I’m sure most educators will agree that when they think back on those special times in their careers, where and when they made a difference, it was probably at the most challenging. For me, it was when disinterested students, who were mostly disruptive in other classes, didn’t want to leave my class when the bell … Read more
The Scenario… For over a week, Nelly has talked about middle school soccer tryouts. “World Cup, here I come!” she yells, dribbling the ball between two orange cones in the backyard. Friday morning, Nelly is visibly tense. She pokes at her cereal and instigates a fight with her dad, Delly. In an attempt to calm … Read more
The mind often takes the path of least resistance when it comes to processing information; it’s hardwired to hone in on information that generates minimum inconsistency with existing beliefs. To put it simply: people see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear to support their beliefs. This phenomena is called … Read more
The Technical Definition Post-Traumatic Growth is a term psychologists are now using to describe the positive change occurring in an individual after they’ve experienced a highly stressful life event. It refers to the idea that suffering does not have to debilitate a person. In fact, finding a way to endure through significant suffering can actually … Read more
In this clip from Freedom Writers, we see a quiet student read an entry from his journal that expresses how this class has become a place of refuge. Watch this clip and ask yourself, what is right with this picture? Neutrino’s Analysis Strengths of the Main Character Make no mistake, sharing a piece of yourself takes courage. … Read more