When I interviewed for a Health teaching position, I was asked how I would teach Health. My reply was, I focus on one key thing, my student’s future hopes and dreams. The Principal pulled out our State Health Standards, tapped on the page and said what does hopes and dreams have to do with these Health Standards? My answer… Read more »
Wishing you all the best in 2018 and always: happiness, love, health, joy and everything you can possibly wish for! Hope all your dreams come true, no matter how big they are! Be sure to email me or make comments on the website if you like something or want to suggest something for us to discuss. Janet McCoy at: janet@thehealthymindcurriculum.com… Read more »
Which is better, being an individual thinker or being a team player? Is it possible to be both? Well, Alexis de Tocqueville (Democracy in America) insinuated nearly 200 years ago that there was a possibility Americans were both. While touring the 13 colonies he observed a basic tension in our national character that was / is an important contradiction of… Read more »
According to Angela Lee Duckworth, a teacher turned psychologist, GRIT is the factor that will determine whether a student will succeed or fail. According to Angela, GRIT is “passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. GRIT is stamina. GRIT is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not for the month, but for years,… Read more »
It matters what children see and hear. They breathe it in like air and will model it before your eyes. Their models are their parents and family members — we know what we know from our families. We inadvertently do what they do without even knowing it until someone points it out. My daughter sent me a video of my… Read more »
Life is a Choice — Here is a selction of 5 minute activities where students copy the advice and compose two to three sentences why they agree or disagree (just pick a thought for the day). 1. No is a complicated word. “No” can mean “No”. Sometimes “No” means “Not yet”. Sometimes “No” means “Too soon”. Sometimes “No” means “Keep… Read more »
What is Sexting? There was a front page (that continued to the entire back page) article in the local paper today (April 27, 2017). The local police are going to middle and high schools to explain social media consequences in hopes of preventing future cases of cyberbullying and child pornography. Did you know, one in five teenagers is sending… Read more »
Here is a Cool Video to Help you Figure Out What 212 Degrees Means. How you spend your time could be the difference between dreaming about the life you want and actually getting it. Big or small, you should push yourself do the things that bring you one step closer to greatness — even when you don’t feel like doing… Read more »
The trick in teaching is give students just enough information to do an activity. Where they have to apply knowledge to a situation they / friend / or stranger will likely experience. Their job is to figure out — a) What is the wise thing to do? b) What did I learn from this………………? In other words, the student internalizes… Read more »
This is an important tool to help students of all ages distinguish the characteristic marks of a person who uses the language of ideology versus a person who uses the language of a principled position. Not every person arguing vigorously for a position is putting forth an ideology. Some actually are expressing what they believe is a serious position and… Read more »