tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77761165267963440442024-03-26T23:35:59.412-07:00East Bay Homework BlogHomework is a good launching point for thoughtful discussions about issues like: parenting, ADHD, standardized testing, preserving childhood, technology and the arts, the college process, mindfulness in the classroom, creating family balance, youth sports, student stress, health and wellness.Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-45608098641995499452018-05-31T16:58:00.001-07:002018-05-31T17:01:13.433-07:00Are You a Carpenter or Gardener Parent?
I just listened to an informative podcast by NPR's Shankar Vendantam about parenting. You can find the link here. He interviewed Alison Gopnik, psychology and philosophy professor at Berkeley about two models of parenting, the carpenter versus the gardener model.
Listen to the podcast and see what type of parent you are.
The one thing that bothered me about the questions Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-36135388016128676032018-02-12T16:48:00.003-08:002018-02-12T16:48:49.254-08:00Advice for New Parents with Disabilities
By: Guest Blogger, Ashley Taylor, Disabledparents.org
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{font-family:Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-57383352475253451982015-09-29T14:06:00.000-07:002015-09-29T14:14:08.202-07:00Top Ten Tips
Top Ten Tips to Help Your Child Thrive in School This Year
-reposted from Challenge Success
1. Ask your child: “How was your day? Learn anything interesting? Get to spend time with friends?” instead of "How did you do on the math test?"
2. Resist the urge to correct the errors in your child's homework. It's your child's work, not yours.
3. Work done with integrity is more Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-5729684602704038012015-01-27T14:40:00.000-08:002015-01-27T14:40:22.735-08:00Parents of Elementary and Middle School students and Homework: What Is Your Role?
Check out this Challenge Success Webinar
Start the second half of the school year off right! Each week we hear from parents around the country that homework is hazardous to their family life. We're here to help. This Friday, January 30th, Dr. Denise Pope will host our first webinar on homework. Many parents struggle at least occasionally, and sometimes regularly, with their Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-6435221767296952432014-12-02T18:08:00.000-08:002014-12-02T18:08:40.198-08:00The Three Most Important Questions You Can Ask Your Teenager
by Michael Mulligan
from The Huffington Post
12/2/14
Read the whole article here.
Here are some quotes from the article:
"We have raised a generation that is plagued with insecurity, anxiety and despair....this generation of highly accomplished, college-bound students have been robbed of their independence because they have been raised in a petri dish for one purpose only: to attend an Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-42392314174475400632014-10-02T15:01:00.001-07:002014-10-02T15:01:31.131-07:00Wanting the Best, or Needing to Be the Best?
I'm reprinting an article entitled,
Harvard, Schmarvard; Why Getting Your Kids Into College Should Be the Least of Your Concernsby Michelle Rose Gilman9/28/14Huff Post Parents"It's almost that time of year. I can feel it in the fall air and see it on the faces of parents and seniors everywhere. It's almost college application time and the race begins, as parents and kids vie for the chance Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-90678194957400062392014-07-22T11:53:00.000-07:002014-07-22T11:53:08.305-07:00Summer Homework Blues?
I recently received an email from an old friend, who now has middle school-aged children."Hi Kerry, I just had to touch base with you this morning because I was organizing my “favorites” on the computer and came across a bookmark for your blog. Your latest entry about what you learned with your kids was EXACTLY what I needed today. We have two kids ages 13 and 11. Academics comes easily Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-82829435022605041092014-06-03T11:09:00.000-07:002014-06-03T11:09:14.370-07:00Looking Back and Looking Forward as an Empty NesterI'm about to be an empty nester, and I am reflecting back on my youngest son's experiences in public school. Here Sam was in middle school:
And, here he is now, about to graduate from high school:
School has been a struggle for Sam. He is not in that top 20% academically. I don't think he will be upset if I share that he has been in the Resource program since middle Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-79376198904009178262014-02-28T16:28:00.006-08:002014-02-28T16:29:59.133-08:00Denise Pope speaks at Parenting Conference
Denise Pope of Challenge Success will be the keynote speaker at this year's:
San Ramon Valley Council of PTAs
Parenting 2014 & Beyond...
