Wise and Comforting Words

Communicating achievement-test results to your children is a delicate task.  If done well, it can have a positive impact and be very motivating. For most children who ask the question directly, “How did I do,” a deeper question often lies below the surface.   Have you ever had one of these experiences, or one like them?   The…

Most physicians recommend exercising 3 hours a week. What does this look like? There seems to be a consensus among doctors and personal trainers not to do your 3 hours all in one day. The results of exercising 3 hours a week in one session does not produce the same fitness level as 6 days…

Have you noticed the change in the season yet? It’s August, and here in the Northwest the crickets are beginning to make themselves heard each evening. In spite of some very warm days yet to come, the nights are becoming increasingly cooler. The sun is setting a minute or two earlier each day. School is…

Many parents get a wake-up call when the results of their child’s achievement test suggest the curriculum they used let them down. In other words, if your child flew through their curriculum easily yet did poorly on their achievement test, the question is why? What, if anything, went wrong? Was it test anxiety or poor…

I think we all know the feeling or experience of something not being fair that we are being asked to shoulder. On a light note, getting a speeding ticket when you were just moving with the flow of traffic. The question is, “Why was I singled out?” On a serious note, knowing someone who is…

I started my classroom career teaching elementary school. One morning I was wanting to explain to my students the effect our words and actions have on others. To illustrate this, I took a 2 by 4 piece of wood and with a hammer, pounded a nail into it all the way through to the other…