Archive for the ‘What can Dr. Doug do for you?’ Category

How to Be Connected With Your Students by Christine Allen will help all teachers strengthen the relationships with students that are vital to their success.

Introduction

• Some of us were lucky to meet teachers who managed to build a strong connection with them. Those who did meet them, know that teaching doesn’t have to be all about giving tests and lecturing. Teachers who manage to build a connection with their students, are able to inspire, to motivate, and to help them. And that’s an amazing thing.
  It is important for a good teacher to become connected with their students. This is probably the easiest and pleasant way to shape young peoples’ minds and to help them change their lives. For some students, school is a place that allows them to escape their unpleasant lives at home and to believe that things can get better. A good teacher can support them in that effort.
• Moreover, if you know more about your students, you can understand why some of them fall behind in the class, why some of them don’t have time to do their homework, among other things. It is very important for the teacher to see the whole situation before starting to judge their students. However, despite the fact that many teachers understand the importance of building a connection with their students, only some of them actually know how to create and support this connection. This is easier than it seems. All you need is to follow a few simple tips.

1. Take time to talk with your students

• Even if you spend five minutes of your class talking with students, this can still work wonders. Ask them about their interests, hobbies, discuss new music hits or TV shows, and talk with them about their day and their plans for the future. The only important thing here is to be really interested in what they are saying. This way they’ll slowly learn to trust you. If you think that some of your students have problems, try talking with them in private. However, it’s important not to rush this conversation. Start only when you are sure that your students trust you enough to share private things.

2. Start class discussions

• Most of the information in class comes from teacher. It can, however, be changed from time to time. A class discussion will allow students to communicate both with a teacher and with each other, to speak in front of an audience to express their points of view and to support them with arguments, to be the center of attention, and to learn more about their fellow classmates. You can discuss possible topics of such discussions with students. This way they’ll talk about things that interest them and you will learn more about them.

3. Go to see the events your students participate in.

• Not every teacher has enough time and desire to pay attention to what their students are doing after classes. However, it’s one of the best ways to build a connection with them. If they like you, they will be happy to see you and to receive your support. Moreover, this way you will show them that you are really interested in them and in things they do. This way you may also be able to meet (or at least see) their families, to talk to them and to learn more about them. Parents too will see that you care about their children. This usually encourages them to communicate and to cooperate with teachers more. Even if you are very busy, you can add some events to your schedule from time to time. Just be sure to plan them as early as possible so you won’t miss them.

4. Show students that you are available.

• This doesn’t mean that you have to stay after school talking with your students. These measures are required only in emergency situations. You can still show them that you are available during your working hours. Encourage them to come to you if they need something or just want to spend their break somewhere where it’s quiet. Tell them that you can help them both with their homework and their problems if they want to. And be sure to keep this promise. After all, if you want your students to rely on you, you have to become really reliable. I hope these tips will help you to gain students’ trust and to build a strong connection with them.

Christine Allen

• Christine Allen from Chicago, USA, is young writer and blogger at essaystorm.com. She believes that you can get everything that you want. You just need to be sure in what you really want and be patient. You can follow her on Facebook and Google+.

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How to Help Students Develop Emotional Intelligence by Amanda Winstead< promotes the idea that all teachers can help students become more emotionally intelligent (EI) and teach their specific content at the same time. Since EI may not be taught at home, it’s vital that all school personal look for opportunities to help students with this vital skill.

Students can learn a lot in an educational setting. For example, they can develop technical skills like math or computer literacy and learn about language, writing, world history, and health. But what might be more important is the learning that takes place without of books.

Students can learn about themselves and grow personally in the classroom too. There are so many opportunities to develop emotional intelligence (EI), in particular. Something so critical in having healthy relationships and a thriving future. Before we get into the importance of developing EI in the classroom and tips for helping your students do so, let’s define EI properly.

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Very Well Mind defines emotional intelligence as “the ability to perceive, interpret, demonstrate, control, evaluate, and use emotions to communicate with and relate to others effectively and constructively.”

You could add to this definition by being aware, in control of, and able to communicate your emotions. Some examples of what an emotionally intelligent person does are:

Actively listens
Offers forgiveness
Practices self-control
Shows empathy to others
Showers themself with love
Takes ownership of their mistakes
Understands their strengths and weaknesses

Why Is It Critical to Develop EI in the Classroom?

