Ken Royal

Ken Royal on Individual Student Guidance

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 Not-So-Subtle Effects of a Fixed Mindset

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

You Get What You Expect

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

What's in your control?

What’s in your control?

What’s in your control in your life and how does it relate to your happiness? Stick with me for a minute, I promise there’s a pay off… From the moment humans are born, they’re interested in which things are under their control. There’s a famous study on a group of infants who are given control … Read more

Self-Compassion

Self-criticism vs. Self-compassion

Who’s the harshest critic in your life? For most, the answer is “me.” Most of us strive to be better people each and every day. We set high expectations for ourselves. So what happens when we don’t meet those expectations? We are harsh – with ourselves. We kick ourselves when we’re down. In fact, we … Read more