Students learn better when their brains are not clouded by worries. Our minds can’t attend to very many things at once. When kids are preoccupied by tough stuff happening outside of school, friend struggles, or other worries, there’s not much room for math facts and grammar lessons. That’s a topic I explore in the first […]

I am so excited to welcome Ginger Healy to the “Healers and Cycle Breakers” blog to share some support for that ever-elusive skill: regulation. Ginger has been a friend and colleague for years. She is currently the program director for the Attachment and Trauma Network, which is responsible for the wonderful Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference. She […]

Even the ones who REALLY push your buttons! Relationships are inextricably linked to learning. Sure, you might say, but what kind of relationship can I have with a student who just seems grumpy all the time? What do I do when a kid seems to be pushing me away? We all know that feeling where […]

I used to play teacher as a kid.  I had my cabbage patch dolls and stuffed animals all lined up, eager recipients of my brilliant eight-year-old instruction. It was always more difficult to play teacher with real humans. If I convinced my brother or a friend to join in, I didn’t like how it went. I […]