Helping students develop EI in the classroom is critical because they spend a lot of time at school. And there are so many situations that arise in the classroom that are great opportunities for a lesson in EI. You can help them take advantage of each one.

Unfortunately, many students don’t have someone teaching them about EI at home. Their teachers, coaches, counselors, and other support persons outside the house may be the only people they can look to for that. Having education personnel on board to guide students through EI is crucial.

Image Source: Pixabay

Strategies for Developing EI in the Classroom

EI can help students evolve and live productive lives now and in adulthood. The more people in their life that can teach them about their emotions, how to accept and process them, and do the same with others, the better. The following strategies will help you assist your students in better processing their emotions and developing EI.

Practice patience and empathy at all times. When you’re trying to teach students EI, the last thing you want to do is show them that you aren’t. Stay cool and positive at all times. More importantly, practice patience and empathy.

Patience and empathy are critical when working with kids. Unfortunately, they will sometimes do the most frustrating, confusing, and inappropriate things, especially if they don’t know how to process and communicate their emotions.

Getting frustrated quickly, yelling at them, and punishing them will only push them away. And you’ll never have a chance to get through to them then. Instead, stay calm and have a conversation with them. See things from their point of view and be patient enough to let the conversation unfold without force.

Actively listen

Aside from patience and empathy, actively listening to your students is crucial, too. To perceive, interpret, demonstrate, control, evaluate, and use emotions to communicate with and relate to others, as Very Well Mind’s definition suggests, you must actively listen.

So, show your students how to do this by demonstrating it in every interaction. When they’re talking to you, listen without distraction and ask thoughtful follow-up questions for clarity. Leave your students feeling heard, and they’ll be on track to do it for others.

Help students work through their emotions

There are so many opportunities to teach EI at school that you won’t be able to be there for everyone. However, if you’re with a student and a situation arises that provokes emotion, do your best to help them navigate their feelings while they’re happening.

For example, let’s say a student gets into a verbal argument with another student. They’re visibly angry, and you know it’s an excellent time to teach them how to acknowledge their anger, process it, and move forward.

First, take the student to a quiet space or another room to help them recenter themself. When they’re a bit calmer, ask them to identify their emotions. Flesh out what they’re feeling and what prompted those feelings at the most comfortable pace for the student. Make sure you also let them know it’s okay to feel anger.

Then, offer coping mechanisms like breathing exercises, mindfulness practices, or journaling. You could even do “anger” worksheets with them to further the lesson on what anger is and how to best move through it.

It’s all about catching intense emotional experiences live and helping students through as many as possible.

Help students develop a better relationship with themselves. True EI requires self-awareness and self-management. You must understand your emotions, what triggers them, and the best way to cope with them based on who you are. Your students have to do the same. Help them develop self-awareness and self-management by encouraging them to have a better relationship with themself. You can do this by:

Encouraging confidence
Promoting individualism
Taking your students on field trips
Asking for their help on projects made for their skillset
Helping them work on their physical and mental health
Motivating them to join a sport or extracurricular activity
Opening the lines of communication so they can talk with you when they need to

All students can benefit from developing EI. Doing so will give them a chance for a flourishing future, healthy relationships, and unwavering love for themself. Do your part in helping them grow EI by implementing the strategies above.

Amanda Winstead

Amanda is a freelance writer out of Portland, focusing on many topics, including educational technology. Along with writing, she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey or even just say hi, you can find her on Twitter.

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How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes: Science-Based Strategies for Better Parenting from Tots to Teens by Melinda Wenner Moyer can help just about anyone be a better parent. Like her, you are not likely to become a perfect parent with perfect kids, but you can profit from the extensive research and expert interviews she conducted. If you have kids still at home, be sure to get a copy as well as copies for any adult children who have kids.

Introduction

• Over the years, Melinda has engaged in a great deal of research in order to write parenting articles for major publications. She has found that this effort has made her a better parent. The purpose of this book is to share what she has learned with. More than anything, parents want to raise children who are kind. In surveys of what parents want their children to be, kindness comes before intelligence and work ethic. Parents play a key role, but not the only role in child development so it’s vital that their role is as positive as possible. People who are kind, helpful, and generous are happier, more successful, and make more money. (Doug: Being nice is really a selfish thing to do as if you take care of yourself, you can do more for others.)

