• Finding Friends at School

    Friends make difference. Having a friend means you are not alone, that someone sees you and someone cares about you. Friendships help students know that they matter. For human beings that sense of being cared for and seen is critical for our sense of well-being. What we now know is that without that sense, our […]


  • Raising Reliable Kids

    There are many joys that come with having children in your family. They bring play, surprises and often teach us new ways to look at the world. And even though there are days that you wish your young children were predictable and reliable, it is not a skill built in at birth. As children grow […]


  • Growing Trust and Dependability

    Trust is a critical part of creating a safe classroom community and a large portion of that trust is built on the sense that the teacher is dependable and reliable. You want your students to be dependable as well: people who others can count on for their truthfulness and integrity. Teaching behaviors like this is […]


  • Connection and Joy in Learning

    Learning is more likely to happen when students experience joy and connection in the classroom and school environment. Teachers can help to counteract stress, conflict, and anxiety by building relationships and cultivating joy. Here are some ideas. Make school spaces inviting. Set up the space to allow students opportunities to connect with each other, self-regulate […]


  • Parenting with Love and Connection

    Of course you love your children. And… have you ever had days where it seemed like you had to say the same thing over and over again? Or got frustrated stopping the bickering again and raised your voice or said something you wish you hadn’t? Yes. Of course. We nag, remind, reprimand, and give advice […]


  • Patience is Not Permissiveness

    Whether a student burps loudly in the middle of our lesson, someone calls out an answer instead of waiting their turn, one student is mean to another, or someone writes with a permanent marker on the dry erase board, there are going to be moments – and sometimes whole days – that try our patience […]


  • Practicing Patient Parenting

    It happens to most of us…there’s no cream for coffee, you are late leaving the house, the traffic is bad on the way home….and then one of our children unknowingly says or does something that pushes us over the edge. Out comes that “yelling” parent, leaving our child bewildered and us feeling guilty and regretful. […]


  • Share Rituals to Build Community

    Routines in the classroom are an important classroom management tool. Knowing what will happen when they arrive, where their belongings are stored, when breaks and lunch happen, are all part of the daily and weekly routines that help students feel safe and secure. The structure in their daily routines and interactions with others helps students […]


  • Family Rituals Create Our Story

    Family rituals and traditions are a positive source of identity for children. They provide a link between themselves and the people they love, a link between themselves and their culture and family history. They are different from simple routines. Routines are regular, moderately consistent process (bedtime, bath time, morning) that help children understand what comes […]


  • Raising a Compassionate Child

    Compassion develops over time as children grow.  We know from research that the desire to help and comfort others comes naturally to us.  Even two-year olds will offer a blankie or pacifier to a crying playmate.  They may not understand why their friend is crying, but they want to help them feel better.  By age […]