Attention deficit to attention abundance Nine million prescriptions were written last year in the United States for school aged children for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). In 1975 roughly 150,000 children were taking Ritalin. In 2003, the latest figures available, about 6 million American children took Ritalin. Drugging children to get them to behave seems […]
“The manager’s job, then, is not to motivate people to get them to achieve; instead, the manager should provide opportunities for people to achieve so they will become motivated.” – Frederick Herzberg Charlie walked over with the teaching clock. “I’ve learned to tell time. Do any time and I can tell you.” Five-year-old Charlie sat […]
A fishbowl full of candy sat on the third grade teacher’s desk. “When you’ve finished your math assignment you can choose a piece of candy,” Ms. Marsh said as she handed out worksheets. All but two of the students went to work. Tamika and Jennifer looked out the window, math sheets untouched. Tamika began her […]
Tired and agitated, Sara got ready for bed. What had happened to the day? She had woken up fresh that morning, ready to have a productive day. During breakfast, Sara’s assistant called to alert Sara that she wouldn’t be in to copy the reports for the next day’s meeting. When Sara went to make copies […]
Six-year old Bobby walks into the kitchen from playing soccer. Bobby’s dad, Tom, had asked Bobby to take off his muddy shoes before entering the house. Red Georgia mud dotted the new hallway and den carpet. When Tom sees the footprints, he is furious about the mess and that Bobby had disobeyed him. “Bobby,” Tom […]
“Lisa is so different from Grace. Grace never broke anything when she was this age. Lisa breaks something every day,” Meg told me at our playgroup with our one-year olds. Meg, a long-time friend, was over 30 when she had her first child. Five-year-old Grace lived up to her name. Grace was gentle and content to […]
“Pretend that you just found out that you’ll have to be in a wheelchair for a year, possibly longer. What adjustment would you have to make to your home to accommodate this change? ” the instructor asked us. “ This week, crawl around your house, through every room, and make a list of changes that you would make. That’s […]
“I can’t tell you ‘cause you’re a dolt,” Kenny said through his sniffles. “A dolt?” I thought. What did I do to be called a dolt by a kindergartner in my Sunday school class? I took a deep breath and ventured into unknown territory. “Kenny, what do you mean, a dolt?” “You know, a grown-up.” “Oh, […]
Mornings are cooler. The sun rises later. The excitement of school beginning wafts in the air. These are my memories when school started in mid-September. In two weeks, school resumes here, and for many young children, it will be their first school experience. The first day of preschool or kindergarten is probably more traumatic for […]