Tag: accountability
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About Your Son, Connor…
Some thoughts on kids, consequences, parents, schools…and the questionable decision-making abilities of developing humans Your kid messed up; Welcome to the club. Nobody enjoys getting that phone call from school. You know the one. “Hi, this is the school. Do you have a minute to talk about something that happened today?” There is almost no…
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Oh, God… Not That Kid!
There are burdens that come with being a career educator. You carry a lot of kids with you. Not literally, of course. Although after enough years in education, your back probably hurts enough that it feels like you have. You carry their stories. Their struggles. Their successes. Their bad decisions. The ones you worried about.…
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The Discipline of Presence
I said this to a group of colleagues the other day. We were talking about the apparent apathy we see in students—and in many adults. “Failing to show up is giving the world your consent to move on without you.” Their response was thoughtful. They said the line had weight—but maybe it was too harsh.…
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Several Hundred Words Later
We’ve all been there. Not as heroes, not as villains—just as silent witnesses to someone else’s emotional eruption. That strange moment when you realize you’re no longer part of a conversation, but the audience to a performance you never bought tickets for. You don’t interrupt.You don’t argue. You simply stand there, nodding politely, mentally taking…
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Start with the Right Question: A Reflection on School Discipline and Parental Support
It’s never easy getting called into school because of your child’s behavior. As a parent, it can feel frustrating, embarrassing, or even unfair. But in those moments, the most powerful and productive question a parent can ask is: “What can I do to help correct my child’s behavior or misconduct?” Unfortunately, that’s not always where…
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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…