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By Colette Hapi

Happy New Year, everyone! With 2024 upon us, I’ve been reflecting on some of the challenges that my students have faced in managing their assignments so far. One big issue that I’ve noticed is how students are struggling to juggle on-paper and digital homework. This hybrid system has led to a perplexing scenario where parents, eager to support their children, are left in the dark due to delayed school portal updates. The result? Students find themselves lost in a sea of uncertainty, parents are frustrated, and grades appear to be all over the place. But fear not! Together, we can develop a strategy to vanquish this chaos.

With the digital era colliding with traditional paper assignments, students are grappling with a unique set of hurdles. School portals will automatically update an assignment deadline, marking tasks as missing or incomplete – even if a student submitted a hard copy. Teachers don’t always have the bandwidth to grade work the night that it’s turned in, thus causing the portal to possibly show assignments as mistakenly being missing. Students can swear up and down that they’ve turned in their work, but if there’s no update to the school portal, we enter a difficult world where we feel like we have to doubt the student’s honesty. That can lead to tons of resentment and anger directed at the student, the parent, and the teacher. To help reduce these negative feelings, I’ve implemented a simple yet powerful strategy with some of my students to bridge the gap between the analog and digital worlds. This method not only eases the burden on parents but also empowers students to take charge of their academic responsibilities.

The Assignment Tracker Strategy

• Step 1: Empowering Students. I guide my students to maintain an assignment tracker (download a copy of it here!). This isn’t just a digital to-do list; it’s a tangible document that requires a teacher’s signature when an assignment is turned in. This hands-on approach encourages a sense of responsibility and accountability.
• Step 2: Real-time Updates. Rather than relying solely on portal updates, students carry their assignment trackers to class. When they submit a paper assignment, they get the teacher’s signature on the tracker. This simple act becomes a real-time acknowledgment of their submission.
• Step 3: Panicking Parents No More. With teachers updating the portal when they can, parents no longer find themselves in the dark. The assignment tracker acts as a parallel record, providing a tangible way to track their child’s progress without the need for constant portal checks.
• Step 4: Clarity for Students. The assignment tracker isn’t just a formality; it’s a lifeline for students. It serves as a visual representation of their academic journey, allowing students to see exactly what has been turned in and what still requires attention. No more excuses or confusion about the status of assignments!

In the ever-evolving educational landscape, the assignment tracker has proven to be incredibly helpful for my students. It brings order to chaos, empowers students to take control of their academic responsibilities, and provides parents with transparency. I’ve personally witnessed the transformation and am a big proponent of how simple solutions are the most effective. So, here’s to navigating the paper-digital divide and fostering a harmonious academic journey for students, parents, and educators alike. Have a great 2024!

By Jessica Bauman

With the winter holidays upon us, your head might be spinning from wondering what gifts to get for the loved ones in your life. If gift-giving is part of your winter tradition, games make great presents! Games offer a fun activity for the often-increased family time that comes with this season, and learning to play a new game is an excellent way to shake the winter doldrums. As a source of novelty, it can provide a mental energy boost, as well!

Games also provide chances to practice and reflect on executive functioning skills. There’s no shortage of recommendations available online, so you can find the best game tailored to you and your family’s interests, strengths, and ages. The most important thing to remember about these lists is that nearly any game can support executive functioning if intentional conversation points out the skill that the game is demanding and how it might relate to real-world situations. Does the game require players to set priorities? Think flexibly? Make a plan? Control impulses? Focus? Use knowledge of categories and associations? Nearly all games will use at least one of these skills and can, therefore, become a teaching tool!

That said, after an extensive review, I’d like to highlight the following two game ideas. I hope that these ideas, plus intentionally framing any game that your kiddos already love, help you and your family have a holiday full of both fun and skill-building!

For Older Elementary Students (and Perhaps Younger!)

• Kid-friendly, updated takes on chess. The “Game of Kings” is a timeless classic that requires planning, perspective-taking, and problem-solving. You can’t advance far into the game without learning the meaning of the word “strategy,” so it makes sense to place “spin-offs” of it at the beginning of a list of executive functioning games! Several options exist for making the game more engaging and less intimidating for younger children (and older folks who are learning to play!). Storytime Chess and its expansions teach the basic rules and more advanced tactics through a series of characters and stories, for children as young as 3. No Stress Chess, for ages 7 and up, teaches the rules by dictating player moves via cards that players draw. As players gain experience, they increase their independence by selecting from draws of two or three cards.

For Tweens and/or Teens (and Older!)

