Posts by Lynne Watts
Three surprising things NOT to say to kids
Don’t worry, we’ve all said them… There are a lot of common phrases that we as parents and educators rattle off to kids without thinking much about the meaning that could be interpreted behind it. Some of them are things that we’ve even been told we should say. Here are three things I bet you’ve said…
Read MoreReflection and Goal Setting
At the start of the school year, goal setting is a great idea, especially for older students who have had practice setting goals in the past. So what do you do mid-year with all the focus on developing resolutions and setting goals? Midway through the school year is a good time to measure progress while…
Read Morefour steps to cope with failure
How to help kids cope with failure I’ve written a lot of posts on how to handle failure. There are several reasons for this. As a kid, I don’t know that anyone ever helped me understand the role that failure plays in growing, improving and becoming your best self. I just figured out on my…
Read MoreBrain Research and the Benefits of Play
Play and the Brain As chilly winter days transition into balmy spring time, children and adults both anticipate spending more time outdoors. Unfortunately, the school environment doesn’t always cooperate with the onset of spring fever as students prepare for and take mandated tests or complete end of year projects. Test anxiety and teacher stress is…
Read More5 easy steps kids can learn to problem solve on their own
How to Empower Kids to Be Problem Solvers Your best friend won’t sit with you on the bus. You want to watch your favorite show on tv but you have homework to do. Your pesky brother “borrows” your favorite board game and loses some of the pieces. For children and adults, life is full of…
Read MoreTeaching kids to manage negative feelings
Kids and Self Talk A typical classroom lesson on recognizing feelings is useful and gives kids a common language for expressing their feelings. However, it is a basic lesson and doesn’t really cover all the bases in helping kids manage feelings, especially negative ones. What can we teach the child who needs anger management strategies or…
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