I’m doing a spot of PD work with a district in California this month, and one task they’ve blessed me with is making connections between the CASEL 5 (pictured below) and the Five Key Beliefs (pictured below that). This really was a blessing of a task because it’s something I’ve always meant to do but […]
Archives for November 2022
Think and Thank on Your Scarletts Today
A couple years ago, I wrote an article about a former student of mine, whom we’ll call Scarlett for the sake of anonymity. You can click on that link to read the full story — it’s quite brief — but the gist is this: I had assumed that Scarlett’s time in my class did her […]
The Zoom Out Method
The other day I was speaking with my sister-in-law Amber, and she gave me a great method for practicing perspective. When you find yourself stressed, do the zoom out. If you’re in a situation where you can close your eyes to do this exercise, great. If you’re not (e.g., driving a vehicle or teaching a […]
Woodenize All of It
Update from Dave: My new book is out, and it highlights ten practical methods for improving student motivation in all kinds of classrooms. One of those strategies is — you guessed it — Woodenize All of It. Get your copy here. One of the best things you can do to help students put forth greater […]
What If We Had Time?
A few weeks ago, I had an epiphany: what if, instead of rushing bedtime with my kids, I pretended that I had enough time to give them the love they each desired? It’s a silly question, really. Many of you are likely the kind of superstar parents that would never need to ask this. But […]