“About 17 percent of American high school students are drinking, smoking or using drugs during the school day, according to a new study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.” – Huff Post

Unfortunately, drugs on campus are something you as the teacher will most likely encounter. Research shows that there is a definite link between teen substance abuse and how well you do in school. Teens who abuse drugs have lower grades, a higher rate of absence from school and other activities, and an increased potential for dropping out of school. 

What to do when you suspect a student is using drugs

• It’s important to confirm if an issue may exist. When you’re faced with a group of brand new students, you may not yet know what behavior is normal or abnormal for each student.
• Once you become familiar with individual student signs of potential substance use may be much more obvious. This particularly applies if a student displays sudden or drastic changes in his or her behavior.
• Document observations for future reference: what you observed, when it took place, the name of student or students involved, and so on.
• Behaviors may require more evidence, such as the symptoms of particular drug or alcohol use. Look for changes in the student’s behavior like sudden absences or a decline in their academic performance. Keep in mind that stress and illness can also cause noticeable changes, so be reasonable in your conclusions (e.g. one bad grade does not equal drug use.)
• The S. National Library of Medicine says signs can be when a student’s use of alcohol or other substance results in health problems or issues at work, home, or school.

Some Signs of Substance Abuse

• School/activity related
  • Missing or skipping classes
  • Decrease in academic participation or performance
  • Disinterest in school or other activities
  • Neglecting personal appearance

• Eye, Nose, Mouth
  • Bloodshot eyes or noticeable changes in pupil size (e.g., small like a pinpoint or overly large
  • Nosebleed or nasal irritation due to snorting
  • coughing or an increased thirst due to dry mouth/throat
  • Irritation of the mouth or throat from smoking
• Weight Change
  • Including both loss and gain due to a byproduct of drug induced appetite change.
• Uncharacteristic Poor Hygiene
  • Wearing dirty clothes
  • Strong body odor from not bathing
  • Noticeable poor oral hygiene or health
• Skin
  • Unexplained bruising or marks on the skin
  • Wearing inappropriate clothing is warm weather to cover up injection marks
  • Flushed skin or heavy breathing may be a result of increased blood pressure and heart rate.
• Other Behaviors
  • Student may exhibit body shaking, trembling, tic-like movements not previously noticed, or noticeable picking at their skin.

School Policy

• If all signs and your intuition are pointing to substance use in one of your students, you may want to reach out to the student directly to help, but that can present a bigger challenge. Instead will want to check with your school’s specific policy regarding substance use in students and take action accordingly.
• Informing the student’s parents of suspected substance use may be allowed as per school policy, but the task is often left up to the school’s administrative staff. The most you may be able to do for an individual student is pass the word along to other teachers that you’ve seen worrying signs that may indicate substance use.
• Each school has a set procedure in place for addressing drug and alcohol abuse on or off campus to address use by students. Educators should refer to this guide as an additional resource. Such information may be available in resources like an employee or student handbook. Do not go against school policy, procedure, laws, or any other rules or regulations in place to avoid harming yourself or the student(s)

What You Can do for Students as a Whole

• Even if school policy prevents you from reaching out directly to students you suspect may be having substance use issues, you can still take action to help students become more knowledgeable and aware.
• Speak to your students as a group about substance abuse
• Mention any school or nearby resources that are available for help
• Provide an open, safe environment where students feel comfortable discussing any issues
• Hold interactive conversations with students to outline myths and facts about substance use and abuse.
• Encourage students to reach out to faculty members if they, or someone they know, needs help

Teachers Should Build Positive Relationships

Research has shown that a positive relationship with school, that school creates a greater sense of community, attachment, and performance, and is associated with reduced potential for drug abuse. That relationship starts with you as the teacher. Cultivate an environment for your students that will leave them feeling good about themselves as students but also as individuals outside of the classroom. “When educating the minds of our youth, we must not forget to educate their hearts.” –Dalia Lama

Resources

1. D.A.R.E. http://www.dare.org/
2. https://www.lifeofpurposetreatment.com/what-to-do-if-you-suspect-a-student-is-misusing-drugs-or-alcohol/
3. https://www.justthinktwice.gov/consequences/legal-consequences-using-drugs
4. https://positivechoices.org.au/teachers/how-teachers-can-guide-students-against-drug-use
5. https://medlineplus.gov/drugsandyoungpeople.html

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I like to think I am pretty good at memorization, but, it’s not something I enjoy doing. I first heard of a “Memory Palace” or a “Mind Palace” in the BBC television series Sherlock Holmes. In one of the seasons climactic finale’s we see a man going into a room filled with shelves and shelves of data. There is a winding spiral staircase and everything looks highly organized. It’s not until the end of the episode that we realize, and this is a spoiler, the entire room that we saw on the show was actually only in his mind. While we saw him entering a vast room that seemed to be in the basement of his home, he was actually just stepping into a closet and going into the room in his mind. This is fascinating to me.