Annual Parenting Conference
This year’s keynote speaker, Denise Pope, Ph.D., will talk about "Striving for Balance: Strategies to raise resilient kids in a fast-paced world."
Denise Pope, Ph.D., isKerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-51863326190029222422014-01-23T11:23:00.000-08:002014-01-23T11:23:04.889-08:00Sorry Friedman, YOU Missed the Point
My Op-Ed review of Friedman's Op-Ed
I just read Thomas Friedman's article entitled Obama's Homework Assignment from Sunday's NY Times and didn't agree with most of it. It may hold some truth in districts where kids are highly underprivileged and parents need to care a bit more about their kid's education, but in middle to upper income school districts I feel that kind of Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-73589387276569045962013-12-20T14:28:00.000-08:002013-12-20T14:28:28.960-08:003 Things School Taught You by Mark MansonI'm reposting this article here because I think it's worth reading and well said.
3 Things School Taught You Without You Even Realizing Itby Mark Manson
It was high school. I was 16 and I was pissed off.My English teacher assigned us a creative writing assignment: Write anything about being in high school. Anything.So I wrote a story about a school shooting.Except, in my story once the Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-77801825994400243112013-12-04T14:51:00.002-08:002013-12-04T14:51:53.271-08:00Outdoor Kindergarten
Thank you Sara Bennett, for posting this article on FaceBook. I want to share it here...Into the Woods
by Emily Bazelon
American kids don't know how to explore. Maybe what they need is forest kindergarten."Many kids today have never gotten physically lost. They have never been outside, in an unfamiliar place, without a parent or a GPS or a phone app to guide them. They don’t know what Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-1938410655557970412013-11-22T11:16:00.001-08:002013-11-22T11:16:44.859-08:00Thanksgiving Tips from Madeline Levine
Taken from:
Courageous Parenting Blog
by: Madeline Levine, Ph.D.
Challenge Success website
Regaining Gratitude This Thanksgiving
Ever notice how ironic it is that the holiday that’s designed to make us feel serenely grateful for all that we have—our family, our friends, our prosperous life here in the land of turkey and maize and cranberry salad—falls right in the middle of theKerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-38193165770330963152013-10-22T09:15:00.000-07:002013-10-22T09:18:32.345-07:00Too Much Homework?
I've been asked by many parents through the years what they should do if they feel their child's homework load is excessive. It's a tough question to answer because there is no one answer. And, really, that's why I started this blog, to be a resource for parents, teachers and students who were struggling with issues of quality and quantity of homework.
I suggest you start with Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-64372078963250297742013-10-15T13:13:00.002-07:002013-10-15T13:13:55.099-07:00Balance, Breathe, Believe
Now that autumn is officially here, and school
is well under way, it’s time to pause and evaluate your family’s schedule. Are
you feeling stressed about the number of activities you have on your plate and
your child’s plate? Are you feeling burdened by your child’s homework
load? Are you feeling a little sweaty when you go into Costco and see the
Christmas decorations Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-41800561294704016592013-09-21T13:22:00.000-07:002013-09-21T13:22:44.850-07:006 Things That Matter More Than Grades
I'm re-posting Madeline Levine's blog post from the Challenge Success website below. In a nutshell, she writes that the following six things are more important than perfect grades:• Having Friends – one of the best predictors of mental health. Kids who are too preoccupied with grades and put all their energy into studying don’t have the necessary time to cultivate strong relationships. Other Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-35542468507928674252013-08-29T12:55:00.001-07:002013-08-29T12:56:30.020-07:00Parenting Tips to Start the School Year off RightThese strategies are from the Challenge Success website.
To see the link click here.
