Digital devices provide kids with the capacity to connect with each other like never before. No longer confined by geography , classroom walls or home, they have unprecedented access to a constant stream of friends, information and entertainment. While our kids emerge as savvy inhabitants of this digital world, parents are left to monitor, negotiate,…
When Gail posted her item about a favourite or memorable teacher, I cast my mind back to my school days. I had a couple of teachers who I know liked me but none stood out as particularly special. I didn’t meet my significant mentor until I was well into my own career as a teacher….
What would our world be like if our children’s teachers provided warm, secure, and loving relationships with our children before implementing any learning programs? What if our children could look forward to going to school each day with enthusiasm, eager to see their caring teachers? When I look back through my own school years, I…
I started Kindergarten two months after turning five, and eight months after my father died. My teacher was Miss Neronovich. She smelled wonderful. She was young and pretty with a tall golden beehive hair-do, short bright-coloured skirts, and the most inviting smile and warm eyes I could imagine. I fell in love with her on…
The other day I had a bit of a shock when I realized Mrs. Haskins, my beloved grade 2 and 3 teacher, would now be close to 100 years old. Mrs. Haskins was one of my favourite teachers because she had a wonderful blend of alpha qualities; she was kind yet firm. She was definitely in…
I still remember my parents’ conversation. I was playing on the living room floor. My ears pricked up when I heard my father saying to my mother, “Well, we want her to have a good Grade One teacher to give her a good start, and Miss Cox is the better of the two teachers.” Yay!…
As we move into September and back into the swing of school routines, homework, and after-school activities, I often remind parents to be extra sensitive to the presence of the ‘overlies’ in their children. I use the term ‘overly’ to refer to the state of being over-tired, over-excited, overwhelmed, overly frustrated, over-stretched and over-the-top with…
The phone rang at 9:30 pm. I looked at the call display and didn’t recognize the name. After a long and crazy day at work as a school counsellor, I debated whether I should just let it ring, or pick it up. I picked it up. The voice of a woman flooded me with her…
Our guest contributor for this editorial is Sara Easterly from Seattle, Washington. She has taken a number of courses through the Neufeld Institute and we are pleased to have received this submission from her. A brief bio for Sara is included at the end of the editorial. In the last month there’s been an intense…
There are many places in my life where my patience is tested and I am offered yet another opportunity to stretch towards maturity. This is definitely the case when dealing with the daily tensions between my children. They remind me of playful and rambunctious pups always ready to jump, leap, and attack! Playfulness can…