I grew up learning how to memorize using songs and mnemonics as well as the occasional acrostic, but I had never heard of a mind palace. When you watch Sherlock Holmes you can’t help but be intrigued by Holme’s genius and deductive reasoning and he is rarely outsmarted by anyone. He himself has a mind palace and the show makes it seem like it is something special, but is it? Do we all have the ability to memorize? I believe we do.

The United States Memory Championship

“There are people who can quickly memorize lists of thousands of numbers, the order of all the cards in a deck (or ten!), and much more. Science writer Joshua Foer describes the technique — called the memory palace — and shows off its most remarkable feature: anyone can learn how to use it, including him.” – Feats of Memory Anyone Can Do

Joshua Foer delivers a Ted Talk where he discusses his foray into the United States Memory Championship and how he himself learns the techniques of how to memorize using ancient techniques. He expected to be among a room full of savants and geniuses only to find himself in a room full of average people who had trained themselves how to memorize an entire deck of cards in a matter of minutes. After watching this video, you too will learn a handful of techniques that will help you to memorize large amounts of data through visualization and the power of story.

Mnemonic: A Great Technique for Memorization

When I was growing up I learned how to memorize all the books of the Bible with a song. I also memorized all of the presidents using the same melody. But as I got older I was taught to memorize complex amounts of data using mnemonics. One of the ones that I learned in 1998, over 20 years ago, I still remember to this day: All People Standing Tall Need Dark Pants. This was a phrase I used to remember the first letter of every part of the OSI Model for a computer networking class I was taking. I am a content creator and marketer, but in the late 90’s networking was taking off and I needed to memorize large amounts of data to past tests to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.

That mnemonic for the OSI model was one of the questions on the test and while I didn’t know exactly what each of those layers did, I did know the parts of the OSI Model and I did pass my test. In the Ted Talk that Josh gives us, the concepts he uses are merely an extrapolation on this same theme. We use things that are easy for us to memorize in order to remember large chunks of data.

Hopefully you find this information helpful and useful as you take test and teach in your classrooms or go throughout your life.

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Is your classroom a place that creates calm? Studies show that our environment affects the way we learn. According to an article by Learning Liftoff “A new study from The Research Alliance for New York City Schools shows that learning environments play a significant role in student success. Most educators have suspected this for decades, and now they have evidence showing that schools can potentially lift student achievement by improving their learning environments.”

It can be easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the school day-to-day and not remember that your classroom is where your students spend quite a bit of their life – and even more important, it is where you spend hours of your life. Do you even find yourself flipping through dreamy catalogs or Pinterest boards wishing that your home or workspace looked like a magazine? Then why not make it a reality?

Can Lighting Change the Way Students Learn?

Have you ever gone into Walmart and compared the lighting to that of Target? Have you ever noticed the difference in the lighting in a formal dining restaurant and McDonalds? For years organizations have done studies on how to get people to stay in or leave their establishments. According to the book, The McDonaldization of Society, McDonalds spent countless hours designing their restaurants for efficiency. Instead of padding the seat of the chairs, they padded the back. The entire layout and workings, from how you placed your order to the lighting was created to get you in and out in around 15 minutes. Comfort was important, but only for a short period of time.

Target keeps shoppers in store by creating a treasure-hunt like shopping experience, constantly changing up the decor and the products so that shoppers feel like there is something new to see and buy. What if you changed up your classroom occasionally to keep students engaged and not bored? Lighting can play an important role in a learning environment. In an article on MentalFloss.com, “catching a few rays of natural sunlight during the day can make a world of difference. One 2014 study found that people who had windows in their office exercised more, got more sleep (on average, 46 minutes more a night!), and had a greater sense of overall wellbeing than those whose offices had no windows. Researchers believe exposure to natural light helps our bodies stick to their natural circadian rhythms, so that they know when to feel alert and energetic and when to feel sleepy.”

