LEADING THROUGH LISTENING

It seems that every generation has some unique thing that may distinguish them from generations prior or that follow. Also, we all know that technology, social media, and the video have become standard definitions of current generations. Lastly, an unfortunate reality of the human species is that we have resorted to physical violence at times of disagreement. Although modern generations and civilizations have decreased the frequency at which disagreements are solved by fighting, the age old "problem solver" is making an unfortunate comeback. In fact, teens of today are combing technology and fighting to later trade fights that they have video taped as a modern form of the traditional baseball trading card. There are many influences that children are exposed to today via the internet that in the past, were not as readily available. While many things can be fake or staged, young children that stumble upon them online may not realize that. In turn, they attempt to re-enact d...

As with any generation of youngsters, we all receive a label of some kind. Our current group of students has been tagged with the label of 'Generation Z', and is predicted to do some of histories most amazing things. One of these, is directly related to the utilization of technology and development of new ideas. Researchers have claimed that most of the jobs our children will hold when they enter the work force, do not exist at this current point in time. Another reality of our current generation is that they are entering and staying in college longer than any other generation. The ability to decide what they may want to do with their careers is becoming more and more challenging. On the flip side, we are also seeing an increase of children that do not have any desire to attend college and industry fields that finding success by hiring students right out of high school. Like many things in society today, trade professions and others that do not require a college degree are ...

When you think back to being a student (either k-12 or college), how often can you recall an adult telling you that something can't be done? Many times, when an adult tells a child that something can't be done it crushes their imagination and spirit. Yes, there are occasions when being told we can't accomplish a goal or a task creates additional desire to achieve. However, most people tend to lose self esteem in the face of being told they aren't good enough. Or maybe the commentary doesn't even have to be that harsh. Sometimes simply telling someone that they can't succeed because someone else has already tried and failed can produce detrimental results. In that scenario, we are just trying to provide some adult guidance based on our experiences and knowledge. But, what most adults fail to realize is that our experiences and knowledge do not have the direct impact on the ability of a child to achieve their dreams that we generally hope they do. If you take ...

Recently, I have spent my free time reading up on the psychology behind positivity and happiness. Unfortunately, most research in the area of psychology focuses on the negative aspects of human emotions and actions. This isn't a mistake because doctors need things to be wrong with people in order to thrive. They want us to have issues so they have a steady stream of patients. However, research in the area of positive psychology has begun to take center stage. Researchers have been looking into what enables some people to happy or positive all of the time, despite whatever may be going on in their lives. While in some situations simple grit, perseverance, or determination may be enough to enable a person to remain optimistic, researchers are finding a much simpler answer to maintaining happiness in what we do. Psychologist Shawn Achor, who has been one of the leading researchers of positive psychology for nearly 10 years, believes that the answer is a simple correlation. Through...

It's that time of year where kid's get excited to meet new teachers and make new friends, staff members in the world of education look forward to the new year ahead, and in general; optimism fills the air! The end of summer brings a myriad of emotions and thoughts for many. As does the beginning of a new school year. In many ways, the start of a school year can feel like all of the calendar year's  major events and holidays rolled up into one week. It doesn't matter if you are a kindergarten student entering school for the start of a 13-year journey or a 35-year veteran teacher who is embarking on the final year of their career; the start of a new school year brings an opportunity for everyone to start new and be excited. Optimism is abound in schools all across our State this week as our children return to the institution we historically refer to as school. As we embark on the new year, I have challenged our staff to continue the difficult task of moving our Distri...