9 ways to help boys form the close friendships they crave
Boys want to share the full range of their feelings, but many of them consider that too risky, feminine and “touchy feely.” If we give them the means to buck male stereotypes and form the…
Boys want to share the full range of their feelings, but many of them consider that too risky, feminine and “touchy feely.” If we give them the means to buck male stereotypes and form the…
In addition to teaching, it seems we’re expected to be human shields,” one teacher says. Principals are hearing about school systems training teachers to use guns, or practicing drills with swarms of police officers and…
When we put our own oxygen masks on first, everyone benefits. We become less reactive and more giving colleagues, better friends, calmer parents — and, for those of us who work in schools — more…
The first installment of my regular column, “The Meaningful Middle,” for AMLE Magazine. Workplace satisfaction is complex—especially in schools — as seventh-grade English teacher Maggie knows well. She was intrigued by one of the items…
When this seventh grade boy was shunned for making a mistake, he chose to do something incredibly courageous. His classmates’ reaction blew me away and made all the adults in the room cry. Sean sat…
I enjoyed presenting at McQuaid Jesuit in New York yesterday. I talked about staying connected with teen sons, and I shared the importance of knowing, honoring and accepting your child for who he is rather…
Here’s my Washington Post video on talking to kids about sex, along with some classic movie clips! Read the full article here in the Washington Post
In eighth grade, my social studies teacher asked for a volunteer to define “sagacious.” Atypically, I raised my hand. Ms. F. called on me, surprised to see me participating. But when I gave the correct…
My 15-year-old son texted me from a small bookstore in Massachusetts. “Can you please come here now?” It was a rainy day, and I had popped into the Starbucks next door. I grabbed my coffee…
When I was a first-year middle school counselor, I went on an outdoor education trip with my sixth graders. Just before we left, I learned that I would be in charge of teaching the kids…
I still have the handmade pillow I sewed with a friend in fourth grade. We wrote “best friends forever” in puffy paint across the surface. I also have the “slam book” my friends and I…
A year ago, an eighth grade student came into my counseling office looking stricken. Over the weekend, Lara’s parents had told her they were moving from Maryland to a country in South America. Her father’s…
Even my iPhone thought I was overextended. On a Sunday night, a message flashed across my screen: “There’s a lot going on tomorrow. There are nine events scheduled, and the first one starts at 4…
I recently ran into a former coworker, a science teacher on the cusp of change. He was starting a family and considering a switch to administration. We started talking about how we solve dilemmas. An…
Kate kept wondering why her principal hadn’t responded to her email. One of her student’s parent’s had sent a note to both of them complaining about her homework policy. Kate had written the principal a…
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