There are many factors that come into play when creating a great learning environment, but lighting might be the most affordable way to improve the environment. With smart LED bulbs you can now create ambience with bulbs that can be changed to different temperature of light or color with an app. One of my favorite bulbs that is also very affordable is the Sengled Multi-color bulb which can be controlled with an app or Amazon Alexa.

Design that Increases the Learning Experience

When it comes to our classrooms, can we lure students into enjoying coming to class by creating a better in-class experience? Can we create an environment that is conducive to learning? Yes. According to a 2016 Article by ConnectingElements.com:

“…student outcomes are the most important indicator of success. Practically everything revolves around boosting student learning achievements, including funding, professional development for teachers, the implementation of standardized tests and enrichment or remediation opportunities for students.

Unfortunately, classroom design—which has a significant impact on learning outcomes—is often an afterthought. Luckily, attitudes around classroom design are shifting, and educators are making an effort to create ideal learning environments for diverse groups of students.”

When I was in Austin at the state capitol this year, I heard Dan Leal speak about mentoring and one of the things he mentioned that their organization does is paint and clean up schools to help them look better. This got me wondering about the impact that our environment has on us and how productive we are. I know that for me I am often most productive in a coffee shop that has good natural light and comfortable seating. I prefer a space that is devoid of clutter and is clean. If possible, high ceilings are great and I like my latte with just a whisper of vanilla. When the right elements are in place I find that I am the most productive and the most creative – meaning that not only do I get more work done, but my work is actually better.

Photo Credit Wiki Commons

Even J.K. Rowling said that the best place to write is in a coffee shop. This was a quote from an interview with her from The Urbanette: “It’s no secret that the best place to write, in my opinion, is in a café. You don’t have to make your own coffee, you don’t have to feel like you’re in solitary confinement and if you have writers block, you can get up and walk to the next café while giving your batteries time to recharge and brain time to think. The best writing café is crowded enough to where you blend in, but not too crowded that you have to share a table with someone else.”

Make Your Classroom a Space You Want to Be In

Now not all of our classrooms can be coffee shops, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create spaces that are designed to help students learn. And let’s not forget about ourselves along the way either! It can be easy to neglect what we want when it comes to our environment. What kind of space are you most productive in? What kind of space will calm you down or energize you – or both?

You may not have an eye for design, so you just avoid it. It’s okay, you can ask a friend for advice or take a look at Pinterest for some great ideas on how to hygge (a Dutch word for making a space cozy and content) up your classroom. I like to decorate, and I think I’m good at it, but sometimes time and money are a deterrent. But I find that even simple things like organization and a nice coat of paint can go a long way to add color or even clean up a room.

Lastly, when it comes to classroom design you don’t have to make your classroom look like a classroom with a design theme straight out of a box of crayons. None of the spaces I really enjoy being in are covered in an assortment of bright colors and they aren’t covered floor to ceiling with posters and knickknacks. While covering a wall with something zany can be fun and energetic, it might not be the best way to create a space for learning.

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Jia Jiang adventures boldly into a territory so many of us fear: rejection. By seeking out rejection for 100 days — from asking a stranger to borrow $100 to requesting a “burger refill” at a restaurant — Jiang desensitized himself to the pain and shame that rejection often brings and, in the process, discovered that simply asking for what you want can open up possibilities where you expect to find dead ends.

We Often Learn About Rejection in our Childhood

I love this video. The idea of just taking “why not’ is fascinating when it comes to getting what you want. Bypassing the feelings of shame, no longer caring what other people think – to be able to stop being a people pleaser, those qualities seem borderline supernatural.

I remember the first time I knew that I was different. I learned it from my classmates. I won’t go into the detailed list of things they pointed out that were wrong with me – I think we all have those lists – but by being shamed by my parents and classmates, I learned to live in fear of rejection and shame. Each culture has a set of norms that we are expected to fit into. Granted, in America we don’t have conformism that is as strong as it in in Japan where students are forced to dye their hair black – including exchange students – in order to blend in. But I don’t want to veer too far off course in this article. The point of this post is that we can get what we want in life if don’t act out of a place of fear. There have been studies that show the way we overcome our fear is to face it.