• Take Among Us off the screen, and make it wordy. If you missed the Among Us craze that took over teens’ phones in recent years – well, you may not know many teens with phones (haha!). The premise of that game is to identify, by careful observation and deduction, which of several players on a spaceship is the “impostor” – i.e., which player is sabotaging other players rather than completing assigned tasks. The Chameleon takes the “find the odd one out” premise and takes it low-tech. It’s recommended for ages 14 and up, but reviewers frequently note enjoying it with children aged as young as 10. In this game, all players but one (the “chameleon”) are privy to a shared word or phrase. Players must say a word that’s obvious enough to signal to other players that they know the secret information, but vague enough to make it challenging for the chameleon to say a word that fits the topic. This game is recommended for a group size no smaller than three people and works better with larger groups (up to 8 people).

Happy gaming this holiday season! What will your family be playing together?

By Gabrielle McLish

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to whip up some potatoes, stuff the 20lb turkey, and sit back and relax while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (or if you’re in my family, opt out of the parade and watch The National Dog Show instead!). While we think of Thanksgiving as a day to spend time with family and friends and eat more food than you would ever consider eating on any other day of the year, the holiday can also be a stressful time for many. There are often many moving parts that go into getting dinner (or lunch) on the table. Only last year did I come to fully appreciate the amount of executive functioning skills that goes in to making Thanksgiving happen.

Until last year, my contribution to the Thanksgiving meal was deciding how many appetizers should be placed out before dinner (a very important job if you’re like me and love hors d’oeuvres). However, last year my family decided to switch it up, and we moved our longstanding tradition of having Thanksgiving at my house to a NEW location. This threw a wrench in my once relaxing and enjoyable holiday. All of a sudden, there was food that needed to be packed into the car, tablecloths and silverware that had to be accounted for, and OOPS – don’t forget a pan big enough to fit the turkey (because I did)!

If you’re like me and keeping track of all these things makes your head spin, here are some tips and tricks to help you stay on top of your Thanksgiving meal this year:

1. Make a list! Simple, I know, but often when we’ve done something over and over for so many years, we assume that we can easily remember what we did the year before. But think about how much happens in between Thanksgivings – it’s a year full of summer BBQ’s, birthdays, and other holiday parties. Making a list at the beginning of November can save you time and energy when approaching the holiday. Google Keep, Google Tasks, or even just the Notes app on your phone all allow you to make checklists that you can refer back to, and they make it easy to check things off as you go. Here’s what my list looks like this year:

   

2. Communicate and Delegate! If you’re eating dinner with others, remember that it’s okay to delegate and ask for help. If this is finally the year that you consider giving up the responsibility of making the stuffing, don’t be afraid to ask someone else to do it. When my Thanksgiving changed, there were so many new things on my plate that my hors d’oeuvres didn’t make it. When it finally came time to set things up, I was disappointed that there was only some leftover cheese and crackers to set out for my friends and family. Basically, I forgot to delegate the job. This year, I’ve already asked my brother to follow in my footsteps so that by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, I won’t have to worry because I know my appetizers will be in good hands.
3. Chunk out your time! This tip is for the day of (T-day, if you will). As we all know, there’s so much to get done on the day that sometimes we don’t even know where to start. To ease the otherwise overwhelming tasks at hand, my suggestion is to chunk out your time, ahead of time. Spend a few minutes looking over your list (which by now you should have already made…right?) and label each item with a time. Then you can set aside chunks of time in your day/on your calendar to make it all seem manageable. Breaking things down into smaller chunks helps our brains make huge tasks more digestible.

Prepping for T-Day can be hard, but you can make it easier by planning ahead! How do you and your family plan on spending the holiday?

By Kristin Backert-Evans

Many of my students will tell me that they’re dreading an upcoming presentation and that public speaking is their least favorite thing in the world. I don’t blame them! Public speaking comes with a unique brand of horror, and it’s something that many people, students and professionals alike, struggle with. Knowing that you might freeze in front of a group of people or might misspeak is a terrifying thought.

Last month, I attended a comic book signing. I was super excited and blew through tons of things that the author had written so that I would be more familiar with his work. But as the signing day got closer, I found that I was dreading it and secretly hoping that it would get canceled. Maybe an earthquake would occur and swallow the comic shop, or maybe a bear would tear through the shop and eat all of the comics. Alas! No more signing!