Part I Traits
1. “It’s All About ME!” How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t (Overly) Selfish

• Kids can be very self-centered. This is natural as their frontal lobes haven’t fully developed. Start with helping kids understand their emotions and how to recognize the emotions of others. Kids with good emotional recognition generally experience better outcomes in many areas. You can ask about the emotions of characters when you read to kids or just do it in the daily run of life, including your own emotions. When you discipline a child, include emotions. Explain how emotions affect others.
• Letting kids help around the house can take more time, but it’s important. Make sure that their tasks go beyond cleaning up their room and helping everyone in the house. Look for opportunities for kids to help in the community and try to let them have some choice. Don’t just bark orders. Explain anything that you ask them to do. Be a role model. Point out the good stuff and the bad stuff that you do.

2. “This Is Too Hard.” How to Raise Kids Who Are Ambitious, Resilient, and Motivated

• In this chapter Melinda draws on the works of Carol Dweck’s Mindset and Angela Duckworth’s Grit that are both summarized here. It’s key that you compliment kids for effort rather than intelligence. If they think they are smart, they are less likely to take on challenges where they run the risk of looking “not smart.” How hard you try impacts how smart you become. Grit is a combination of passion for something, enough self-control so you work at it on a regular basis, the ability to work through and learn from mistakes, and a belief that what you are doing matters.
• You should expect your kids to pick at least one extracurricular activity each year and stick with it until the year ends. Unfortunately, some such activities are expensive. Any accomplishment tends to motivate and leads to a success spiral. Kids tend to procrastinate as their pre-frontal cortexes aren’t fully developed. Try to make tasks that seem too difficult seem fun or less scary. Help them recognize and eliminate distractions and create a good working environment. Rewards can stifle intrinsic motivation but are ok as a surprise after something is accomplished. Acknowledge their feelings and give choices when possible, even for chores. They are more likely to be motivated if they feel less controlled.

3. “You’re Dumb and Ugly!” How to Raise Kids Who Don’t Bully – and Who Help Those Who Are Bullied

• Most parents worry about their kids being bullied, but few give thought to the notion that their kids might do some bullying. Research shows that one in three do some bullying and one in six engage in cyberbullying. Bullying is a continuum, and a kid can be a bully one day and be bullied the next. Bullying is something that is repeated and deliberate, and it involves an imbalance of power. It is often done to boost social stature. Among girls, it often involves exclusion or rumor spreading. (Watch the “Mean Girls” movie with your kids.) Kids often bully as a misguided way to deal with their anger.
• Cyberbullying may have the same causes, but it differs in that it can happen at a distance any time of day, and it usually leaves a digital footprint that can be shared with parents or teachers. Bullying can also have long-term effects, such as depression and low self-esteem. Parents should talk to kids about bullying so they know it when they see it and know that it is not ok. Encourage them to do what they can to help a victim when they see bullying happen. Help them learn how to deal with anger. There is advice here for what to do if you discover that your child has been bullying others or is being bullied themselves. Schools play a big role here, so make sure your school has a plan or a program for dealing with it.

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Making Homeschool PE Class Fun by Craig Middleton offers ideas for parents who homeschool their children by choice. His suggestions are also good for parents who want to add exercise options beyond what their kids get at school. His advice on nutrition is also good for all parents. Remember, all parents are teachers weather they homeschool or not.

Introduction

• Homeschooling is becoming more popular and can be both stressful and rewarding. (Doug: During the pandemic, many more parents have been homeschooling, but not by choice.) In addition to the core subjects of math, reading, and writing, an often overlooked requirement is Physical Education. Not all states require an organized PE curriculum, but any well-rounded education includes some form of the subject.
• Going outside to play is a fantastic way to fulfill your state’s requirements while still teaching your children safe behaviors. There’s no need for a formal schedule or events. All you have to do now is get your kids going and have some fun while doing it.
• Go outside and play with your kids if you live in the country or a neighborhood with playgrounds or popular play areas, or if you have a large yard. Yes, you can send your kids outside to play if they’re old enough, but setting a good example by going outside and being involved with them is even better. To be frank, adults need to get out and exercise more as well. It’s good for mental health and overall health, and it sets a good example for your children. Here are a few ideas to keep things interesting during your home PE sessions.

