Posts by Lynne Watts
How do you change a child’s behavior?
Changing a Child’s Behavior Educators wonder how to get children to apply themselves and care about learning the prescribed curriculum. School counselors wonder how to get children to change negative behaviors into positive ones that serve the both the child and their peers. Parents wonder how to do all of the above while managing to…
Read More7 Questions to Measure Success
Here’s a quick survey for you: Being an elementary school counselor can be Exciting Fun Fulfilling Lonely Frustrating Overwhelming All of the above Other: My guess is that on any given day you could answer: All of the Above. As employees of a school system, we of course have yearly evaluations regarding our success at…
Read MoreAnger: Let It Go or Problem Solve?
In a previous post, I discussed anger and how it interacts with the brain. If kids are not tuned in to anger, its cause, and their choices, then anger can come out sideways. This is what happens when kids “flip their lid” or allow the reptilian brain to take charge over the more modern brain.…
Read MorePlanning Counts: Ending the School Year Strong
Planning Counts One thing that I enjoyed about working in a school was that the year and the job had a definite beginning and end. There was always the excited anticipation at the beginning of the year and of course a different kind of excitement as the year came to a close and students moved…
Read MoreIs It Possible to Motivate Kids?
Kids and Motivation In today’s educational environment, we are more aware than ever that student motivation and engagement is essential for lasting learning. I can’t tell you how many times as a school counselor, I had discussions with teachers, parents and kids about being motivated. However, I’m afraid we rarely discussed how important intrinsic motivation…
Read MoreTeaching Kids Leadership and Problem Solving Skills
Preparing Kids for the Future If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be. ~ Johann Wolfgang Goethe Every child needs to…
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