Here are some common ways to overcome fear:

1. Visualize Yourself as Unafraid.
2. Practice Acting “As If”.
3. Use the Law of Reversibility.
4. Confront Your Fears Immediately.
5. Move Toward the Fear.
6. Deal With the Fear Directly.

Facing the Unknown

I believe that one of the things that can be scary about starting something new is the unknown. It can be very easy to stay stuck because at least where you are currently at is “known”. Misery can become comfortable and it can keep us from achieving new goals. At iteach we can’t to equip you with tools and resources to become the best teacher you can be. Check out these tips if you are dealing with fear.

Your Students Deal with Fear Too

As a teacher it is good to remember that your students have a lot going on in their lives. They can be afraid of failure, disappointing parents, or even fear of other classmates. If you keep this in mind when teaching you can be a powerful tool to help them overcome their fears. Sometimes just an encouraging word can help a student step out of a place of fear and into a place of confidence.

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When I was in school I had a handful of amazing teachers. I went to a private school, a public school and homeschool. I got a little bit of a taste of everything and each one has it’s benefits. However, my teachers at Liberty Christian School, which at the time was in Denton, TX, were some of my best. My sixth grade teacher Mr. Terrell was the most creative at keeping us engaged and entertained and seemed to know when we just needed a break, and my 12th grade geometry teacher Mrs. Grey was excellent at teaching a subject that I didn’t think I was capable of learning – and I made an A in her class. To me, being a good teacher isn’t just teaching the students that learn easily, but teaching all students despite their abilities. This is challenging work. With a classroom of varying IQs, genders, ages and backgrounds it can be quite a juggling act to not bore the more advanced students while not leaving behind the slower learning students.

Keep Students Engaged

One way a teacher can keep students engaged in learning is through using classroom clickers and testing students quickly and easily on the information that they just learned. If you live in a school district that works with a company like ALL In Learning you may have the option to quickly scan bubble sheet tests or to use a clicker for a student to respond to newly learned material. This allows teachers to see who is keeping up and who is lagging behind. Let’s face it, we all check out from time to time even as adults. Students are just as busy as adults with schoolwork, sports, social media, dating, etc. Sometimes their lives are much more complicated and keeping them engaged in Geography or Algebra can be difficult if they’d rather be scrolling through Instagram.

“It Makes My Students More Successful”

Check out these videos from ALL In Learning to learn more about how their program works to help you keep students engaged in the classroom.

Welcome to ALL In Learning Teachers from ALL In Learning on Vimeo.

Other Ways to Engage Students in the Classroom

Make it Personal

When I hear a speaker give a great talk I always think it is better when they make it personal. When we have real-world data to tie in the information being shared it makes it more real. Personal details give layer and dimension to a story or subject. If you are teaching math you may share how fractions can help you calculate the cost of tipping at a restaurant or calculating a mortgage. When teaching on geography a teacher may include personal details of a trip and how it impacted their view of the world. Mr. Terrell made our classroom very personal by bringing his fiancé to class and introducing her to us. He told us about the engagement and included us in details of his life. He was less like a teacher and more like a cool uncle. He taught 6th grade and we were in our own portable building so it seemed like we were in our own little world. That classroom was where I spent a large part of my life transitioning into young adulthood. The way Mr. Terrell treated me helped shaped my view of the world and even how I viewed myself. He made me feel valuable and special by being authentic and sharing part of who he was with all of us.

Use Music

As I mentioned before, one of my best teachers, Mr. Terrell, was a master at student engagement. He would play music for us during our tests, usually it was classical, but he would tell us a story about the music before he would play it. Even if it wasn’t our preferred type of music, knowing something about the composer was really interesting. He also brought in a special set of speakers and one of the first CD players. I had never even heard of a CD player in the 80’s, but he showed up with it and a great set of speakers and it was great. It made me feel special that our teacher would bring something expensive into the classroom and share it with us.

Let Your Students Teach

A great way to keep students engaged is to allow them to become the teacher. This is a win/win. It gives the teacher a break and also allows the students to learn from one of their peers. When a student has to give a presentation or teach on a specific topic it forces them to engage by preparing materials. Allowing students to teach will boost their communication skills. During the presentation don’t interrupt, but instead hold your feedback and comments until the end. Focus on the positive aspects of their teaching and encourage them in ways that allows the to continue to grow.

