About a year ago, a Dutch study showed that, even in ideal circumstances, COVID closures meant learning loss. So this past week’s news of COVID-related learning loss among American students was no surprise. The drop was greatest among those who spent the most time in...
One of the best things about being a counselor is the opportunity to witness another person when they have an aha moment or begin to break through an old pattern. I remember one boy who came from a very difficult family situation. Second grade, third grade, fourth...
If you work with kids, you’re well aware that the youth mental health crisis we now face has been growing for many years. Pandemic life only exacerbated it. Now, the US Preventive Services Task Force is recommending that all children 8 and up should be screened for...
“Joel” was a well-liked 6th-grader in the rural school where I worked for years as a counselor. He never caused trouble. Ever. But one day, some students ran in to tell me Joel had hit another boy. Very upset, they asked for my help. Naturally, I went to get Joel. His...
It’s amazing to think that most of the cells in your body aren’t even human ones but a collective of microorganisms that work (mostly) synergistically to help us in a vast array of essential tasks, from digesting food to protecting our skin, even generating some...
