Dr. Becky Kennedy’s “Good Inside” is written for parents, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how relevant it is to the work we do with teenagers in schools. The core idea is simple, yet powerful: people (including children and teenagers) are inherently good. Even when they mess up. Even when they push back. Even when theyContinue reading “Good Inside the Classroom”
Category Archives: Parenting
The Teenage Brain – Under Construction
I just finished The Teenage Brain by Dr. Frances E. Jensen, and if you’re raising or working with teenagers, it’s one of those books that helps everything make a little more sense. Jensen is a neuroscientist and the mother of two teenage boys. Her book combines the science of adolescent brain development with the livedContinue reading “The Teenage Brain – Under Construction”
Slowing Down on Purpose
A teacher friend recently let me borrow a copy of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, and it’s one of those books that calls for some action. The message is deceptively simple: hurry is not just a scheduling problem. It’s a spiritual one. And it’s hurting us more than we realize. WeContinue reading “Slowing Down on Purpose”
The Engagement Continuum
The focus this week has been on engaging parents and families. Part of the conversation that has been sticking with me is the distinction between parent participation, parent involvement and parent engagement. When you think about the words participation, involvement, and engagement as they relate to relationships, they have a very different connotation. I don’tContinue reading “The Engagement Continuum”
Ice Cream Before School
It started when I was 4 years old. My parents would take my sister and me out for ice cream the day before school started. We’d go to an ice cream shop called Swanson’s. I’d look over all of the flavors pretending to have a difficult time making a decision (Everyone in my family knewContinue reading “Ice Cream Before School”
I can only hold 5 acorns
Bracken and Carson were practicing soccer, Cormick was climbing around on the playground, and Anders was contemplating life, limitations and priorities under the oak trees. I stood and watched our 18 month old gathering acorns for about 30 minutes. His process was simple at first. He crouched down and used both of his little handsContinue reading “I can only hold 5 acorns”
A story about a fridge
This past Sunday I had the opportunity to share a story about a refrigerator magnet conversation I recently had with my kids. The room was beautifully chaotic as families and friends (some as young as 2 weeks and others as young as 80+ years) enjoyed breakfast together. Check out the story and the pics ofContinue reading “A story about a fridge”
Summer and Time
My summer break will end in less than 2 hours. It’s been several weeks since school let out but it somehow feels like less than that and more than that at the same time. One of the books that I read this summer explored the bizarre nature of time – how sometimes it can seemContinue reading “Summer and Time”
Creativity at home
“Why is it that it’s so easy to pour our creative selves into a project at work but so hard to show that same creativity at home with our kids?” I recently had breakfast with a few dads who, like me, have jobs that lend themselves towards creativity. We reflected, somewhat sadly, about our intenseContinue reading “Creativity at home”
Just turn the controller around
I took my 6 year old to the dentist last week. As soon as he walked in the waiting room, I could tell that he was far more excited than he should be at the dentist – no offense to dentists. His eyes got wide and he marched directly across the room to a videoContinue reading “Just turn the controller around”
Mr. Zerwas Teaches Here 