When I was younger my mom worked with students who wanted to sing. She wasn’t a professional voice coach, but a youth pastor’s wife. There were students who believed they weren’t good singers, but with a lot of patience and encouragement, she helped one young man not only succeed at singing from the stage but he went on to sing and record a gospel album. Teachers have that ability – they can take a piece of coal and turn it into a diamond. Some students only need someone to believe in them.

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Ergonomics and Teacher Productivity

How much time do you spend at your desk? Do you have a comfortable chair? I remember when the idea of ergonomics was first introduced to me at Texas Instruments. A safety inspector came to each of our desks and made sure that our chairs were large enough and designed to create a more comfortable work space. When your chair and desk are not setup correctly you have a higher risk of for pain and other ailments.

1. Elbows should be above the desk and 90–110 degrees
2. Have your shoulders relaxed instead of being hunched over
3. Your wrists should be aligned with your forearms
4. Position your hips at 90 degrees when seated
5. Place your feet flat on the ground or on a footrest
6. Your head should be upright with your ears aligned with your shoulders
7. Ensure your eyes are looking at the top third of the screen
8. Your seat length should be enough to support your thighs
9. Place your backrest at 90–110 degrees, with the lumbar support in line with your lower back
10. The G and H keys on the keyboard should be aligned with your nose, and your grip around your mouse should be loose
11. A laptop riser may be necessary, with the addition of an external keyboard and mouse

“After prolonged sitting the body becomes restless in the attempt to find a more comfortable position. Unfortunately, in schools restlessness may be interpreted as unacceptable behavior which disturbs the teaching process in the classroom. It may not be interpreted as the biological and biomechanical needs of the body. The human body is designed, not to remain still, but to move about. There is no one position – sitting, standing or lying – which is comfortable and painless after a prolonged period of time. Also, there is not a chair or table we use which, after some time, does not initiate body fatigue. Sitting in inappropriate designed school furniture only intensifies the discomfort.” – MityBilt

Equipping Teachers for Success

At iteach our goal is to equip teachers to become the best teachers. Creating a classroom environment that is comfortable for students is not always possible. Student desks are standardized and so we have to work within the parameters we are given. Stretching and breaks is a great way to allow students to relieve restlessness and to help them regain focus.

Yoga in the Classroom

This short video will show you some simple easy poses to ground not only yourself but your students. As a large man, I’m 6′ 5″ and I weigh 320 pounds, I started doing yoga to help with back pain and core strength. I have now taken over 350 classes of hot yoga and it has helped my back pain immensely, in fact, I rarely have back pain and if I do it is normally the result of incorrect activity or because I haven’t been doing yoga like I should.

What I really like about yoga is how it has grounded me and helped me to relieve stress in my life. When I enter the yoga studio the teacher always emphasizes at the beginning of class to “Set Your Intention”. It may be that your intention for that particular class is to just be present, at other times my goal is to push myself to my physical limit and get in a really good workout. Either option is great, because that space and time is a bit of self care for me.

How often do you take the time to set your intention for the day? I know that for me my life is so hectic that I often just hurl myeslf into my day with a giant list of tasks and I often feel like I’m just playing catch up all the time. However, I make the for yoga because my health and mental well being are critical to my overall success.

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When I finished reading Anne of Green Gables I picked up Nancy Drew, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and eventually that led to Dean Koontz, Greg Iles, Stephen King, Augusten Burroughs, and so many others. If you are a teacher reading this then you may be a a reader as well. I’m always a bit surprised when someone tells me, “I don’t like to read.” Or “I’m just too busy to read.” When I am at my busiest I still find time to escape into a book or audiobook. In my car I can listen to audiobooks on the way to the gym or while waiting  in line to get my Chick-Fil-A. I consume novels almost as greedily as I consume chicken nuggets.

In the books below I have perused my library for some of the novels that left me changed. To me that is what a great novel does, it changes you. It teaches you something about yourself or about the world that helps me to navigate my own journey in a different and better way. Books are like those old viewfinders that we would use to click through various pictures seeing an entirely different world. I want to see the world through a thousand eyes a myriad of viewpoints. A 360 view gives me a more complete picture. I grew up in a small town of little more than 2000 people. But I traveled the world from my bedroom. The books below I hope you will find life-changing and entertaining. I hope they help you escape for just a moment into another reality the way I escaped so often as a child. And when you put the book down, I hope that a small metamorphosis has happened and that you emerge from the story a changed person.

