We all want our children to be successful. They may have the intelligence, mindset, and potential to be successful, but something seems to get in their way. Over the years, I have had children describe themselves in different ways. Some children use the following words to describe themselves: artistic, funny, fun, serious, smart, and capable.
Resilient, self-relient, self-advocates, effective time managers, and excellent communicators are happy empowered children. When a child has strategies they don’t become paralyzed. When children don’t have strategies, they see no recourse and receive no relief. Covid proved we need to have a different focus on your children’s future education. The focus on academic achievement got
Math facts are one thing that will need to be visited every summer. Some people work under the premise that more practice is better, but the opposite is true. All research proves that memorization without understanding and cramming for tests will not create lasting memories. Math teachers will agree that the most common mistakes they
When we ask questions or have hard conversations with others, we are making ourselves vulnerable. Most people fear being vulnerable. It takes courage to open ourselves to shame or criticism. And learning how to allow oneself to recognize and address those who shame is a powerful life skill we can give our children. According to
Today I decided to take myself to the beach. I find the effect of the ocean releases creativity. So with a journal in hand, I walked down the cliff to the majestic Crystal Cove in California. The weather was perfect. There weren’t many people, so it provided the feel of a somewhat private beach. As
I am receiving a large number of questions, and because they can apply to many people, I wanted to share the answers. Today’s Question “Why does answering questions in an online classroom give me more anxiety than answering questions in a physical classroom?” This is a great question, because the question is the key to
I have been asked many times what is my secret to helping children overcome learning obstacles and grow into thrivers. The success comes when the children understand they can’t blame anyone or anything for what they are dealing with. They learn how to look at a challenge and see how they can take responsibility for
Beliefs are individual’s truth until one sees through other’s lenses. I am hoping to help parents and teaches examine the beliefs or myths that parents and educational institutions have promoted for the last 40 years, and build a better future for our children that focuses on how to thrive instead of survive. Myth #1: Every
I wrote the following poem about 26 years ago with my mother, that expressed the challenges we were having with children being too dependent on their parents to help them with homework. I sit at this paper and I stare and I think. This homework and these projects have me right on the brink! The
Children are manifesting many puzzling behaviors today. Parents are reporting unexplained tantrums. When asked why they threw a fit, most children can’t explain it. Others are avoiding work that they once would tackle without trouble. I believe we are seeing the impact of a prolonged period of unnatural stress and fear. Many students are absorbing
Victoria is an educational consultant, nationally recognized speaker. Her over 50 years in education has been focused on developing resilient self-reliant self-advocates who know how to tap into their innate ability to independently solve challenges.