course, making resolutions.  For me, January first gives me an excuse to start fresh and begin anew. If only it were that easy. How have your past New Year’s resolutions played out?  Losing weight?  Exercising more?  Breaking a bad habit?  Creating change is...

There is something incredible about being in community with others. Don’t believe me? Scan Facebook. You will see endless posts about time spent with families and friends over the holidays – cooking, traveling, shopping, watching football games, laughing. Even extroverts like me need some solitude, but hands down, connecting with others is the better deal. Last night, my wife and I...

One only needs to be out and about this time of the year to feel the holiday frenzy approaching. The speed is turned up and we all go into overdrive. Beware; lest we escalate the behavior of our kids. The brain can only consciously attend to one thing at a time. How many of us are guilty of putting our children into overdrive by giving too many directions at once? Parent – “Do you...

Perspective and attitude carry a great deal of weight when it comes to behavior.  Accordingly, I need to slow down and keep this in mind as we move into the month of December.  Of course, my tendency is to speed up.  I make a list… and check it twice… but my list is of all the tasks I need to complete before my next break.  Can you relate? The problem for me is one of focus.  I try to “fit it...

I wonder when, or if, we will ever make the connection that experience provides the best opportunity for learning.  When I think back over my education, early childhood through my Masters, I remember experiences – field trips, debates, group projects, experiments, review games and activities, and class presentations.  What I don’t remember are the paper and pencil tasks.  An experience makes...

“They never pay attention.”  “She can’t wait for anything.”  “He keeps telling me he’s bored.”  These are phrases I hear regularly from adults.  It doesn’t surprise me.  I believe it has to do with the way kids’ brains have been conditioned.  In our ever-changing world filled with high-impact video games, reality TV shows, and action-filled movies, kids have been programed for instant...

I had quite the challenging week of dealing with troubling adult behaviors and heightened emotions on many levels.  Political mudslinging, contentious school-board meetings, congregational concerns, overwhelmed teachers and parents – everywhere I traveled, there seemed to be anger, hostility and conflict.  In talking with people about difficult issues being faced in our communities, everyone...

Getting attention and paying attention are two sides of the same coin, both of which are huge issues in our classrooms and society. One thing I know for sure – we all have a basic human need to be seen and heard. I remember vividly, several years ago in route to some presentation, recognizing a man sitting in front of me on the plane. I had been a fan of his music since college, so when...