Saturday, September 25, 2010

Sound and Sensible Advise

Dr. Steven Schlozman discusses kids, homework, and parental guidance - The Boston Globe

Feeling Overwhelmed?

The goal was to update the blog as least once a week; more for my own growth than for anyone else' benefit. The guilt of missing a week was putting me at risk for an ulcer. The good that resulted was a desperate search for some way of climbing out of this immense sense of being overwhelmed - quite normal for educators and parents in September.

Here are some great tips I found from Peter Bregman. For more information - check out his blog entry "A Practical Plan for When You Feel Overwhelmed." Clicking the "publish post" button will cross one thing off my list - Hooray!

  • First, spend a few minutes writing down everything you have to do on a piece of paper. Resist the urge to use technology for this task. Why? I'm not sure, but somehow writing on paper — and then crossing things out — creates momentum.
  • Second, spend 15 minutes — no more — knocking out as many of the easiest, fastest tasks as you can. Make your quick phone calls. Send your short emails. Don't worry about whether these are the most important tasks on your list. You're moving. The goal is to cross off as many items as possible in the shortest time. Use a timer to keep you focused.
  • Third, when 15 minutes are up, turn off your phone, close down all the windows on your computer, and choose the most daunting thing on your list, the one that instills the most stress or is the highest priority. Then work on it and only it — without hesitation or distraction — for 35 minutes.
  • After 35 minutes, take a break for 10 minutes and then start the hour-long process over again, beginning with the 15 minutes of quick actions.
Now . . . where are those shin-guards?

Saturday, September 11, 2010

The Children of 9/11


I will always remember coming home from the "Water Tower Park" with my toddler, stepping through the threshold and seeing the look in my husband's eyes. We were not yet a cell phone connected family and we had just spent the most serene morning with friends sliding down the big, big slide. The days to follow were life changing for all . . .

But as an elementary school counselor - these are the children who have been on my heart the most through the years. Today, let's send them our collective good wishes by practicing one, two, three or more acts of kindness.

For children of 9/11, answers are slow - The Boston Globe

Friday, September 3, 2010

The Cab Ride

We live very hurried lives in New England. We are efficient and mostly effective. I hope that as the school year opens, we will take some time to do what is important and not always what seems urgent. I got this from a friend. I love the spirit behind the story~ That we need to take the time; but also that the elderly among us are precious!

The Cab Ride