Life skills, also known as behavior skills, are the base on which academic and technical skills are built. In the work world, the biggest issue is not technical skill in employees, rather it's behavior skills. People...

"In education, student engagement refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to the level of motivation they...

In my first years as a special education teacher, I taught a sixth grade student with Down Syndrome to tie her shoes. When her parent came to pick her up one afternoon, the student and I shared the good news. The...

In the book, The Art of Happiness at Work, (Dalai Lama, Cutler, 2009) the obvious conclusion to happy versus unhappy is clearly stated: "Happy people, in contrast, are generally found to be more sociable, flexible,...

After teaching sixth grade math and science my first two years, I was extremely nervous and apprehensive to become a robotics teacher. I did not study robotics in college, and I had never, ever pictured myself in this...

Growing up in rural Nebraska there were three things I knew I would take away from my upbringing: a tenacious work ethic, a strong sense of community, and an obsessive passion for Nebraska football. Legendary football...

This is part 2 in a two-part series on the benefits of video games both in and out of the classroom. Part 1 covers practice and patience, teamwork, socializing, and leadership. Business Acumen While Monopoly may be...

Everyday Leadership Object Prompt A Please take a few minutes to think about characteristics of leaders you know and respect. Then choose an object from the table that...

Does this sound familiar? Advisory programs? What a waste of time! Students just goof around. Advisory programs? Great idea, but who's going to put it together? I'm way too busy already. Advisory programs? What...

I'm a sucker for a good Taylor Swift song. As a 32-year-old middle grades educator I feel confident enough to put that in writing, especially in this venue. The weeks before I began teaching outside of Houston, Texas,...