There is nothing I can say that improves on the title of this article. It’s a point worth remembering, though, that learning how to manage our feelings and responses to others continues far beyond our school days. One of the most difficult challenges I’ve faced is managing feelings of frustration with myself or others when… Continue reading 5 Myths about Social-Emotional Learning
Hi, everyone. It’s been so long since I’ve posted, but I’m just going to jump right back in talking again about screen time! Trying figuring out how much screen time to give ourselves and our young people is a challenge. During the COVID-19 pandemic, things have become so much more complicated. It would be easier… Continue reading Screen Time in the Craziness of Quarantine
As a liberal arts-educated person and a teacher who prefers the messy and frustrating long road that yields a more capable mind, I loved this article! Excerpt: “Other classes get interleaved problems, where they never see the same problem type twice in a row, ever. They get more frustrated. Their immediate progress is slower. They… Continue reading Raising a Generalist
Parents and kids alike know I love games! They make our brains sharper while we have tremendous fun, and there is a game out there for everyone. The most common search results regarding card games and memory are about improving and retaining brain power as an older adult, but young players can benefit greatly, too.… Continue reading Come on, deal the cards! Deal the cards!
Have you played Fortnite with your child? It’s impressive if you have. I’m lucky in that I’m not so uncool that I know nothing about it. I’ve even had a student patiently try to teach me how to play! That doesn’t mean I like Fortnite, though. Shooting is still shooting for me, and, honestly, I’m… Continue reading Fortnite? Ugh. Online gaming and ADHD
From The Atlantic, a good piece on why reading scores across the country are stagnant and how the teaching of reading as it exists in many schools is perpetuating that stagnation. Teaching reading “skills” in isolation without content and vocabulary to support the growth of general knowledge will always fail the student. This article further… Continue reading Developing general knowledge is vital to teaching reading:
Even though not all my students have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, often it’s concomitant with the kinds of challenges your kids experience every day. It’s obvious that the thrill of success and instant gratification is hard to beat after spending hours struggling to keep track of what’s going on and get work finished. So that’s… Continue reading The Challenge of Managing “Screen Time”
Attention Magazine has a great discussion about whether we should continue asking our struggling students to write by hand or switch to typing at a younger age. I feel that handwriting is a very important part of developing literacy, though, as kids get older, efficient use of a keyboard can be a lifesaver. It’s important… Continue reading Is your child struggling with handwriting? Why bother, right?
Here’s a great collection of ideas from Understood.org that can help a student who has been diagnosed slow processing speed or for whom you suspect there are processing issues. And a picture of my cat helping me look it up. Save Save Save Save Save
It’s terrible having a teacher who doesn’t get you. Maybe your child squirms all the time, or she’s incredibly anxious, or he just can’t get homework done. What you may not know is that some of us teachers were just like that, and we understand.
