To my fellow parents, I’m about to save you from your own expectations about summer learning. At this point in May, summer feels like that land of promise and endless possibility. We plan on learning from every mistake from past [...]
I’ve been thinking a bit about procrastination. It’s finally spring in Minnesota, and it seems that along with 60-degree weather and sun, we’ve tend to put off whatever needs to get done. Over my time working with students and reading [...]
Click. How many times a day do you feel the lenses of other people trained on you? Do you imagine what they notice—the coffee stain, the rogue zit, the quaver in your voice? Our (often misguided) ideas of how others [...]
“She’s a natural.” You’ve heard it a million times regarding a talented athlete, academic, artist, musician—anyone who performs above and beyond the normal range of talent, In fact, there’s a movie starring Robert Redford (throwback to the 1980s) with that [...]
“You’re never going to feel like it,” offers Mel Robbins in reference to working out. I’ll add: “But you’ll never regret it when you’re done. And it makes you stronger, too.” How did we make this drastic discussion shift—from finding [...]
As ever-adventurous neighborhood travelers, my daughter and I attempted a new shortcut to her friend’s house this weekend. We also like to sing a little in the car, and we anticipated our accomplishment with a melodious mix of Pentatonix’s “White [...]
Dear Generation Z, aka iGens, aka “teenagers,” I’m worried about you. I know, I’m a worrier. But this world isn’t like it was when I was your age, or even like it was ten years ago, when I was tutoring [...]
Ok, so when it comes to getting to the gym, I’m pretty disciplined. But I’m disciplined because I enjoy it—the adrenaline, the focus, the sense of accomplishment. I’ve just always been that way. And because I love working-out-hard, I have [...]
Do you talk to yourself? I do. Like when I’m making a list of things to pack for the cabin, helping a student with a science question on the ACT, or making sure my grocery list is complete. I’m mentally [...]
When Jennifer Zick’s first child was diagnosed with ADHD in first grade, Jennifer was scared. “As first-time parents, the diagnosis was overwhelming. We didn’t want her labeled or limited, but we realized some things would be harder for her.” Over [...]
