10 Nov Letter from a Struggling Student
Dear Teacher, I know you might not think that I care about my grades, but I do. I’m the one about whom everybody always says, “If you just try harder and apply yourself, you would get such high grades,” and “You’re so smart and not living...
03 Oct Homework & Cell Phones
When giving workshops to parents, one of the most common questions that I am asked is what to do about kids who can’t separate themselves from their cell phones during homework time.
03 Sep Shopping for School Supplies
When I was younger, I loved back-to-school time. There’s a special excitement attached to choosing new binders, notebooks, pencils, pens, etc.
26 Aug Validating Your Child’s Feelings
I recently came across an article in Psychology Today called The One Emotion That Really Hurts Your Brain, which discusses a study’s findings that humiliation makes the brain feel very uncomfortable. What struck me about this article, however, was not the outcome of the study, but rather the fact that we, as a society, experience humiliation on a regular basis, sometimes without even realizing it.
24 Jul Putting Yourself Out There and Taking a Risk
I recently went through two situations where I was required to put myself out there and hope for the best. In both cases, I had to trust that others would make the right decisions based on the information that I had provided.
18 Jun Ending the School Year on a Positive Note
Ahhh.. Take a deep breath. The last days of school have finally arrived! Summer vacation is now literally just around the corner and we can almost feel that fantastic relief of being able to breathe easier for two whole months!
26 May Is there really a summer learning gap?
Summer is just around the corner and the debate about whether kids should take the summer off and have fun, or whether they should be enrolled in an academic enhancement or remedial program is at the forefront of Mom conversations everywhere.
13 May Me Want It (But Me Wait): Appreciating your child’s amazing qualities
“Me get this feeling when a box of cookies are on the shelf, Me want to grab it, want to eat it, can’t control myself.” Please watch this video before reading: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PnbKL3wuH4?rel=0&w=560&h=315] Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster has always been somewhat of an impulsive character, having an insatiable...
09 Apr Helping your child become their own person
In a time when diversity is flourishing all around us, especially in a place like Montreal, it deeply saddens me to hear stories such as the one my hairdresser shared with me this week.
You see, he is gay and ‘somewhat flamboyant’ (his words, not mine), and each time that he shops at his local mall, people give him negative looks and make comments about how he is dressed or the clothes that he is buying. He said that over time he has become resilient and always smiles politely, trying not to let people’s judgments of him get under his skin. As I profusely apologized to him on behalf of the human race, I began to think about what my students go through on a regular basis because they themselves are different, having difficulties with attention, hyperactivity, daydreaming, learning disabilities, different interests, or inappropriate social skills.
19 Mar Lessons for Success
One of my students was recently accepted to university. An unlikely candidate diagnosed with ADHD and Auditory Processing Disorder, her high school dutifully explained that she was not meant for Cegep, let alone University. Instead, they suggested that she attend a trade school. She did...
06 Mar How to help your child prepare for June exams – NOW!
Report cards have just been distributed and it's March break-- the perfect time to start thinking about.... (wait for it).... (take a deep breath!).... (here it comes)... EXAMS!That's right, it's time to start thinking about how your child will be preparing for exams.
20 Feb Get Rid of Homework Wars, Part 2: The Schedule
After my last post, I’m sure you have all implemented the calendar system with your kids. How is it working? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback! And now for part two: THE SCHEDULE.
28 Jan Getting Rid of Homework Wars: Step 1
When I meet with students and tell them that they will have to spend time doing “planning work” before doing their actual homework and studying,they often look at me like I’m crazy. I’ve actually become used to that look and usually respond with, “I know you...