Should Phones and Laptops Be Banned in the Classroom? Or Is This Just Much Ado about Nothing?
Subscribe to the weekly "audio edition" via iTunes There’s a scene in the 1995 movie Clueless, where the main character Cher is walking down the hallway of her high school, while chatting on a cell phone with her best friend Dionne. A few moments later, Dionne merges into the same hallway, and they hang up their phones while seamlessly continuing their conversation as they walk to their next class. I distinctly remember that most of us watching this in the theater laughed, or at the very least…
Margo Drakos: On Creating a Safety Net and Taking a Chance on Yourself
Have you ever begged and pleaded for something when you were a kid, and when you finally got it, discovered it wasn’t quite what you expected? Like the time you finally got a pair of Zubaz. Or like in that Friends episode where Monica got new boots . Of course, once you’ve fought so hard for that thing, there can be a lot of pressure to stick with it. Even if it’s not a good fit. And it’s tempting to think you just need a different color.…
How Technical Mistakes During Practice Can Be Used to Enhance Performance (and Confidence Too)
Subscribe to the weekly "audio edition" via iTunes The first few minutes of bringing a puppy into our home were pretty awesome. He was so tiny and cute, the kids could barely contain themselves. I felt like the best parent ever. And then he peed on the carpet. Because of course while I knew he shouldn’t be peeing on the carpet, the little fuzzball clearly did not. And since everything I read online suggested that it was critically important to make sure the little guy did not make any…
The Potential Upside of Having a "Rival"
Subscribe to the weekly "audio edition" via iTunes As an only child, sibling rivalry was a foreign concept, so it’s been, um…interesting…to see my kids engage in occasional moments of this kind of behavior. Like squabbling over who took whose pencil lead. Arguing about the fairness of chore distribution. Sneaky attempts to gain favor with the dog using treats. Much of it is pretty exasperating, but there are also times when the little one takes the older one’s lead and tries to emulate his…
How to Keep Your Cool Backstage Before Auditions and Performances
Subscribe to the weekly "audio edition" via iTunes Football is a very physical sport of course, but there is certainly a mental aspect to the game as well. Likely, you’ve seen coaches use a strategy known as “icing the kicker." This is where a coach will call a timeout, right as the kicker is about to attempt a field goal. In principle, the idea is to give them a chance to start overthinking things, and choke. Kind of devious, and it makes sense - even though the data suggests that it probably…