Recently, I received word that a friend of mine was going through a pretty rough time. His father passed away after a 10-year battle with cancer. My friend, Dan, often talked to me about his dad, usually in terms of pride and heroism. Dan is very proud of his dad for several reasons. One he… Read more »
How do we provide opportunities for students to develop their character? History can provide great opportunities to explore character development with its many wonderful examples of interesting people, issues, and conflicts. Some say we study history to support and safeguard democracy for the individual and society, others say to learn to respect diversity or to… Read more »
Hold on to FAITH; it is the source of believing that all things are possible. It is fiber and strength of a confident soul. Hold on to HOPE; it banishes doubt and enables attitudes to be positive and cheerful. Hold on to TRUST; it is at the core of fruitful relationships that are secure and… Read more »
Get bad teachers out of the classrooms. Train teachers to control their students. Give incentives to recruit and retain good teachers and reduce the number of substitutes needed. Set and enforce high standards for academics, attendance and behavior. Require students to be proficient in typing and computer skills. Tighten security. Do not allow students to… Read more »
I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have. Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that… Read more »
How to Build Rapport with Others Rapport is the ability to relate to others in a way that creates respect and trust. Rapport is derived from the French verb, rapporter, which means to bring back. In the English dictionary, it is synonymous with harmony, oneness, mutual trust, and, affinity. In essence, it refers to communion… Read more »
A veteran kindergarten teacher on what she’s learned: Vivian Paley never misses the opportunity to tell the tale of Teddy. She was visiting a London preschool when some kids from a nearby school for the severely disabled came to visit. Teddy was pushed into the classroom in a wheelchair, his head protected by a padded… Read more »
Adults and children who learn of tragedies are likely to struggle with feelings of fear, helplessness and guilt, experts say. Certain places, such as schools, are expected to be safe. But that is not always so. Tragedies such as the slayings of schoolchildren reinforce a sense of vulnerability. Parents, feeling helpless, may become frightened for… Read more »
The choices you are making are noticed by your peers, teachers , parents and the community. Let’s look for a brief moment at the major variable that effects all our choices…convenient vs commitment, immediate vs delayed gratification, spending vs saving. Hormone Driven vs Value Driven choices! When your values take precedence over hormones: you identify… Read more »
Even in this age of political scandal and cynicism, immigrants to this country expect public schools to teach their children what it means to be an American, according to a study conducted by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Public Agenda. The survey found that these parents would prefer to see traditional ideals and stories used to teach… Read more »
