We need a collective pause, a collective reflection, and a collective reckoning with the idea of respect. I have spent the last seven years studying dignity and encouraging prosocial critical thinking in classrooms, organizations, and individuals. My work is grounded in the research of Donna Hicks Ph.D, a pioneer in operationalizing the idea of …
One of the first things I did at the start of a new school year was order personalized pencils. I would hand them out with abandon to students, coworkers, parents, or anyone having a hard moment. I bought them from this rad woman, The Carbon Crusader. She has all kinds of awesome options, but I …
My parents like to talk about how easy I was as a baby. Apparently, I was always happy, smiling, slept seven hours the first night they brought me home, etc. Little did they know it was all a ruse to force them to love me unconditionally before the tides shifted. Emotional consistency in the face …
Sometimes, it still astounds me that I am a teacher. I hated school. I graduated high school with a 2.45 GPA and would frequently call the front office from the bathroom pretending to be my Mom so I could leave for the day. At 15, I went out of my way to learn things about …