Exploring Genius

In addition to the StrengthsExplorer curriculum that started the year (I have students writing personal narratives based on their strengths right now - I'll let you know how that goes after we get past the first drafts), I've also been exploring the idea of doing Genius Hour with my students. I've admitted before and I'll...

Testing the Waters

Testing... testing... Is this thing on? After two years of silence, I've probably lost most of my loyal followers, but that's OK. I'm here now because I need to write and process ideas again, and this is a good place to do that. I always lose the spiral notebooks I scribble in. If any of...

The gears are still turning.

I got a call from a teacher friend yesterday.  She calls a lot, actually.  She likes to use me as a sounding board as she plans out her curriculum and lesson plans.  Yesterday she was formulating a plan for an independent reading project, but over the years and countless phone hours we've hashed through job applications,...

Strong for Someone Else

"It hurts!"  She gasped and sobbed as she stumbled along behind me.  "It hurts!" "It's OK, I know.  We're almost back.  We'll be OK, you'll see.  You can do it."  I kept up what I hoped was a soothing monologue, all the while ignoring each new scratch and cut tearing at my legs.  I was...

Young American Restorations

My husband and I recently began watching our way through the first two seasons of American Restoration through our Amazon Prime account.  For those unfamiliar with the show, it follows the work of Rick Dale of Rick's Restorations.  He and his employees take old pieces of Americana that are rusted and falling apart, and they...

Someone Other Than Miley

Alright, I'll take the bait.  I wasn't going to write about Miley's and Robin's infamous VMA performance, because quite frankly, I didn't want to give it an ounce more recognition than it deserves.  I realize I live in a world where I can't walk through a grocery checkout line without learning something new about one...

Real Life World-Changers

This week I had the opportunity to witness amazing examples of teen leadership.  I've read the stories of world-changing teens and seen the absolute potential pulsing in my classrooms, but I haven't had many opportunities to work with living examples of what's really possible.  This week I did. I should probably toss on a disclaimer...

6 Reasons Teen Blogs are Awesome

*Note:  Many people stumble across the post through the search term "teen blogs."  For a list of blogs that I follow authored by teenagers, please check out the post My Dream Class, and scroll down to the end of the article. I wish blogging had been a "thing" when I was a teenager.  Instead, I went to...

Why We Need to Explore Teenage Talents

As I keep reading StrengthsFinder 2.0 and work through the assessment, I find myself once again pondering the ideas of Emerging Adulthood and identity explorations in teens.  I went back and reread Jeffrey Jensen Arnett's chapter on "The Road Through College," and I think this is where I have my biggest problem with the whole...

My Next Step – Rethinking “Classroom Management”

I knew that if I was to seriously discuss bringing strengths-based training into high schools, I would eventually have to read this book.  I honestly wasn't that excited to read it, because I kind of figured it would just be a repetition of what I've already read in Find Your Strongest Life and The Truth...