Having spent years watching kids learn, play, and test boundaries, I’ve learned that patterns repeat—and so do opportunities for growth. I hold the unique perspective of having once been one of those kids: pushing limits, testing rules, and discovering boundaries firsthand—a vantage point that now shapes how I approach my work in schools.

Every day in schools, there’s a quiet, relentless battle—a clash of wits and will between students and adults. Conflicts flare, rules are tested, and missteps repeat. Too often, the cycle feels vicious: problems are paused, not solved, only to resurface later, often with different players.

A reminder to all my carbon-based colleagues in education: a referral (sending a student out) only PAUSES the problem.

Real change doesn’t come from a temporary pause—it comes from consistent, repeated engagement. You have to be willing to repeat yourself as many times as it takes for something to take hold, improve, or stick. That’s true for younger students, and it’s true for older ones too—even the high school variety of humans in progress.

Students often need to hear guidance, boundaries, or instructions multiple times before it sinks in, especially when learning a new skill, behavior, or expectation. And just like any skill, the keys are practice, patience, and repetition. Each reminder or conversation isn’t nagging—it’s scaffolding, helping students internalize and apply the lesson.

Here’s the bonus: in the process, adults strengthen their own routines and habits too. 

Make it habitual.

It’s time well invested.

The coffee? Optional—but highly recommended.

There’s more waiting at https://xinkblotz.com. Telling stories, sharing thoughts, and drinking coffee. A blend of fiction, reflection, and whatever’s brewing – one post at a time.