Been there, done that. And it never get...

The cycle is complete. Year end tasks are being completed at educational institutions all over the nation.  Books being collected; final reports getting their finishing touches; calendars for the next year being finalized; teachers and students saying their good-byes. I have been on this Merry-go Round since 1968.  And it never gets old. Last night I attended the middle school awards and graduation event for our school. Not only did thirty excited and emotional young teens shift their focus from middle to high school arenas, but the accomplishments of each middle school...

A Resolution to Keep

As the years have passed, I have become somewhat jaded when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions.  I believe it is important to take stock and set some goals moving forward, but I also believe I must be realistic about what is truly doable. There is a reason we have the annual list of the most often used New Year’s Resolutions that includes the regulars… for all of us! My list over the years fits the cliché perfectly! I conquered smoking several decades ago… many times! First there was the “decrease” consumption, which led to the rationalization that if...

Deck the What?!?!?

I often have to explain to parents, professionals and community members what our kids who have ADHD go through in order to combat the “They are just lazy/stupid/crazy/poorly parented” perceptions.  Even in today’s “enlightened” society, we still have disbelievers. Instead of trying to recreate the educational scene, to which many of them cannot relate in any small way, I often use the mania that frequently accompanies the holiday season. Yep, the season of “Ho Ho Ho“ and “Happy Holidays” is also the season of “Are you kidding me?” and  “How the...

Nora

This year Joe and I are honored to be sponsoring an international student from Budapest, Hungary. Nora R. is this year’s Georgia Rotary Student and will be attending Georgia State University this school year. She arrived in early August, has a room set up at our home, and moved into her dorm room two weeks ago. Since we raised boys, having a girl around is unbelievably awesome! We are still in the “getting acquainted” stage, I am sure, but the goal is for her to become a member of the family. She comes from a close family herself, which will make that easier. Nora is...

New Beginnings…Once Again!

I believe that the educational system is the only system I know that has a built in stutter. For generations, the school system has been based on a calendar that starts and stops, resulting in the total disruption of continuity. I am not prepared to go into a lengthy discussion of the year round concept. It is still too steeped in emotional issues to approach clearly at this point, but I do believe that the herky-jerky nature of our educational system creates an unnatural concept of progress. The reasons for this pattern are long forgotten. Some say it originated from our...

Parallel Journeys

I lead a very predictable and routine life. My work and home schedule rarely vary. I have been in my profession for well over 40 years, so there are few surprises there. Although I love my job and learn new things from the daily interactions with the students, staff, and parents, those lessons are still within a range of well-defined borders. Earlier this month, my husband, Joe, and I had the good fortune to step out of our comfort zone and explore a very different world during a photo safari in South Africa. We began with extensive preparations for the trip, including a...

Stepping Out!

Summer is here and everyone’s schedule has changed. Since I LOVE change (most of the time) this is an exciting time for me. Of course, I still work in the summer. We have a myriad of programs for academics, life skills, athletics and the arts, but the pace is altered and there is more freedom to explore and to play. I am also famous for encouraging our families to use the summer to do things they always wanted to do…to explore new regions, talents and opportunities. This year, I am taking my own advice. Next week my husband and I leave for a South African photo safari!...

The Buzz about “Buzz”

Katherine Ellison’s much-discussed book, Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention, was the selected staff-directed reading choice for this school year. I chose this book for several reasons. First, since the majority of our school population has some degree of attentional difficulty, Katherine’s focus seemed appropriate for our staff to explore. Second, the idea of having a conversational-style book presented from a parent’s point of view was a good match for our mostly young and not yet parenting staff at TCS. Third, the size and scope of this book would not overly burden...