Define success on your terms. Take time to consider the qualities you hope your children have when they leave the nest. How you define success is analogous to your mission statement as a parent. Without considering this explicitly, many families unwittingly default to the prevailing, narrow notion of Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-9492610443952743452013-06-25T10:05:00.001-07:002013-06-25T10:05:19.233-07:00Summer Suggestions
The high school my son attends sent out this email at the end of the school year.
Summer Enrichment Information
Research says that summer activities have a direct impact on student's performance during the next school year. We recommend the 1,2,3 approach.1 Trip2 Books3 Cultural ActivitiesOur teachers have come up with a few suggestions that might help you out:Books To ReadMind Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-24224358136879305852013-06-07T11:48:00.003-07:002013-06-07T11:48:24.865-07:00End of Year Teacher Gift IdeaWhy not give the gift of a book to a teacher as the school year winds down? Click here for my suggestions on books about homework.
My three favorites from this list are:
The Homework Myth by Alfie Kohn
The Case Against Homework by Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish
The above two books are parent-friendly and this one is more teacher-friendly:
Rethinking Homework: Best PracticesKerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-90065512276813552172013-06-03T09:19:00.000-07:002013-06-03T11:27:27.178-07:00Ken Robinson TED talkCheck out this intelligent, funny and provocative 19 minute Sir Ken Robinson TED talk.
Some quotes from the TED talk:
America spends more money on education than many other countries
Education is based on conformity
10% of kids are being diagnosed with ADHD - I don't believe it's an epidemic
Children are suffering from "childhood"
If you can light the spark of curiosity, children Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-33716540602841601882013-05-16T09:01:00.000-07:002013-05-16T09:04:57.786-07:00
BEYOND A WAITRESS
by Shoshana Wineburg
Five months ago, I started working nights at a restaurant. Though the restaurant is cozy and well-attended, I noticed something peculiar: many diners were not communicating with each other. They were distracted by their screens. Disturbed, I wrote an op-ed and published it in The Seattle Times. At the end of the article, I included this short bio:
Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-54691675500857348242013-05-06T13:19:00.000-07:002013-05-06T13:19:42.849-07:00Human Connection in the Classroom
Check out this TED talk by Rita Pierson.Rita F. Pierson, Ed.D. of Houston, Texas, has been a professional educator since 1972. As an educator, she has served in numerous roles, including elementary regular and special education teacher, junior high school teacher, counselor, assistant principal, director, testing coordinator, and consultant.
Rita Pierson once heard a colleague say, "Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-83053051908687127452013-04-08T13:17:00.001-07:002013-04-08T13:17:49.026-07:00Summer Camps
I was recently asked about my thoughts on summer camps. I wrote a post in 2009 called Summer Camp Learning you can check out here. It was about why I think regular school should be more like summer camp. And I still think all the best schools and classrooms I've visited are great because of hands-on learning, student choice and a sense of community - some positives from many Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-63410799219561325472013-04-01T14:02:00.000-07:002013-04-01T14:02:19.596-07:00Adding Mindfulness to Schools
This is an interesting article:
Mindfulness Programs In Schools Reduce Symptoms Of Depression Among Adolescents
Click here to read it.
And, scroll down below the article to check out a great slideshow:
8 Awesome Ways High Schools Are Helping Students De-Stress
1. Yoga
2. Pets in the classroom
3. Meditation
4. Power napping during school hours
5. Mindfulness training
6. Wellness rooms Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776116526796344044.post-25903712364947850002013-02-19T18:56:00.000-08:002013-02-19T18:56:04.976-08:00Balance, Breathe, Believe...in Yoga for Kids
If you've read my blog through the years, you know that I advocate balance. Balance in school, balance in family life, and balance in personal life. I also try to live a balanced life. And this is partly why I've chosen to pursue a career in teaching yoga to kids. Yoga (for children and adults) promotes balance, de-stressing techniques through breathing and poses, and Kerry Teegen Dickinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10908630594054009416noreply@blogger.com48