I’ve loved reading since I was a little girl. Books were an escape for me and allowed me to learn about the world beyond my circumstances. Books gave me hope and rallied me when I was down. Books helped me envision a life of vacations to exotic places with beautiful palm trees. Books inspired me to consider a different way.

Since my early years of Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys mysteries, I’ve used some of the 49 books on this list to facilitate faculty book talks, host professional development...

A foxhole is a hole in the earth that is used by a soldier as a small fort. From the safety of a foxhole, troops are protected somewhat against enemy fire.

An administrator I work with said to me "You are the person I want next to me in the foxhole! You get it!" I really appreciated this compliment because the people in your foxhole (aka work, school, and life) should always lift you up and protect you from the enemy. The enemy in this case being people (‘negative nellies’ or ‘emotional vampire...

Make today great!

Do it for yourself, your friends, and your family. It’s so easy to get caught up in a negative mindset and pulled into the minutiae of what is going wrong in our lives, or at the job, or in the world. Instead of focusing on the plight of all that is wrong, focus on what is going right! Live your life in the ‘Positivity Zone’.

Eckhart Tolle said “Every ego wants to be special. If it can’t be special by being superior to others, it’s also quite happy with being especially miser...

This is a special guest column written by Dr. Jennifer Ramos. 

Joy  \ jȯi \  a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

A Teacher's Perspective

Teaching, for the past 16 years, has brought me a tremendous amount of joy.  As a teacher that helps students map out their post-secondary path as well as a plan to reach their goals, my job is incredibly rewarding.  

The Problem Right Now

I haven’t seen a student, in person, since March 6 of last school year.  I’m on zoom, each day of the week, ...

The Crisis of Calm is Real

Are you or someone you know experiencing a crisis of calm? Do you feel like you are in the cycle of reactivity where everything is elevated and magnified? What is the biggest gift you can give yourself right now? Calm.

Calm can be challenging to accomplish and it’s what you need to overcome the current challenges and persist for the rest of the year. The frantic pace that many are experiencing can only be sustained for so long and run the risk of burnout.

You Are ...

Let's Change the World One Positive Parent Experience at a Time

In the spirit of teaching excellence, I challenge you to incorporate a strategy that I began implementing early in my teaching career. The ‘Positive Parent Phone Call Challenge’ is a strategic parent engagement initiative where positive parent phone calls are employed to improve school and classroom culture and ultimately student achievement and success. Not only is it a strategic effort. It has the power to change the world simply...

Life can be tough.

Have you ever felt like giving up? Do you need a little extra motivation? Do you have a past regret? Have you been through unusually tough life circumstances? Does it feel like you keep hitting a brick wall? Sometimes the challenges that come our way are more than we think we can handle. One after the next, difficulty after difficulty. 

A few years ago, I read the article Don't Despair; success is near (you can click on the link to access it yourself). Please let it be my gi...