Indoor Activities

• If you are a homeschooler of an older child, you can do more focused activities such as weight lifting, yoga, meditation, and nutritional meal planning. You can even investigate the possible benefits of supplements like protein powder, spices, and vitamins. For the younger kids, think more along the line of games like hopscotch, hot lava, or an obstacle course. Beginning yoga is a fun way to get kids to stretch and control movement. Simon Says a classic that involves listening skills and movement. Sometimes, a good old-fashioned pillow fight will leave you all breathless and in fits of laughter.
• Don’t skimp on nutritional activities with the younger ones either. Let them help you plan and make simple meals. Hands-on activities will cement the message and teach lasting skills. You don’t necessarily have to stay home either. If it’s a rainy day, consider a trip to the local bowling alley or roller rink. Many towns also have indoor play areas set up with safe games and activities that should be opening soon. They may even offer homeschooler discounts on group admissions.

Outdoor Activities

• Everybody needs fresh air. Options for outdoor activities for PE classes are almost endless. Pretty much anything that gets you moving is fair game. Riding bikes can be a great way to get exercise and teach the rules of the road. Relay races and obstacle courses are other favorites with kids of all ages. An excellent way to teach conservation and get some fresh air is to go for a hike in the woods. Have them collect objects like rocks, nuts, or leaves to examine later. Trips to parks or lakes are other fun options. Just remember to practice safety on the water. Don’t forget to take your frisbees and sports gear for impromptu games. You also might find disc golf courses where you live.

Co-op Activities

• Most communities have organizations that offer cooperative homeschooling activities, including PE classes. These can be official organizations or simply a few families that get together to play games. These afford more opportunities for team activities like basketball, baseball, and soccer. Many times, recreation centers may offer their spaces free of charge to homeschoolers, giving access to equipment that may be challenging to obtain otherwise. Co-ops are excellent places for you and your kids to make friends and socialize while fulfilling an important educational requirement.

Organized Sports

• Most states and communities allow homeschooled children to participate in organized sports through their local school systems. They will still be subject to any tryouts or requirements, but these programs could be a good way to play sports that most homeschoolers can’t provide. They also will fulfill the necessary PE requirements. If the local schools aren’t an option, most cities also offer intermural sports organizations kids can participate in that aren’t associated with public schools. AAU teams also accept homeschooled students.

Final Thoughts

• When developing your homeschool curriculum, it’s important to remember some of the non-core subjects like PE, art, and music. Homeschooling can be very rewarding and a great way to give a wonderful education to your children. Make it fun!

Craig Middleton

• Craig is a New York City-based retired business consultant, who is an expert in education and cultural trends. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Education from St. Johns and loves sharing his knowledge on the side through his writing. If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to Craig at craigmiddleton18@gmail.com.

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Medical Binder Printables to Keep Your Health Records Organized by Cristina Thorson offers forms you can use to keep track of your medical information so you can easily share it with your physicians rather than just talking about how you feel and neglecting what you can’t remember. Thanks, Cristina.

Introduction

• Whether you’re suffering from a chronic condition, wanting to keep your health information in order, or are somewhere in between, keeping a medical binder on hand can be beneficial. Having a medical binder not only helps you stay more organized, but it can also act as the single source of truth in case of an emergency.
• Thinking about possible “what-ifs” is never fun to do, but making sure you’re prepared for emergencies can make a worst-case scenario a little easier to manage. Use the medical binder printables to start putting together your own health binder. It might save your life one day.

Basic Health Information Sheet

• On a basic health information sheet, you should include the standard information that you might need to receive medical treatment. Usually, when you go in for an appointment, the healthcare clinic will need to have this information on file before you receive treatment.
• The information needed is your full name, emergency contact information, allergies, date of birth, blood type, and any immunization records. Keeping this information up to date and on file can save time if you decide to transfer doctors, or if you start going to a specialized healthcare professional.

Medication Tracker

• According to WebMD, about half the American population takes an average of four prescription pills. Some medications have conflicting effects which can have deadly consequences. If you keep track of your own medications, it will make it easier for doctors to ensure that they won’t prescribe anything that will have adverse effects on your health.
• Documenting your own medications can also help you and your doctor figure out what has worked in the past, and what hasn’t. It can help you avoid repeating medications, especially if you work with a new doctor or you haven’t been to a medical professional in a while.

