We instituted a new bed time rule for my 10 year old that is effective, yet incredibly counter-intuitive. For months, bed time has been a disaster -- a near-nightly carousel of meltdowns and fits and frustrated outbursts (for both parties). But I finally stepped out of my "ineffective dad-thinking" and into "Affective Teacher thinking." If this were a student, how would I apply my understanding of emotions (like anger) to this bedtime routine? With that, a new rule: No physical play outside...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
One of my weirdest behaviors these days revolves around Instagram. I have a like/hate relationship with social media. On one hand, social media allows me to connect with folks like you and share ideas I nerd out about, like the science of positive emotions. My wife and I lie in bed on Sunday mornings and show each other funny reels until we are giddy laughing. But I despise how these apps are designed for addiction: I find myself compulsively and mindlessly checking, refreshing, and jumping...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
"Start with one sentence." That's been my mantra the past week as I work with students on their writing projects. To many, the idea of writing one whole page seems as daunting as Mount Everest. But an interesting thing happens when I frame it as a simple, short-term goal: "Write one sentence and I'll check back in a minute." Usually, they write a sentence. Then another. And sometimes another, before I even need to check in. Most of the time we just need a tangible, accessible goal to get...
2 months ago • 1 min read
I've been nerding out about the science of emotions for nearly two decades, but my knowledge wasn't fully tested until my son was born ten years ago. My son has long struggled with emotional regulation -- due in large part to his ADHD and Anxiety. Despite spending my career trying to understand how emotions affect learning and decision-making, I continue to be surprised by how his regulation struggles show up in different contexts, particularly school contexts. Here's one: Which academic area...
3 months ago • 1 min read
How do we motivates students to study? That was our dilemma this week with our 10th graders. We know there are plenty of intrinsic motivators like autonomy, competence, and relevance. But, we often have an "assessment dilemma"; Sometimes students have to do tasks which: A) Are common assessments that don't allow a lot of autonomy B) Require motivation and effort to build competence C) Are hard to reframe as deeply relevant to their lives (if they don't care about grades, per se) So, we had to...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Last week I started a teaching stint at my former high school. It's been a few years since I've taught there and two things stood out: I barely knew anyone Barely anyone knew me Staff turnover meant I knew maybe a third of the staff (a handful of them former students). More than that, students were more likely to know my wife (their 2nd grade teacher) than know who the heck I was. One student, upon walking into class said, "Are you like one of those...wannabe teachers?" I think she meant...
4 months ago • 1 min read
4 seconds. That's the average time between camera or view shifts in modern t.v. shows, movies, and YouTube videos. That means, every 4 seconds, there's a zoom in, zoom out, change of scene or new element being added. That's just the average -- watch a show aimed at kids and you'll see those shifts happening even faster. What's happening here and why does this matter for teaching (and life)? Scene shifts used to be about supporting the storyline and setting (e.g. zooming in to intensify a...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Belonging is built in drops but lost in buckets. It can take dozens if not hundreds of experiences to help someone feel like they belong in a group. Yet, one micro (or macro) exclusion can destroy that belonging. Added to the challenge is that, to belong, we need two feelings: a) I have commonalities with the group b) The group values me as a unique member Take these together and it means that teachers and leaders need to regularly and proactively provide two experiences: Help individuals...
4 months ago • 1 min read
I'm terrible at reading books these days. Not that I'm illiterate. I just struggle to sustain my attention and interest in long-form books. Even watching a movie challenges me as I feel the compulsive itch to check my email or peruse social media. Can you relate? If so, it's not because we lack character. It's because the attention economy has shaped us this way. We live in a world where our attention translates to revenue for tech and media companies. And, they've learned how to hijack our...
5 months ago • 1 min read