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Educator
My work is focused on solutions to help students, educators and their institutions to thrive, not just survive.
Category Archives: Educators
The Power of Poetry and the Teachable Moments related to Amanda Gorman
When Amanda Gorman read her poem The Hill We Climb (or did Spoken Word in a sense) at the Inauguration of Joe Biden, a nation stopped and listened. Well, at least most people did. Poetry at an Inauguration is not something extraordinary (although this young poet is). I still remember Robert Frost reciting a poem at John …
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Sometimes, You Get a Book Review that Truly Hits Home
I have been privileged over the years to get wonderful reviews of my adult and children’s books. (Yes, there were a few really nasty ones for a book released in 1997 — and there is one reviewer with whom I have simply agreed to disagree.) Reviews are often general and not personal to the reviewer …
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The Next Generation is Being Named: Try Generation T instead of Gen Alpha or Beta
There have been a series of articles, including one in the Atlantic, suggesting that a new generation is on the horizon. Gen Z is being passed by a new generation, and the label ring ascribed to them is Generation Alpha. This happens when we define generations based on birth year. I have another name for …
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Our Approach to Risk Differs Dramatically — Even Within one Family
In this time of a pandemic and uncertainty of every sort and in every corner of our existence, we need to determine risk at the global, national, regional, local and personal levels. I want to focus here on personal risk taking. And, I can state my conclusions up front: people are very different in calculating …
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We Don’t Recognize Mental Distress: That has to Change
SEEMINGLY UNRELATED ISSUES A recent article in the New York Times observed that doctors often miss post-partum depression. This illness affects not only the new mother but also the infant to whom she just gave birth. And it can affect other members of the household. And, the illness is usually treatable. Think about that for …
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How to Help Students (and others) Process the Presidential Election and Its Aftermath
Approach When we listen and watch what occurred during election night and in the days after, one has to wonder how to help children process what they are seeing and hearing. Regardless of one’s political party, it seems to me that we are having a hard time making good on this message: we are the …
Are the Debates Teachable Moments?
Let me start with the answer to the question posed in this title: Yes, debates can most assuredly be teachable moments and more importantly, there is real value in helping children process them effectively with quality educators in a school setting. Let’s put politics aside (assuming that is even possible) and ask the question this …
A Very Disorienting Presidential Debate
By Ed K.S. Wang, M.S., Psy.D. Even as a passive observer, the debate was extremely disorienting due to the lack of civility that I am not accustomed to in past presidential debates. I was feeling irritated, restless, and felt my blood pressure was rising. I was so stressed that the one behavior I could manage …
We Don’t Teach Educators Enough About Trauma
Hardly a week goes by without some trauma in the US. Some events are nature made; some are human-made. There appear to be fewer and fewer “safe” places and spaces. The usually “safe” places – schools, universities, churches, concert venues, public streets – are not safe. And, there is constant media coverage of whatever horrific …
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