Year: 2012

Multiple Intelligences
By Categories: Body and Brain, Differentiating Instruction, Educators, Learning, Learning styles, Non-traditional learners, Parents, Special Needs Leave a comment

Many ways to be smart Here is a very brief overview of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, or different ways of being “smart.” Linguistic Skill with words; using language, expressing with words, either written or spoken, and understanding what is said or written. Related skills might include storytelling, memorizing, writing, discussing, debating, journaling, oration and reading….

Industrial Age vs. Information Age
By Categories: Counselors, Cultural Changes, Culture and Community, Educators, Emotionally safe schools, Parents, Schools in Society 4 Comments

Two very different classrooms On this page you will find a comparison between traditional classrooms established according to the demands of an industrial-age or factory economy, and win-win classrooms adapted to the needs the information age, particularly as these differences correspond to classroom values, priorities, motivators, authority relationships, desired (encouraged) student behaviors, and discipline goals….

15 Ways to Live Optimistically
By Categories: Avoiding burnout, Counselors, Educators, General Interest, Gratitude and inspiration, Increasing Positivity, Parents, Self-care and Inspiration, Social and Emotional Growth, Students, Taking care of yourself Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Increasing positivity, hope, and optimism in your life and the lives of your loved ones Some of us are wired to be optimistic and cheerful, even in the face of unrelenting challenges and obstacles. Others have to make a conscious effort to focus the positive. Wherever you are on this continuum, here are a few…

8 Ways to Live in Gratitude
By Categories: Counselors, Educators, Gratitude and inspiration, Parents, Self-care and Inspiration, Students Tags: , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Tips for making your life more rich and positive. • Enjoy the beauty, richness, love, and opportunities that already exist in your life. • Express appreciation to people who do or give nice things to you. (Even if you receive a gift you don’t particularly like, you can still acknowledge the positive qualities of the…

Ways to Model Respect with your Children
By Categories: Behavior Management, Counselors, Creating community, Educators, Leadership, Modeling positive behavior, Parenting, Parenting, Parents, Social and Emotional Growth, Tolerance and Respect Leave a comment

Practical ways to teach respectful behavior This list was compiled for a book for parents. Many of these tips will also apply to educators and others who work with young people. • Listen. Make eye contact when your children are talking to you. Make an effort to really hear and appreciate what your children are…

Test Time
By Categories: Assessment and Testing, Body and Brain, Counselors, Differentiating Instruction, Educators, Emotionally safe schools, Learning, Learning styles, Non-traditional learners, School climate, Schools in Society, Teaching Leave a comment

Bringing balance and sanity to our schools How often do you hear yourself urging a student, “Come on, you have to learn this. It’s going to be on the test!”? I hear this appeal in classrooms all the time, and am certainly guilty of having uttered it myself. Still, I have to laugh, because after…

Silver Linings
By Categories: Avoiding burnout, General Interest, Gratitude and inspiration, Overcoming obstacles, Self-care and Inspiration, Taking care of yourself Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The up side of down times Imagine a world in which there were no unnecessary tragedies—not because negative events did not occur, but because we recognize that these occurrences may have been necessary to open the way for some greater blessings to happen. One of the greatest challenges in life is learning to see the…

Ways to Reach More Students
By Categories: Body and Brain, Differentiating Instruction, Educators, Emotionally safe schools, Homework, Learning styles, Non-traditional learners, Parents, Special Needs Leave a comment

Accommodating a variety of learners While these tips were originally developed with regard to classroom environments, they are also relevant to parents (think about how and where kids do homework), and apply to learners of all ages. • Build on student strengths; teach to a variety of intelligences and abilities • Respect different types of…

Working with Different Modality Strengths and Limitations
By Categories: ADD/ADHD, Body and Brain, Differentiating Instruction, Educators, Learning, Learning styles, Non-traditional learners, Parents, Special Needs, Teaching Leave a comment

Characteristics and strategies Individuals of all ages tend to learn better when presented with new information in a way that makes sense to their brain and nervous system. Here is some information to help learners of different abilities. Appreciating and accommodating these differences whenever possible can reduce a great deal of stress for everyone concerned—teachers, parents,…

The “Ideal” Student
By Categories: ADD/ADHD, Body and Brain, Counselors, Educators, Learning, Learning styles, Non-traditional learners, Parents, Special Needs, Teaching, Teaching 1 Comment

The students we were taught to teach Traditional classrooms tend to favor students with the following characteristics or strengths: Strong in linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences Academically on grade level (not too far ahead or behind) Learning Preferences: Prefers working in a quiet environment Best time of day: Early morning, afternoon Social: Prefers working quietly alone…

I’m Hyperactive, You’re Hyperactive
By Categories: ADD/ADHD, Body and Brain, Counselors, Educators, Learning, Parents 1 Comment

Implications for a diagnosis Excerpt from chapter 18, “Physical Safety: The Student Body,” in Creating Emotionally Safe Schools (by Jane Bluestein, Ph.D., Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc., 2001). The material shared here was taken from the manuscript from this book. The actual published version may be slightly different. Public schools have begun to issue…

The Animal School
By Categories: Counselors, Differentiating Instruction, Educators, Learning, Learning styles, Non-traditional learners, Parents, Special Needs 22 Comments

A Fable by George Reavis Once upon a time the animals decided they must do something heroic to meet the problems of a “new world” so they organized a school. They had adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took…

The Inclusive Teacher with Margit Crane
By Categories: ADD/ADHD, Counselors, Differentiating Instruction, Educators, Emotionally safe schools, Learning, Non-traditional learners, Parents, Podcast, Special Needs Leave a comment

Success with your ADD and ADHD students Episode Summary: Teachers encounter a wide range of student needs, experiences, abilities, personalities, and behaviors. Dr. Jane Bluestein talks with Margit Crane about ways to accommodate such diversity, assuring teachers that

10 Characteristics of Healthy Adult-Child Relationships
By Categories: Avoiding power struggles with your kids, Behavior Management, Building responsibility, Counselors, Discipline, Discipline, Educators, Emotionally safe schools, Intervening negative behavior, Intervening negative behavior, Modeling positive behavior, Motivating cooperation, Motivating your kids, Parenting, Parents, Problem solving, Recognition and reinforcement, Relationships, School climate, Social and Emotional Growth, Taking care of yourself, Win-win authority, Win-win parenting authority Leave a comment

Description of the characteristics Healthy, functional relationships between adults and children (including teacher-student relationships) are characterized by the following. Increasing the presence of these characteristics in your relationships is a great way to improve commitment, communications, cooperation, and consideration, and reduce stress and conflict as well! This list applies to parents and care-givers as well…