• Keeping track of your blood pressure can save you a world of problems. Hypertension (or high blood pressure) has damaging effects over time, and many are unaware that they even have it. To record your own blood pressure, you should purchase a home blood pressure monitor.
• It’s best to avoid caffeine and exercise at least 30 minutes before you measure, and try to measure at the same time every day. Self-monitoring is actually recommended by the American Heart Association for people with high blood pressure treatments. Even though home monitoring isn’t an adequate substitute for visits, it can be helpful when healthcare professionals are trying to gauge the effectiveness of their treatments.



• It’s useful to be aware of your own medical conditions before a big life transition, like moving homes, leaving for college, or even planning for retirement. The temporary instability during these time periods may cause medical conditions to flare up. These changes may also influence your healthcare provider or the access to healthcare that you receive.
• Start surveying the information in advance of these changes so you’re not overwhelmed during the transitionary period. Make sure your information is up-to-date and easily understood. Many use their smartwatches or their phones to log health information, but you could also try an alternative tracking method, like our printable sheets.

Cristina Thorson

• Cristina is a part-time content writing intern at Siege and a full-time student at Boston University. She enjoys exploring new pockets of cities, culture, and cat websites (as well as alliterative expressions). In her spare time, she can be found reading books, commenting on movies, and writing anything from advertising copy to feminist satire.

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Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness edited by Renée Fleming features chapters by researchers, medical practitioners, and artists that explain what we know about the healing capabilities of art therapies along with what we still don’t know about the magic of music and other art forms. Leaders and parents should read this to reinforce how they support and encourage access of the arts for all children.

Introduction

• Music and Mind has assembled the voices of leading figures in neuroscience and the musical and visual arts, providing an inspiring view of the emerging synthetic possibilities. You will find much here to love and much to encourage your support of and access to the arts. Most of the chapters are summarized here.

Part I: How and Why: Experts Explain the Basic Science Connecting Arts and Health, Including Origins in Evolution

Musicality, Evolution, and Animal Responses to Music? by Aniruddh D. Patel – Department of Psychology, Tufts University

• Music pervades human culture. Music neuroscience is a young field that includes music-based interventions for brain health. While we don’t know what survival benefits music behaviors have, it does seem likely that they have had some. We do know that musical abilities vary widely among adults. Current research on the musicality of humans involves the fields of developmental psychology, ethnographic and cross-cultural studies of music, cognitive neuroscience, genomics, and cross-species research.
• Synchronizing rhythmic body movements to musical beats emerges in children without formal instruction. Musical ability has some genetic influence, but experience plays a more important role. Singing emerges in every culture and coordinated group singing appears to have psychological benefits. While most people find music rewarding, some are not moved by it. Music can calm infants. The best current bet is that musicality as part of human nature.

What Does it Mean to be Musical? by Daniel J. Levitin – Psychology Department, McGill University

• Music is organized sound. Genetic factors are essential for outstanding levels of musical ability. It is also clear that it takes a lot of hard work and practice to realize one’s genetic abilities. We haven’t discovered the specific music genes yet, but most think that we will. Musicality is hard to define and efforts to test for it have been less than effective.

The Parting Glass by Richard Powers – Pulitzer Prize Winning Novelist

• Powers is a novelist who reminisces here on music’s ability to make us sad in the absence of real tragedy thus making us more adept in sadness when life calls for the real thing. As an active listener, he sees joy in bird song and the fact that he can stream just about any song ever written as a form of cognitive therapy. The Parting Glass is one of his favorites. Check it out.

Sound Connects Us by Nina Kraus – Communications Science, Northwestern University

• Sound is a mnemonic, it helps us remember. Making sense of sound is one of the hardest jobs that we ask our brain to do. We hear pitch, timing, timbre, and loudness simultaneously. Making music strengthens our senses, our bodies, our cognition, and our ability to learn. Listening to music activates the reward circuits in our brain. Musicians are able to focus attention better. They outperform non-musicians on memory tasks. They tend to do better in reading, overall intelligence, and academic achievement.
• A sound mind is also shaped by athletic activity. Unfortunately, music defies the kind of quantification that science requires. This makes it difficult to study music systematically. There is hope, however, that the study of music will clarify how music and biological health coincide.