Even though I was so excited, I was incredibly nervous about speaking to the writer. After all, if you’re going to get something signed, there’s going to be at least a little bit of small talk. In this case, I was going to talk to a guy who redefined my perception of a character, so what on earth could I possibly say to him? Anything that I attempted to say would either be something that he had heard before (“OMG I love your work”), something inane (“uhhh….hi…umm….bye”), or maybe just a vague garbled sound as I choked on my words (“BLARG!”). And if I said something silly, I would possibly perish on the spot. Not only that, I knew that I would likely look ridiculous: when I’m nervous about speaking, I tend to turn red, shake, and sweat. Better to avoid this pain by simply not going to the signing, right?

Although my head said that the logical thing to do was to pretend that the signing wasn’t happening so that I would avoid some mental pain, my heart said otherwise. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve wanted to speak to someone that I admired but ended up chickening out. I’ll never forget the time that I saw David Quammen, one of my favorite science writers, speak at the National Book Festival a few years ago. My husband and I hung back so that we could chat with Quammen afterwards, but I was so nervous that I didn’t say anything; my husband ended up having to carry the whole conversation. I nodded along while they spoke, but I don’t think that I actually heard what they were talking about because I was mentally yelling at myself to say anything, say something, just speak! Oh, I can message authors and such on social media without any problems, but the second they’re literally standing in front of me, it’s like my brain decides that my mouth can’t work and that all power must be diverted to making me turn red as a tomato.

Even though I knew that there was a chance of internal humiliation, I also knew that skipping the comic signing wasn’t ideal because I would feel bummed about not meeting the writer. In order to prepare myself for the inevitable small talk, I had to do a lot of reflecting. Would I turn red and possibly shake? Yes, but there were steps that I could take to mitigate those things, like take deep breaths while waiting in line to calm myself down. And even if I did turn red, so what? Surely I wasn’t the only person in this long line who felt nervous, and no one was really going to pay attention to another fan in line. The most important thing that I did, in my humble opinion, was plan in advance what I wanted to say. For several days, I ran through potential options that wouldn’t embarrass me on the spot. When it came time to get my comic signed, I introduced myself and paused because I could feel my heart starting to go wild. But I took a deep breath and used one of the lines that I had thought of a few days prior, and I actually said it! Just the act of getting that sentence out instantly made me feel better. And when the writer responded positively, that feeling of validation was awesome. We spoke for a few more seconds, and then, boom, it was over.

Days and days of agonizing over a 30-second interaction is nothing new to me, but it’s something that I’m actively trying to change. While I’ll still probably have catastrophic thoughts about everything that could go wrong, I know that I can tell myself something like, “True, but if the comic shop doesn’t get hit by a meteor, here are some things that we can say to the next writer.” This will probably continue to be a work in progress for a long time, but it’s something I’m happy to work toward.

By Cassie Castro

We live in a world that’s buzzing with expectations and suggestions. With so much going on, it becomes easy to forget how to slow things down, be in the moment, and stay authentic to our true selves. Going back to school is an exciting and nervous time for many students as they prepare to once again immerse themselves into a pool of diverse pressures while facing new academic challenges.

By now, you’re probably tired of seeing the popular list of “Back to school” tips that we’ve all become familiar with. This list includes things like:

• Utilizing a planner
• Designing a dedicated space for learning at home
• Having an organizational system for papers and notebooks
• Planning ahead

While these are all tips that we agree and share with our students, there are some practices that are often undervalued and overlooked but can have massive implications for our health and happiness, thus promoting success not only at school but in all aspects of life. Starting these practices at any age can be beneficial to forming healthy, lifelong habits. Some of my favorites include:

• Spend time in nature. Nature lets us come as we are and welcomes us. Nature provides a space for solace from the terrors of technology and suppressions of society.
• Meditate. Take time for active reflection by bringing awareness to both your mind and body. Meditating lets us connect with ourselves in ways we may not have thought possible.
• Practice breathing exercises. Self-soothing and calming is an important tool, especially in an age so filled with uncertainty. Being able to calm yourself in a high-stress situation is key in 2023.
• Plan manageable routines. Create a routine that encourages balance, a routine that allows the practices noted above to be exercised and not rushed or forgotten. Set healthy boundaries, too! Recognize when you need to disconnect from your work email or when you need to get to bed early.
• Find and do your passion. Find an activity that you care about that helps you express who you are. Whether it’s rowing, knitting, or puzzling, find something that allows you to take a step back from the world and enjoy time with yourself.
• Create meaningful relationships. Focus on creating relationships with peers who accept you for who you are and elevate you. Find your people!
• Live in kindness. Let all you do be done with a lens of kindness. Actions in kindness heal yourself and those around you.

