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Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Did you know this is an international distress signal? (the origin of which comes from the French word m’aider, which means, “Help me.”) How serendipitous for teachers, as it seems every day in May warrants the use of this call in some form or fashion. Educators agree – May is fraught with distress. This is when it is important to remember there is...

When a teacher becomes a mom, she is forever changed. Being a teacher-mom is a beautiful gift in that she plays the dual role of seeing her students through the eyes of parent and teacher. As with any change in perspective, this does not mean she accepts things like poor behavior or disorganization, but by seeing the students through different eyes, she automatically approach things...

Happy May. What is that adage? April showers bring May flowers? As an educator, flowers aren’t the first things that come to mind when you say the word May. Hectic schedules…yes. Long days…yes. Crazy behaviors…yes. Tepid showers and peaceful flowers…not so much. In my experience, May usually triggers storms. Sophie is our sweet schnauzer. Sweet, loyal and phobic of both men in hats and...

“Past performance is not indicative of future returns.” Hmmm. Though this is a business finance quote; I wonder… I actually think it is important to look at the past to inform the future. However, we do need to keep in mind not to overly dwell on it. That can be debilitating, and it is a trap parents and teachers should try to avoid. My oldest son graduated college yesterday and that was the...

“Whoa! What do you do when a person is out of control? I mean, really?” Yes, these were the opening sentences posed to me by one of my children this week, kicking off a fun discussion. As not to misrepresent or misquote, I’ll offer my Cliff’s Notes version. After having just gotten off the phone with his girlfriend, my son was seeking advice about what to say when a person is overcome with...

Ever get mad at individuals for the poor choices they make? Get frustrated because they should know better? Just because a person knows what to do does not mean he or she is able to do it in stressful situations. Although at times we all make poor choices, many behaviors are the result of knee-jerk reactions. Reactions are based on feelings, and thus, they are not thought out, nor are they...

I was just reminded of several behavior strategies, all gleaned from this one video clip attached below. I happened upon it (again) yesterday. I was amused and refreshed by this kid’s quirky, funny, odd, verbal and talented nature. Some of his comments were surprising. Some of his responses were off. He spontaneously danced. He invaded Ellen’s personal space on numerous occasions...

Decompression was my theme for the weekend. It started with the chiropractor letting me know I had an immense amount of stress concentrated in key trigger point areas. An adjustment and some manual therapy was just what my body needed to diffuse. I also called several friends from far away. Though we talked about nothing in particular, it was great to reconnect. The bulk of the weekend,...

If you haven’t discovered it yet, the behavior strategies you use with your children and students work with adults, as well. Behavior is behavior, and whether you are five or fifty-five, I believe all individuals do the best they are able with the skills at their disposal. So, whichever side of spring break you are on, remember… Use fewer words when working with individuals who...