How Music Shows Us What It Means to Be Human: Rhiannon Giddens (Singer, Instrumentalist, and Composer)

• Music has the inherent power to bring humans together. It is a coping mechanism throughout our history. Many assume that it is a universal language. It creates an emotional pathway for people to help them cope with the ups and downs of life. Regardless of the technology, it’s the emotional aspect that is important. We are not different from each other and music is the key that holds us together.

Sounding Joy: Christopher Bailey – Arts and Health Lead, World Health Organization

• This is the story of one man’s blindness and how music and art made it much easier for him to deal with his lost vision. He found that music accelerated his rehabilitation and enhanced his mood. He found that music recreated his world. Unlike sight that only captures light reflected from a surface, sound is an energy that passes through matter and is therefore more palpable. All he had to do was close his eyes to find the healing power of music.

Can Singing Touch the Heart? Jacquelyn Kulinski – Director of Preventive Cardiology Program, University of Wisconsin

• We know that exercise is beneficial for health in general and your cardiovascular system in particular. The question here is does singing on a regular basis count as the kind of exercise that produces health benefits? It certainly seems like it should. The author is involved in a longitudinal study to see how singing can benefit health. The results are due in August of 2024 so stay tuned. In the mean time, sing your heart out.

Rabbit Hole: Roseanne Cash – Grammy Winning Singer and Songwriter

• Roseanne tells the story of her fight with a rare brain disorder that was treated surgically after it was finally diagnosed. Needless to say her recovery that is still ongoing was aided by the music she performed and wrote with collaborators like Kris Kristofferson and Elvis Costello. Here is a lyric that tells what music can do. “When you sing to the farthest rafter, with your big life full of love and laughter, you pull me up from the rabbit hole.”

Music For Chronic Pain Management: Joke Bradt – Arts Therapist Department, Drexel University

• There are a large number of studies that demonstrate music’s efficacy for the reduction of pain. Listening to music reduces self-reported pain, anxiety, and depression. Patients with severe emotional exhaustion, depression, and anger that often accompany chronic pain may also require the service of a music therapist.
• Making music, improvising, and creating music have all been shown to be beneficial as well. Making music with others offers a sense of support and activates social engagement, which also promotes healing as it combats isolation. Music increases self-efficacy. This gives you the confidence that you can accomplish what you set out to do. You feel like you have more control, which allows you to use less medication.

Music Across the Continuum of Care: A Hospital Setting: J. Todd Frazier – Center of Performing Arts Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital

• The Huston Methodist Hospital offers a continuum of care that features music. For everyone, environmental music shapes the overall public experience. Some patients receive music medicine to support their treatment process. Others receive music therapy to achieve individualized clinical goals. Dynamic teams work across all hospital departments in this effort.
• Some people learn a new way to speak through singing. It can also be used to help with memory cues. Music therapists work with physical therapists to help people walk. Music can impact the body’s internal rhythms, especially those of the heart. Music can speed up stroke recovery and lower anxiety.

“I Sing the Body Electric”: Music Psychotherapy in Medicine: Joanne Loewy – Director, Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine

• Music therapy is an integrative field that has recently gained traction. Entrainment is a central concept. This is where two systems are locked in sync. For this purpose we mean a human body system or systems and something external like a system making music. An example is the way a lullaby can comfort a crying infant. This can facilitate medical procedures.
• Music therapy has been shown to help with Alzheimer’s, stroke, and early dementia among others. Syncing one’s breathing can help with COPD. It can help with relaxation and even act as a very safe sedative. It can lessen anxiety such as that associated with radiation. Treatments are safe, effective, and inexpensive. Musicians themselves are often candidates due to issues like job insecurity and drug use.

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Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgement by Daniel Kahneman, Oliver Sibony, and Cass Sunstein details how noise and bias result in errors in judgment. From our courts to fields as diverse as medicine and insurance they show how noise leads to unfair and harmful results. They also provide ways to identify noise and techniques that any organization can use to reduce it. This book is a must for any professional development library. (10-15 minute read)

Introducion: Two Kinds of Error

• Whenever you look at human judgments, you are likely to find noise. From the courtroom to medicine to forecasts to forensics and personal decisions our lives are full of noise. This book will help you recognize it and give some tips for getting rid of at least some of it. Start with an analogy that features targets and groups of shooters to see the difference between noise and bias If shots are scattered all over the target, that’s noise. It the shot are all in the lower right, that’s bias.