Educated by Tara Westover

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

Where do I begin? Tara Westover recounts her life as an “off the grid” child who didn’t go to school and eventually became a Rhoades Scholar. An excerpt from her biography: “Tara Westover is an American author living in the UK. Born in Idaho to a father opposed to public education, she never attended school. She spent her days working in her father’s junkyard or stewing herbs for her mother, a self-taught herbalist and midwife. She was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom, and after that first taste, she pursued learning for a decade. She graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University in 2008 and was subsequently awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. She earned an MPhil from Trinity College, Cambridge in 2009, and in 2010 was a visiting fellow at Harvard University. She returned to Cambridge, where she was awarded a PhD in history in 2014.”

I loved this story for so many reasons, but what I walked away with was the subtle hard and dark truths that Tara brings into the light, but the most memorable for me was – acting like something isn’t a problem – that is the problem. Throughout the book Tara recounts several physical and emotionally abusive interactions with her brother where he bullied her – at one point twisting her wrist to the near breaking point. But she made excuses for his behavior. Her parents made excuses for his behavior as well. It made me realize how often I can personally overlook red flags when I love someone or when I desperately hope someone will change. Ignoring bad behavior doesn’t make the problem go away, it only further enables it.

I love this book because it is a story of overcoming adversity and being resilient when the odds are stacked against you.

A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman

Ove is different. This novel is different. I read a bunch of reviews and thought I’d give it a whirl since it was a bit of a diversion from the murder mysteries that I was currently consuming. One is a bit of a curmudgeon. He speaks what is on his mind, he is lonely, he is sometimes bigoted and hateful without realizing it – but he is surprisingly big hearted and helpful. This story inspired me to think the best of people – even when they seem the worst.

A Man Called Ove is like a roast in a slow-cooker – it takes time to build but it packs a punch at the end. Few books have made me feel good about the power of humanity and community – especially when we pull together and overlook our differences. While our differences are sometimes hard to tolerate, we can still love people and in return we might find an unexpected friend or ally.

From the website: Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Fredrik Backman’s novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. “If there was an award for ‘Most Charming Book of the Year,’ this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down” (Booklist, starred review).

The Road Back to You

The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey

If you haven’t heard of the Enneagram yet, don’t worry, you will. This personality test has been around for millennia and has recently sprung back into popularity. The Road Back to You goes into detail about the 9 different personality types and unlike Myers Briggs, Strengths Finder, Servants by Design, etc. – This personality test will surprise you with how easy it is to understand not only yourself, but the other people in your life once you know their number.

I have personally memorized all of the personality types not because I am so smart, but because they are simple and easy to remember. I also know many people who have taken the test and knowing their number helps me to understand them better. Over the summer I went to a day long Enneagram workshop. At the beginning of the class they asked us, “Why do we want to learn about ourselves and others?” The answer: So we can love others well.

In a world that is becoming more segregated by the day it is nice to engage in a platform that is all about bringing us together. I know that personally I used to want to change people all the time. I wanted them to be like me, to do things like me, to vote, eat, think – like me. But diversity makes the world beautiful and better. The push and pull of our differences is the tension that fuels progress, growth, and change. The Enneagram has been the most simple and at the same time most comprehensive tool I’ve ever used to help me not only understand myself but others as well.

A great online resource to understand more about the Enneagram is The Enneagram Institute.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: A Novel

It is rare to stumble across something so different and new when it comes to books. The premise behind “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” is that a large statue appears in New York and no one knows where it came from. Eventually others appear and people are wondering if it is some grand hoax or an alien invasion? The story is what I would consider just a fun and light read, but there are some underlying powerful themes that are at play here. If you need something off the beaten path that deals with current trends around social media celebrities and overnight fame, then this is a good read.

Description from the book:

The Carls just appeared.

Roaming through New York City at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her best friend, Andy, make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world—from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight.

Seizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

Compulsively entertaining and powerfully relevant, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, rhetoric, and radicalization; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring for the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye. The beginning of an exciting fiction career, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a bold and insightful novel of now.

The Perfect Son

The Perfect Son by Barbara Claypole White

I stumbled upon this book when it was on sale and thought I’d give it a listen. It ended up being one of the most amazing stories I’ve ever heard. I’m an emotional person who feels all the feels when I’m reading a book and this book definitely has all the feels. I’ll admit that the book takes some serious twists and turns, but the ending left me spent and speechless – in a good way.

