Honing a Hyperfocusing Habit

Katy AnastasopoulosUncategorized

Looking at a landscape through a camera lens - upsidedown and backwards

If you didn’t read my last blog post on hyperfocusing, you’ll want to do that first. There I delved into what hyperfocusing is and is not. Here I would like to address the chaotic nature of hyperfocusing with some practical advice. If you did read that post, you know that the trouble isn’t hyperfocusing per se, but the challenges it … Read More

The Indistractible Child

Katy AnastasopoulosUncategorized

a teenager hyperfocused on painting

Schools call it a problem, the flip side of distractibility and an identifying feature of ADD (ironically). Entrepreneurs and some progressive corporations call it a superpower, the heartbeat of “Deep Work”. For good or for bad, ‘’hyperfocus” has our attention, mine included — not as an academic or scholar on the subject, but as someone who has lived with it my … Read More

Courage is Fear Walking

Paul ScuttUncategorized

Student hesitating about entering a classroom

This is a phrase used by psychologist Susan David in her book Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change and Thrive in Work and Life. It illuminated for me the fear that we all have for the “unknown” and the bravery required for a young person to start a new school year with all the attendant unknowns. Peers are either new, or … Read More

Common Sense Standard (CSS) #5

Katy AnastasopoulosUncategorized

Two people on a couch enjoying a book together

Knowing what is best for kids requires knowing kids, each kid.  There are varying opinions about the purpose of education, but simply to set a foundation, let’s go with something along the lines of “to develop thriving human beings in society.” That’s a pretty monumental undertaking–but achievable. Essentially, our hope is to help kids grow up to be the best … Read More

Common Sense Standard (CSS) #4

Katy AnastasopoulosUncategorized

Kids’ emotional wellbeing matters in their education. If we are serious about education, we must be serious about kids’ emotional and mental health. Maybe it goes without saying that people at any age simply can’t learn or thrive if they are plagued by persistent anxiety or other negative emotions. Or maybe it doesn’t — because we have huge industries built … Read More

It’s Not a Mystery

Joel HammonUncategorized

teenager saying thank you to volunteers

Let me start with a simple fact: a lot of teenagers don’t like school. (Shocking, I know.) There are a lot of reasons for this, but one of the big ones is that many teens don’t feel like they have much say in their day-to-day lives — the work they do, who they interact with, their schedule. This lack of control … Read More