Part I: Finding Noise

1. Crime and Noisy Punishment

• We start with the noise associated with crime and the sentencing of the guilty parties. In 1973, Marvin Frankel, a famous judge, realized that people committing the same crime were getting vastly different sentences depending on who the judge was. Judges gave harsher sentences when they were hungry and the day after their team lost. Blacks got harsher sentences and people are less likely to be granted asylum when it’s hot. The sentencing reform act of 1984 helped narrow the differences, but the Supreme Court struck it down in 2005 and discrepancies increased again. Female and Democrat judges are more lenient.

2. A Noisy System

• Here we encounter he basic tool called the noise audit that all organizations need to consider. Its essence is to have many people look at the same information and make independent judgments. The variance in these judgments will give you a sense of the magnitude of the noise in the system. The authors use the median difference from the mean in the audit as a measure of noise. Keep in mind that errors do not cancel out, they add up. In many cases, the person making a judgment might as well be chosen by lottery. It’s important not to confuse judgment with taste or opinion. It’s important to have people with different perspectives when you are trying to solve a problem.

3. Singular Decisions

• Singular decisions are those that don’t recur with any great frequency. Getting married or buying a house are examples. While they are not free from the factors that produce noise, the definition of noise does not apply and you can’t do a noise audit. Practices that reduce error for recurrent decisions should be just as effective when it comes to singular decisions.

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Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke

goes beyond winners never quit to winners quit a lot. Everyone should read this to avoid sticking with goals that become no longer worthwhile. Grit can help you reach worthwhile goals, but it can also help you stick with goals that are no longer have positive expected value. Every school should have a copy in its professional development library.

Prologue: The Gifted Scale

• Success lies in picking the right things to stick to and quitting the rest. Just because you stubbornly stick to something doesn’t mean you will succeed at it. Unfortunately, quitting almost uniformly has negative implications, while being gritty and staying with something is considered in a positive light. The science of quitting spans disciplines from economics to game theory to behavioral psychology.

Section I: The Case for Quitting

1. The Opposite of a Great Virtue is also a Great Virtue

• On Mt. Everest, there is a quitting plan. It goes if you haven’t reached your goal, the summit or a camp higher up, by 1:00 pm, turn around. Over the years, people who have ignored this plan have been much more likely to die, as you are eight times more likely to die on the way down. In Silicon Valley, the motto is Fail Fast. Since most projects fail, knowing when to quit is key in terns of conserving resources.
• Luck often plays a big part in success. When we make a decision, we usually don’t have all the information we need. As we move forward after making a decision, we need to be constantly on the lookout for new information. As new information arrives, be sure to analyze it as it may point toward quitting or changing course. Once you quit, you won’t know what would have happened if you didn’t. You need to be ok with that. In poker, this is like folding hands that would have won. This is why pros play about half as many hands (15-25%) as amateurs (50%).

2. Quitting on Time Usually Feels Like Quitting Too Early

• We start with an owner of a computer game that appears to be successful as he’s adding players at 7% a week. When he sees that new players are much less likely to stick, he can see it will be a money pit and quits. The key concept here is to calculate expected future value be it a function of money, happiness, or anything else. This requires some mental time travel. This involves educated guesses and thinking like a poker player.
• You also need to look for clues from the past, be it your past or someone else’s. When a decision to quit is near 50-50, quitting is more likely the best choice. This includes big life decisions. If you are unhappy in a situation, you are likely to be unhappy in the future. This should make quitting an easy decision. Many athletes and TV shows have lingered too long. Those that went out on top are usually thought to have quit too soon. They didn’t.

3. Should I Stay or Should I Go

• Studies of cab drivers show that they generally use the wrong heuristic for deciding how long to drive. Most drive until they have reached an income goal. That means that they often stop when conditions are good and keep driving longer shifts when conditions are poor. Experienced cab drivers tend to do better. They seem to understand the concept of expected gain.
• The same is not true for professional stock traders. While they tend to make good buying decisions as they have studied the assets they are buying, their sell decisions are not as good. These people usually sell something to free up money for things they want to buy. What they sell tends to be either stocks that have gained the most or lost the most. They are not doing expected gain analysis. What they should also do is follow the sold stocks closely to get feedback on their decisions. Most don’t.
• For most decisions we make, feedback is hard to come by. If you change majors, colleges, or jobs, all you have is what if questions. We also tend to have a greater negative emotional impact for losses than positive emotions for gains. This loss aversion creates a preference for options associated with a lower chance of loss.

