When I was a counselor, I used to tell the young girls about the time I got suspended from school for a week. “I got in BIG trouble,” I’d say, then ask them to guess what I did. Usually they’d guess that I had skipped school. Or had said something really mean. Or had...
One day, a group of children from the behavioral classroom came into my room VERY angry. As a group, they had been bullied on the way to an assembly, and their collective rage had come busting out. A frightened educational assistant brought them into my room and...
Ask a teacher what they think about their work. You’ll likely hear that it’s rewarding – and exhausting. For as a teacher, you’re constantly giving – your time, your knowledge, your care, your attention. You’re constantly doing for others. Add the increasing pressures...
Recently, I visited a friend’s 120 acre farm with our granddaughter. It was a beautiful day, and it was wonderful to see Anna run around outside with so much freedom and joy. But I have to admit that her freedom stirred some worry for me. The rope swing she was...
Disappointment happens. It’s how life goes. But try telling that to a child. Actually, don’t. It’s dismissive. It says, “Your feelings don’t matter.” And when you’re a kid, those feelings can feel very big. End-of-the-worldish. Challenging. More often, we’re tempted...
