TL;DR: Hans shares a story about how his puppy, Winnie, was demonstrating deregulated behavior on a walk. Remembering his recent conversation with Dr. Carrington, she said we need “connection before direction.” 5 keys to reconnecting are listed below. Relationships and reconnection starts and ends with the adults in our schools. Children need adults to show them how to regulate when … Read More
Students Want Adults Who Care
TL;DR: Students don’t want adults who dispense information. They want adults who care. Create thought-provoking learning experiences for students and avoid lecture-style teaching. Make learning relevant for students by connecting what they are learning to the real-world. If building relationships with students is difficult for you, start by talking to students about their lives. I sat speechless in a grade-level … Read More
Navigating Self-Care Through the 3 Ships
TL;DR: Navigate your self-care through the 3 ships: relationships, leadership, and partnerships. Teachers are more stressed, overwhelmed, and past the point of burnout than ever before. Implementing self-care is something that needs to be done proactively and often. When I first started on my maiden voyage into education, our school had a part-time wellness coordinator. As a stipended paraprofessional, her … Read More
Riding the Waves of Change
TL;DR: Change is inevitable. We should welcome the changes to the way we approach curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Those in the education world should research, ask good questions, and include all the various stakeholders who live and interact with the experiences on the frontlines. We need to make teaching and learning practices more accessible for students and families. The Crashing … Read More
Eternal Memories Manifest Hope for the Future
TL;DR: Modeling behaviors and practices can have a long-lasting impact on those surrounding you. Model effective styles of communication, teaching and learning practices, approaches to management, and leadership qualities to have a positive influence on others. Eternal memories can manifest hope for the future; sometimes the behaviors you observe of others become a part of you. Eternal Memories: My Eternal … Read More