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Relocating: Helping Your Children Learn in a New Environment by Amanda Winstead offers great advice for parents who have to move. It’s now easy for children, but here are some things to ease the pain. Thanks. Amanda.

Introduction

• Moving can be the beginning of a new adventure. It can be a chance to start fresh. It can also be an opportunity to expand your network of friends and colleagues. Moving to a new location holds all sorts of potential — it is what you make of it.
• Unfortunately, many kids don’t see moving in that light. For many, the idea of moving to a new place is terrifying. It is taking them away from something they know and are comfortable with and putting them into a completely new situation. This means a new bedroom, a new school, and new friends. Starting over is enough to make any child struggle.
• Thankfully, there is a lot parents can do to help make the transition a bit easier. Helping children adapt quickly and successfully to their new home and life is key to keeping kids on the right track. Taking the time to help them work through the emotions associated with such a large change can also help everyone in the family begin to adapt to a new home.

Preparing for a Big Move

• Perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a parent to help your child adjust to a big move and a new school is to start the conversation early. Just like adults, children need time to process the idea of a big change in their lives. Surprising them with something like that and not allowing time for the news to really sink in is asking for trouble and anxiety in your kid.
• Moving is stressful — there’s no doubt about that — but kids are extremely perceptive when it comes to your emotional well-being. If you want them to have a positive attitude about the move, you must do as well. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you avoid talking about the things that make them nervous or that will be hard, but it does mean trying to focus on the things that won’t change such as still having recess or a packed lunch and the benefits of moving like choosing their own bedroom.
• As with most adults, the core of a child’s fear about moving tends to be related to a lack of control in the situation. Do your best to give them whatever control you can and help them feel involved in the decision-making process. This can be as simple as letting them choose how they decorate their new bedroom or picking out their backpack and extracurricular activities. It can also mean getting them involved with packing their things and deciding if there are toys or clothing they don’t want to take with them to the new place.

Making the Time to Make it Home

• If you can choose where you are moving, it will be worth taking the opportunity to look into the quality of the schools in the area. It may come as a surprise, but children are frequently more successful in school districts that have a smaller number of students. Smaller towns rather than big metro areas can provide more one-on-one interaction opportunities between students and teachers because the classroom sizes are typically smaller.
• To help relieve some of the anxiety associated with going to a new school, try to take some of the mystery out of it before the first day. Take your children to explore the school, the playground, and what their walk home from school will be like if you’re close enough for that. Likewise, set up a meeting with teachers and school administration staff. Anything that helps the new location feel more familiar to your child and gives them an idea of what to expect will be a benefit on the first day.
• As your child starts their new school, it is valuable to stay involved and assess how things are going. Set aside time after school every day to see how their day went and listen closely to the things they have to say. Ask questions to keep them talking. If there are opportunities, see if they are interested in inviting some of the new kids they’ve met for a playdate which can help facilitate them making new friends.

Other Moving Opportunities

• Depending upon the age of your child, there may be an abundance of other ways to help them get involved. For instance, maybe you are moving to a new area where there are more types of extracurricular activities outside of school than there were previously. For instance, maybe the nearby city pool has a swim team they can get involved in or the library has a children’s book club. Although some of these activities aren’t directly tied to the school, they can help your children settle into the new place and make friends more quickly.
• Some older students may want to opt out of doing the new school thing altogether. If you feel that it would be a good fit for your child, you could look into e-learning. Doing school online can open up several opportunities to take different or more challenging courses than what is offered at the new school. Of course, going online isn’t for every student — it is important to evaluate whether or not your high school-aged child would be successful or flounder in this environment before making that decision.
• Moving to a new area and starting your child in a new school can be hard on everyone. Helping your children adjust is an important step in successfully adapting to a new school. Doing things such as giving them time to prepare, showing them around the school before the first day, and helping them get involved in activities can make a huge difference.

Amanda Winstead

• Amanda is a freelance writer out of Portland focusing on many topics including educational technology. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.

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