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Friday, September 7, 2012

Typical parent thoughts.

My youngest played his first high school(freshman) football game last night. I enjoy the complete range of emotions evoked when watching him play. Pride takes the lead. I am proud of his hard work, willingness to expose himself physically and being made co-captain while playing both center and defensive end.  Seeing him in position and tackling the running back single handedly on the corner was thrilling for this dad. It was sad that as a team they were soundly thrashed by the opponent 53-0. One of his teammates ran into him in the 3rd quarter and I could see that he was hurting with his left arm hanging by his side, but he didn't think to come out until his coaches called him over before the next play. The protective parent wants to run down and comfort him but coaches and trainer were very attentive and the fearful, tense dad waited until the end of the game. He walked toward me after the game and the coaches post-game talk and it broke my heart to see him fighting back tears. He stated, " I'm going to have the trainer look at it, I heard it pop". I think not only the pain but the thought of missing football was overwhelming for him at that point.
By the time he came home with his brother an hour later he had a big bag of ice taped to his shoulder and had a look of satisfied accomplishment on his face, followed by a whoop of joy when his mom brought home his favorite sub.
I do like my buddies suggestion for his new nickname, "Bloodbath".

Friday, June 1, 2012

Responding to "cannibal fever," CDC denies existence of zombies

 
 

Sent to you by Brent via Google Reader:

 
 

via Boing Boing by Xeni Jardin on 6/1/12

"CDC does not know of a virus or condition that would reanimate the dead (or one that would present zombie-like symptoms)," wrote the US government agency spokesman David Daigle in an email to The Huffington Post.


 
 

Things you can do from here:

 
 

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Get 'em while they're young.

 
 

Sent to you by Brent via Google Reader:

 
 

via Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow on 5/3/12

The principal at Lincoln High, an "alternative" school in Walla Walla, WA that was used as a dumping ground for kids with "behavioral" problems, decided to ditch the "zero-tolerance" approach to school discipline. Instead, Jim Sporleder tried treating traumatized, furious kids with compassion and understanding. Their behavior improved dramatically.

2009-2010 (Before new approach)
* 798 suspensions (days students were out of school)
* 50 expulsions
* 600 written referrals

2010-2011 (After new approach)
* 135 suspensions (days students were out of school)
* 30 expulsions
* 320 written referrals

...These suspensions don't work for schools. Get rid of the "bad" students, and the "good" students can learn, get high scores, live good lives. That's the myth. The reality? It's just the opposite. Says the NEPC report: "…research on the frequent use of school suspension has indicated that, after race and poverty are controlled for, higher rates of out-of-school suspension correlate with lower achievement scores."

There are just two simple rules, says Turner.

Rule No. 1: Take nothing a raging kid says personally. Really. Act like a duck: let the words roll off your back like drops of water.

Rule No. 2: Don't mirror the kid's behavior. Take a deep breath. Wait for the storm to pass, and then ask something along the lines of: "Are you okay? Did something happen to you that's bothering you? Do you want to talk about it?"

It's not that a kid gets off the hook for bad behavior. "There have to be consequences," explains Turner. Replace punishment, which doesn't work, with a system to give kids tools so that they can learn how to recognize their reaction to stress and to control it. "We need to teach the kids how to do something differently if we want to see a different response."

Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, WA, tries new approach to school discipline — suspensions drop 85% (via Making Light)


 
 

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