I keynoted the Responsibility.Org summit in Washington, D.C. on October 12, 2018, presenting on how parents and other adults can help kids become smart decision-makers. I covered a wide age range, starting with the social-emotional…
Phyllis was the guest on BBC World News (Beyond 100 Days), talking to reporters Katty Kay and Christian Fraser about the dramatic rise in self-harming behavior among children.
Jealousy is a tough emotion that can’t be vanquished. As kids get bombarded daily with messages that they’re not enough, we need to connect them with their strengths & help them appreciate that no one’s…
As jobs disappear to automation, soft skills such as agility, creativity and inventiveness may predict success more than grades, scores or core knowledge. There’s no one path to success, but here are seven strategies that…
Popularity matters, but not in the ways you might expect. There’s a “right” and “wrong” way to attain it. A child who is excluded will suffer now, but research shows that a child who steps…
Boys want to share the full range of their feelings, but many of them consider that too risky, feminine and “touchy feely.” If we give them the means to buck male stereotypes and form the…
In addition to teaching, it seems we’re expected to be human shields,” one teacher says. Principals are hearing about school systems training teachers to use guns, or practicing drills with swarms of police officers and…
When we put our own oxygen masks on first, everyone benefits. We become less reactive and more giving colleagues, better friends, calmer parents — and, for those of us who work in schools — more…
The first installment of my regular column, “The Meaningful Middle,” for AMLE Magazine. Workplace satisfaction is complex—especially in schools — as seventh-grade English teacher Maggie knows well. She was intrigued by one of the items…
I love to talk about books with students, but reading together is also a great, not-too-intrusive way to gain access to your own child’s thoughts. I learned this firsthand when my 14-year-old daughter Emily and…
