Can meditation positively change a young person’s life?

Absolutely it can!

Research in neuroscience and attention provides evidence that meditation strengthens the neural systems of the brain that are responsible for concentration and generating empathy. Becoming more mindful helps children and adolescents better regulate how life circumstances impact their mental health.

Last week, I posted an article at Psychology Today, Happiness or Harvard? — about high school valedictorian Carolyn Milander who discovered her own values about success through her meditation practice. If you haven’t read her compelling story of why she chose a community college over an Ivy-League school, don’t miss it!

All young people cope with stress in one form or another.

In schools, we teach reading, science, and math. Yet most communities miss one of the most important aspects of learning – how to care for and nurture the mind. read more »

I’ve been an advocate for parent involvement in education for many years. But throughout those years, one of the most challenging tasks has been to define this two-way partnership.

What is it that parents and teachers need to understand about working together? And why is this partnering so important to student success?

In Invaluable Allies: Partnering with Parents for Student Success, Margery B. Ginsberg, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Education at the University of Washington, provided some informed answers to these questions.

So much of the time, we think of teaching as a one-way process. Not only do teachers impart information to students who, in turn, develop knowledge and skills, they also teach parents how to facilitate their children’s learning. But Ginsberg rightly points out several assurances that parents want to receive from teachers. One of those assurances is that “the teacher is going to respect and learn from families.” read more »

Did you dream of your children’s college success before they entered kindergarten? You are not alone!

While it’s natural to visualize success, how to prepare youth for college is multifaceted. Will success emerge from good grades, extra-curricular activities, and a resume of accomplishments? Will it come from being kind, believing in self, and developing positive relationships?

Of course, all of these things play a role in children’s college admittance. But recent research sheds light on another important aspect of how kids succeed beyond high school and how parents and teachers can nurture realistic expectations in children that pay big dividends when they get to college.

You’ve likely heard the term entitlement, defined by the American Psychiatric Association as “unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with expectations.” In today’s college environment, a new term has emerged called academic entitlement. It refers to a student’s expectation that they receive high grades, regardless of performance. read more »

Meet Steve Reifman, author of a new book that should be owned by every teacher and parent, particularly those who guide elementary and middle-school-age children.

Developing character in children is complex. So much so, we don’t often think of easy, everyday actions that make a difference in children’s lives. Steve’s book, Changing Kids’ Lives One Quote At A Time: 121 Inspirational Sayings To Build Character In Children provides a simple framework that helps kids talk about meaningful concepts.

What I most like about Reifman’s book is that it doesn’t teach kids what to think, it teaches them how to think! His approach helps adults become good facilitators — inviting kids into conversations where they discover gems of meaning for themselves. All of this is accomplished through the power of quotes!

Steve Reifman, a National Board Certified elementary school teacher, author, and speaker was kind enough to answer my questions about his book and his approach to teaching kids what he calls “habits of character” in our interview below. read more »

A teacher’s job extends far beyond academics.

While teachers are hired to develop children’s skills and abilities in academics like reading, writing, history, geography, and math, there is a lot more going on in the classroom than meets the eye.

Opportunities abound for students to develop hope, fairness, humor, valor, appreciation and many other character strengths that lead to fulfilling lives. For some teachers, this is a natural extension of the job they do on behalf of children.

Building character strengths in children is the mutual responsibility of families, schools, and communities. In Part I of this series, we defined character strengths and introduced the VIA Survey of Character. In Part 2, we examined how parents can help build character strengths by changing the way they give praise and by helping kids recognize character strengths in others.  This article shows how one teacher is building a classroom environment that places character front and center. read more »