Category: Social Emotional Learning

  • Reusing the Toilet Paper: The Mess We Make When We Assume Prior Knowledge

    Several months ago, our family took a trip to St. Louis. We stayed in a magical historic home in a small town on the outskirts of the city. All of us were excited to explore the nooks and crannies of the old house, but our two foster boys (ages 8 and 10) were totally floored…

  • Funny or Not Funny–A Lesson in Unconditional Positive Regard

    Today during my planning time at school, I found myself reflecting on the concept of unconditional positive regard. This is a prerequisite for forming relationships with students (and all people, really) who don’t strike you right away as super likable. It’s a mind over matter thing. We are teaching professionals. We’ll make ourselves like you,…

  • An Epiphany at the Widows’ Brunch

    This morning, Meg and I attended a brunch for widows hosted by our church’s deacons. “Youtube stars” that we are, we were invited to come as the entertainment. Our set list included several folk songs that I teach in the classroom along with a few songs my Nickelodeon Choir learned for our 1970s-themed show several…

  • Life With Puppets, Part 2: Lower the Affective Filter and Make Boring Jobs Fun!

    Most days in my classroom, effective teaching involves performance art. I’ve been doing a certain little schtick for years. The objective is to teach the children a simple song called “Hop, Old Squirrel,” a mi-re-do song, so that they can eventually sing it individually and maintain the tonality. (This can take years for some kids,…

  • Life with Puppets, Part 1

    As I look back on my career in education, the years can be divided into two distinct eras: B.P. (Before Puppets) and A. P. (After Puppets). In the Before Puppets era of my teacher life, I did all the jobs myself. That was hard work. I cajoled and scolded reluctant kids into participating in the…

  • Gus and His Amygdala

    If you navigate the education or foster parenting world long enough, you are bound to attend a training that incorporates the concept of “flipping your lid,” or a phrase with a similar meaning. This happens when some threat (real or perceived) triggers the amygdala, and intense feelings of fear or anger take over, resulting in…