I’m all about seeing people change and overcome their circumstances through adversity and what is the most amazing thing about this book is the father-son relationship that develops because of some serious adversity.

Here is a description of the book from the website: 

From a distance, Felix Fitzwilliam, the son of an old English family, is a good husband and father. But, obsessed with order and routine, he’s a prisoner to perfection. Disengaged from the emotional life of his North Carolina family, Felix has let his wife, Ella, deal with their special-needs son by herself.

A talented jewelry designer turned full-time mother, Ella is the family rock…until her heart attack shatters their carefully structured existence. Now Harry, a gifted teen grappling with the chaos of Tourette’s, confronts a world outside his parents’ control, one that tests his desire for independence.

As Harry searches for his future, and Ella adapts to the limits of her failing health, Felix struggles with his past and present roles. To prevent the family from being ripped apart, they must each bend with the inevitability of change and reinforce the ties that bind.

People Over Profit

People Over Profit by Dale Partridge

Perhaps fiction isn’t your bag and you like books that help you with your personal life or your side hustle. If that is the case, then People Over Profit is the book for you. I think that everyone should read this book because it teaches us the value of putting people first. However, if you are in a business or if you are a teacher you make the client/student the priority then you will have more of an impact than if you focus on all of the other variables. A short and powerful read, People Over Profit will equip you to become “profitable” by putting people first.

Description from the Book: Every day major headlines tell the story of a new and better American marketplace. Established corporations have begun reevaluating the quality of their products, the ethics of their supply chain, and how they can give back by donating a portion of their profit to meaningful causes. Meanwhile, millions of entrepreneurs who want a more responsible and compassionate marketplace have launched a new breed of socially focused business models.

Sevenly founder Dale Partridge uncovers the seven core beliefs shared by consumers, starters, and leaders behind this transformation. These beliefs have enabled Dale to build a multimillion-dollar company that is revolutionizing the marketplace. He believes they are the secret to creating a sustainable world that values honesty over deception, transparency over secrecy, authenticity over hype, and ultimately, people over profit.

Look Me in the Eye

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Aspergers by John Elder Robison

I grew up spending a lot of time with special needs students. My mom drove a school bus for special needs children and one of the students lived in a home instead of with his parents. His name was Ray. Eventually my mom started picking him up and brining him to our house for birthday parties, dinners and special events. In time he started calling my parents mom and dad and me and my sisters, brother and sister. Later in life I drove a special needs bus too and it gave me a different perspective on the various types of special needs.

I first learned of the book Look Me in the Eye from Augusten Burroughs who is the author of Running with Scissors and A Wolf at the Table. John Elder Robison recounts his journey living with Aspergers and it is fascinating. Never before have I understood something so clearly by someone telling their life story of not only how they deal with their Aspergers but actually thrived because of it.

From the Website: Ever since he was young, John Robison longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits—an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, dismantle radios, and dig five-foot holes (and stick his younger brother, Augusten Burroughs, in them)—had earned him the label “social deviant.” It was not until he was forty that he was diagnosed with a form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome. That understanding transformed the way he saw himself—and the world. A born storyteller, Robison has written a moving, darkly funny memoir about a life that has taken him from developing exploding guitars for KISS to building a family of his own. It’s a strange, sly, indelible account—sometimes alien yet always deeply human.

Outliers

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell

Sometimes it is easy to think that “some guys have all the luck.” Well, Malcom Gladwell shuts that idea down with this book. Well researched and well written, Outliers will help you to understand that success doesn’t happen overnight. That even the greatest of our time usually experienced a certain set of circumstances that allowed them to be successful. And the formula is not that complex. 10,000 hours of working at something is what it takes to achiever mastery. To put that into perspective, working 40 hours a week for 52 weeks is 2080 hours. So in order to be really great at something you need to spend a good 5 years of your life at around 40 hours a week doing that task.

Now granted, some people are gifted – but even the gifted have to work to perfect their craft. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mozart – yes, sometimes they were at the right place at the right time, but that “right place right time” moment didn’t happen without first years of hard work. If you want a great book that will help you understand the power of hard work and focus, Outliers is a must-read.

From the website: In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of “outliers”–the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

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