While this isn’t your average “Back to School” prep list, these practices are sure to provide you with a sense of peace that’ll promote a successful transition into the start of any school year! What practices are you going to try this year?

By Colette Hapi

And the saga continues.

It’s been a couple of months since my last drumming update, and let’s just say, growth is not for the faint of heart. When my students get frustrated when trying to learn something, I often tell them, “Growing requires us to stretch and to be okay with being uncomfortable. In the process, we may not always get it right, we may not enjoy it, it might seem arduous or tedious or slow, but if we stick to it and trust the process, we’ll grow. And that’s the most essential aspect of the process.” This is advice that I’ve given countless times, so imagine my surprise when I found myself on the receiving end of it. Just like my students, I found myself frustrated with the drumming process and, quite frankly, was fed up. It felt like the time that I was investing was disproportionate to the reward. To make matters worse, I believed that my drumming coach was having me spend time on exercises that were futile instead of teaching me how to play the songs that I wanted to play. UGH!

Recently, I was working with a student who was having a hard time comprehending their math homework, as it required them to use their still-developing analytical and reasoning skills. I had the student focus on exercises that were meant to build a foundation and serve as building blocks to improve their conceptual understanding, critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, confidence, and ability to adapt. The student didn’t immediately see the end goal to taking this slower approach, but as their mentor, I could see that working on these skills would better prepare them for more advanced topics than me simply showing them how to get to the answers the “quicker” way.

Then it dawned on me…My drumming coach was doing the same thing with me. He had me focus on the building blocks so that I could strengthen my analytical and reasoning skills because they’re the backbone of my development as a drummer. These skills empower me to break down complex rhythms, solve technical challenges, understand song structures, and adapt my playing to various musical contexts. By honing these cognitive abilities, I can elevate my drumming skills, enhance my musicality, and become a more versatile and proficient drummer.

Just like my students, I had been looking for the quick solution. Experiencing this firsthand was a humbling reminder of how challenging it can be to persevere through the learning process. I had (and continuously still remind myself) to trust the process and be patient and persistent. Consistent practice and dedication to the exercises provided by my coach will yield positive results over time, and the process can’t be rushed. Progress may not always be immediate, but with continued effort, improvement is inevitable.

As a drummer, I embrace the journey ahead with renewed determination, knowing that it’s in the challenges and frustrations that true growth lies. Armed with the knowledge that analytical and reasoning skills are the key to unlocking my musical potential, I am committed to breaking down complex rhythms, refining my techniques, and adapting to new musical contexts. Just like my students, I’ve recognized that success isn’t defined by shortcuts or immediate results. Instead, it comes from the dedication to honing one’s craft, the willingness to learn from setbacks, and the courage to face the unknown.

As the chronicles of a drummer continue, I embark on this musical odyssey with a heart full of passion, humility, and the understanding that the journey itself is as valuable as reaching the destination. And with each beat of the drum, I embrace the growth that lies ahead, knowing that the true joy of drumming is found in the process of becoming the best musician that I can be.

 By Madeline Albertine

It’s officially summer, and with that typically comes increased family time since kids are home from school and *mostly* homework free! For parents looking to keep their children occupied but still squeeze in quality time, reading books and watching movies together may be the way to go. In my house, I was taught to ALWAYS read the book before watching the movie adaptation because my mom is a big believer that the book is always better. While I completely agree with this sentiment, watching a movie after reading a book is a fun and exciting reward. This summer, I challenge you to encourage your kids to read a book with a movie adaptation so that after they finish, the whole family can enjoy a movie together – complete with snacks, of course! Here are some of my personal book-to-movie recommendations:

Bridge to Terabithia: Katherine Paterson

• This book is about a young boy and girl who befriend each other and create a “new world” for themselves using their imaginations. This fantasy play bonds the two of them until tragedy strikes. Warning: this book deals with serious topics like death. The movie of the same name was released in 2007.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Roald Dahl

• A young boy named Charlie obtains a rare Golden Ticket that gives him access to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. While spending the day in the factory, Charlie experiences magical moments and encounters moral challenges.
• Two movies have been made about this book: 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder, and 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp.

Holes: Louis Sachar

• This book follows a young boy, Stanley Yelnats, as he gets falsely accused of theft and sent away to a bootcamp. While at camp, readers learn how the actions of others affect Stanley in the present. This book deals with serious topics such as racism, fate, and friendship. The movie of the same name came out in 2003.

Harry Potter (the series): J.K. Rowling

• Harry Potter is a seven-book series, beginning with Sorcerer’s Stone. The books follow a wizard named Harry as he progresses through Hogwarts, a school for witchcraft and wizardry. Each book was turned into a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe. The books can be read first with a movie marathon held after, or you can be like my family and read a book, watch the movie, read the next book, watch the movie, and so on.

