Self-Esteem vs Self-Awareness I have learned that self-esteem can have several different meanings depending on who you converse with. When it comes to your self-esteem, only one opinion truly matters: your own. As educators, it is critical to understand the difference between self-esteem and self-awareness; they share many of the same elements. However, there are […]
CONTINUE READING →Prioritizing Meaningful Conversation with Your Children Too often parents and children stop communicating. In most cases, it happens subtly and unintentionally. Parents are continually trying to balance their personal, professional, and family lives. As a result, parents may tend to become distracted and can forget the importance of taking the time to check in, talk, […]
CONTINUE READING →Strategies for Motivating Students I remember facilitating “Girls Chat” every Wednesday when I managed a middle afterschool program. The girls seemed disinterested in participating at the start of the program. Their indifference frustrated me. I thought what am I doing wrong? I seemed to have tried everything: several pep- talks, lectures, demands, but trying to […]
CONTINUE READING →5 Ways to Improve Your After School Storytelling Storytelling in the purest sense of the word is the tradition of oral narrative. It is timeless entertainment and education shared by the relating of a story. As after school educators you are front line to use storytelling simultaneously for both purposes. If you want to try […]
CONTINUE READING →The Power of Teaching Young Children Social Skills “Pink, Pink”, my niece excitedly repeated as she walked into the kitchen. I loved the way she attempted to say paint. She was only two years old, and she was quickly expanding her vocabulary every day. I grabbed the paint supplies and she got to work. […]
CONTINUE READING →“Reel” Life Lessons for OST Success When I was a little girl, my Poppa wanted to teach me the virtues inherent in fishing as a hobby; patience, perseverance, and pride. He took me out to the local lake as soon as he thought I was ready. I remember very specific parts of this day vividly. […]
CONTINUE READING →Tips to Identify Behaviors and Linking them to Social and Emotional Needs I recently brought my daughter to the hospital and we encountered a doctor with the worst bedside manner. He spoke to us in a condescending tone; his responses were abrupt, coarse, rude, and uncompassionate. I hated everything about his interaction with my daughter. […]
CONTINUE READING →We are seeking presenters who are able to present a workshop in one of three categories: STEAM in Program Practices STEAM in Program Design STEAM in Partnerships. Workshops should be appropriate for staff working with K – 8th grades. Each workshop will be presented in all three sessions; participants will rotate through the workshops. The […]
CONTINUE READING →I belong to a cloud app called “pocket”. It allows me to download interesting articles to save and/or read later; it also suggests interesting reads on my google page. I was intrigued when I came across one article called “The Downlside of Work Life Balance”. Hmmm, the work-life balance. We all struggle with that one. […]
CONTINUE READING →The Allegory of the Oxygen Mask I have been flying on airplanes since I was a very young child. Spending my mid-80s childhood-summers in Kansas, I would often fly alone to and from the Midwest; armed with a chapter book, a stuffed animal, and a super-secret safety word to ward off questionable strangers. I witnessed […]
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