Mariano Velez

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  • Behavior Is Not Static

    Behavior is not fixed. It’s fluid, dynamic, and shaped by a continuous exchange between individuals and their environment. At its core, behavior is interaction — a response to internal drives or external stimuli. Hunger, attention, fear, joy, the need for safety or belonging — all of these spark behavioral responses, often unconsciously. In our classrooms,…

  • Showing Up Matters: Even on Empty

    For many, the day begins with a routine — a shower, a coffee, a to-do list. But for others, the day starts already behind. The alarm clock doesn’t mark a fresh start; it signals a race to catch up. Whether due to overwork, family obligations, economic hardship, health struggles, or emotional stress, some people begin…

  • The Power and Purpose of School Discipline

    In today’s world, some may question why schools emphasize discipline. Why require students to wear their full uniform each day? Why insist on punctuality, preparedness, and adherence to classroom expectations? Why limit distractions like phones, and why hold students to high standards of behavior and academic effort? The answer is simple, yet deeply important: we…

  • A Quiet Place

    In the quiet spaces of our day to day existence, life can weigh heavy, and even the strongest spirits can grow tired. It is in the quiet moments of self reflection that we often find our path back to balance. 

  • Chasing Shadows

    Searching for answers often feels like chasing echoes—grasping for clarity in a world that seldom offers certainty; as if chasing shadows. It’s not always about finding definitive truth, but learning to sit with the questions, letting them shape who we become. In the end, the search itself may hold more meaning than the answers we…

  • Language of Learning

    Here is a little thought for us all to ponder… We are ALL instructors of language – we MUST teach our students the LANGUAGE OF LEARNING, be it in Math, Science, History, English and even in P.E.  We MUST teach our kids to be effective communicators in any subject; their success, and ours depends on…

  • Rules of Engagement

    In schools, they are known by many names: rules, expectations, guidelines, directions, pathways to learning, the code, the blueprint, standards, norms, recipe for success, to name just a few. They can serve a far greater purpose than simple managing behavior. In my classroom, I considered those the norms for our interactions, as they were m,…

  • Every person with a smartphone is a potential broadcaster.  The world is watching…..

  • Who are your favorite artists?

    Who are your favorite artists? Painters Norman Rockwell, Bob Ross, LeRoy Neiman Comic artists Michael Turner, Jim Lee, Cary Nord, Marc Silvestri Cartoonist Bill Watterson Illustrator Heinrich Kley A rather unconventional list I would say….

  • Philosophy

    Philosophy….that wonderful thing that can make us look both intelligent and absolutely out of our minds all at the same time……..

  • That’s saying something…

    There is something to be said about saying nothing at all.

  • Life disconnected….

    Your life without a computer: what does it look like? No computer? No problem. For me living disconnected from the grid would be sipping a cup of coffee while sketching, drawing or painting. It would be plucking the strings of a guitar and singing. It would be playing my trumpet. It would be me walking…