After watching these movies as a family, have your kiddos draw comparisons and spot differences between the books and the movies. How did they feel about the changes? Were certain parts cut out of the movie? Do your children agree with the changes? If they are anything like me, they may strongly dislike when movies veer too far from the books!

By Kristin Backert-Evans

You know how people will sometimes say that too much of a good thing can make it a bad thing? Well, friends, I am here to tell you that this is simply not true. How is too much ice cream bad for you? Or too much chocolate? It simply isn’t!

I like to follow that mantra for all aspects of my life, including how I stay organized. At some point in your life, I’m sure that you’ve used a checklist. Maybe you used one to remind you about items to buy at the grocery store, assignments to complete at school, or worlds to dominate. Checklists are a tidy way to help you keep track of the millions of things that need to get done. So, you may be wondering why I keep not one, not two, but THREE checklist systems. After all, wouldn’t the naysayers tell you that this is overkill?

For some people, my three-checklist system might be too overwhelming. But for me, it’s extremely helpful because it allows me to categorize the tasks that I need to complete. There are so many moving parts in my life, and trying to keep it all in my head, let alone restricted to one checklist, just doesn’t cut it. Let me show you!This sloth checklist (adorable, right?) contains long-term things that I need to complete in both my personal and professional life. For example, I might have reminders to buy my mom a birthday present or to write the Thinking Organized June blog post on here. Typically, the items on this checklist aren’t due for at least a few weeks. The sloth helps me think about the bigger picture.This plan of attack checklist (very determined!) contains immediate tasks that I need to complete. I only place work-related items on this list so that I don’t fall behind in anything. These items are things that I want to finish within the next two weeks, like reading and commenting on something that a colleague sent me. I pull professional items from my sloth checklist to put on this checklist when I want to free up some space on the sloth.

This last checklist is just so stinkin’ precious to me! It’s Pokémon-themed, which speaks to my heart. On this checklist, I plan out what to do on a daily basis. I pull items from my plan of attack checklist so that I have a clear goal of what I want to accomplish every day. This is something that I started back in college, as it made my life easier to set some daily goals so that I could handle all of my assignments.

Maintaining three checklists isn’t for everyone, but it works for me! I love that I get to use checklists with fun designs that also allow me to be organized in a way that works best for me. Plus, having so many checklists means that I get to use all sorts of cool pens (if you couldn’t tell, I love collecting cute pens). Are you a checklist kind of person? What do you use to stay organized?

By Jessica Bauman

I appreciate all the things that my phone does for me. It keeps me connected to friends and family. It helps me access information on demand. It’s a source of needed entertainment on my Metro commute. 

However, I’m also wary of how much of a time-stealer it can be. It’s easy to rack up screen time minutes I would rather be spending doing something else while just mindlessly browsing news or shopping sites. I’m sure this ambivalent relationship is something that you’ve experienced too! 

With the recent change of seasons, I’ve engaged in a bit of spring cleaning of my phone habits. I’ve found three easy changes that help me focus on using my phone for all the reasons I appreciate, while reducing the time “stolen.” These ideas boil down to a guiding principle of minimalism. They make my phone appear visually as calming and streamlined as possible. That way, when I first look at my phone, I stay focused on what I’m truly meaning to do with it.

I’m happy to share these three ideas with you now!

• Widgets. My most frequently used, productivity-boosting apps are now widgets on my home page. A widget takes up more room than an app, so there are fewer things on the homepage to steal my attention. Widgets also display key pieces of information from the app, so I can often answer a question like, “What are my top reminders today?” without even opening the app.
• Grayscale. An underused accessibility feature intended for people with colorblindness, grayscale makes everything on your phone appear gray, white, or black, like you’re looking at a non-color e-reader. This makes looking at the phone less fun and, frankly, less addicting. If I truly need to look at photographs or something with color, I turn the settings to color, then back to grayscale.
• Unsubscribing. This positively impacts other devices I use, as well. For the past month, any time I get a marketing e-mail I don’t want in my inbox, I hit Unsubscribe. I do the same with “Report Junk” in text messages. Even in the first few days of this, I noticed a surprising reduction in the number of notifications received, and, even more importantly, in the number of e-mails or texts I had to look through (and later delete) to get to important ones.

Our phones have become crucial parts of our lives, but it’s important to not let them completely take over our lives! What are your spring cleaning goals when it comes to your phone?