Blog - Seth Perler

24 Tips for better sleep

Far too many of my students have sleep problems, yet good sleep is one of the foundations for optimizing brain function and learning. Fortunately, after talking with countless students about this issue, it's good to know that they often value the relationship between sleep and how they function emotionally, cognitively and physically. They understand that the price to pay for poor sleep is huge. But taking action is another story. What can we do to help them take action that works? First, … [Read more...]

How to deal with spring fever insanity

Here's the scoop: Spring has sprung and things are getting crazy. Energy is escalating. Teachers are getting tired from the long year, their plates are piling up with end of year tasks. Students are burnt out from testing. End of year assignments/projects/tests piling up. Everyone wants to be outside. It is even more difficult to focus. Struggling students are more at risk because the end of the school year is closing in very fast. What to do about it? Double down. Do … [Read more...]

“Stop Stealing Dreams”

If you haven't read this yet, it's time. It's called Stop Stealing Dreams (What is School For?) by Seth Godin. It's one of my favorites, something I've read several times. I consider it a must-read for anyone interested in education that works. It's a 200 page manifesto in PDF format. Download it and dive in when you get time (at least read the first few pages this week to get a taste for it). Enjoy... You can read it here: Stop Stealing Dreams (What is School For?) What are some of your … [Read more...]

Finally! (A personal note to you)

Hello! Here's a more personal video for you, my awesome audience. Please check it out. What's it about? Finally, I finished my Student Success Toolkit minicourse. It's intended to give brand new subscribers 5 of my favorite tools. But if you are subscribed to my blog already, I want you to have access as well. I will be sending the series to you via email for the next 6 days (day 1 is the intro, days 2-6 each cover one tool/day). I hope you like it, and I'd LOVE to get your feedback! In … [Read more...]

The brilliant 3-ring conception of giftedness, Joseph Renzulli

Regardless of whether or not a student is identified as gifted, Joseph Renzulli's 3 ring model is an extraordinary framework for understanding learning. In this video I explain the 3-ring conception and how it relates to executive function. It breaks down the 3 elements necessary in order to have "gifted behaviors." Here's the model: Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel … [Read more...]

What’s your Prioritization Style?

How to get better with priorities Every week I work with the most amazing group of outside-the-box learners. All are right-brained students who struggle with some combination of executive function issues. In a nutshell, they learn differently. We work on homework, organization, time management, emotional regulation, social issues, etc.. Last week, one of my high schoolers asked, "how should I prioritize my homework so I can get it done more efficiently?" This is a great question, and here's … [Read more...]

The Homework Continuum Deluxe (why homework isn’t just one thing)(Video)

Please CLICK above to share. Odd as this may sound, students who struggle with homework aren't just struggling with homework. They're struggling with many things that have a lot to do with "executive function." Executive function refers to the brain's ability to "execute" a complex task. In the case of homework, which sounds like 1 single task, there are actually many subtasks that must be done in order to successfully complete it. This series of subtasks is what I call The Homework … [Read more...]

Backpack overhaul 101: Your new best friend (Video)

Today I’m going to teach you exactly how and why I teach students to do a regular “backpack overhaul” and why it’s a critical tool for student success. Trust me, this is one of the best game-changers. How long the overhaul takes: 1 hour the first time you do an overhaul. 15 minutes once a week after that. Age: I teach ALL of my students to do this, elementary through grad school. About my students: The students I work with are notoriously outside-the-box thinkers who struggle with … [Read more...]

How I successfully teach students to make a "daily plan" (Video)

This won’t come as a surprise to you, but the students I work with aren’t exactly great with planning. In fact, they usually resist it. But here’s a problem, because learning to plan is absolutely essential for every single student in order to prepare for independence in life, regardless of the type of work they eventually go into. "Quit bugging me! I know what I'm doing" These students want more and more independence but still lack the tools to manage independently. They also tend to be very … [Read more...]

The magic of meditation, a true story

I have practiced various forms of meditation for many years and I began to experiment with it after I was in a coma that nearly killed me. After the coma, I began having panic and anxiety attacks that grew in frequency and intensity. This happened because during the coma, my lungs shut down, I couldn't breathe, so I was on a respirator for 9 days. My brain was storing important information about how dangerous it was to "lose my breath". My anxiety was part of how my brain and body were trying … [Read more...]

4 Education changemakers that I love and that you should definitely know about

For those of you who know me, you know I am an extremely mission driven human being. I'm deeply committed to education, to my belief that it is the key to a great life. And I'm cynical, I become very disturbed by anything that I feel gets in the way of education (like massive testing, textbook and curriculum companies who place profit before kids). I seek to help change education so it does a much better job of meeting the real needs of ALL children, including outside-the-box thinkers. I spend … [Read more...]

Unmotivated kids

Procrastination. Dragging your feet. Putting it off. Avoidance. Resistance. Motivation is overrated We like to think that if we can just figure out how to motivate our kids properly, a mental switch will flip and they'll realize how much easier it is. But it doesn't happen that way with a lot of kids. Learning how to walk through resistance tends to happen painfully slowly. Our children often want to convince us that they need to wait until they feel motivated. They claim they … [Read more...]

What in the world are we doing anyhow?

Welcome to 2015. I want to start the year off by stepping back to take a look at what we're doing with education. As I reflect on my past year, I keep coming back to why I do what I do. I help kids because I believe deeply in the power in education to open doors. Not "school," but education. By this, I mean to give learners what they need to have a great life now, while preparing them for a great future. How well are we doing this? Too often we miss the boat. Kids fall through the … [Read more...]

How to begin spring semester the right way

Here's a 7 minute video where I share how I help prep students for the spring semester. Of course many students won't want to do this. After all, it's not exactly fun. But the amount of energy and frustration it will save makes it well worth it. Not to mention, it will help you have a much more successful semester, ultimately giving you more free time to do what you want. Here are the main keys: 1. Bring everything home; books, folders, papers, everything from the desk or locker, etc.. (if you … [Read more...]

Winter Break 101 (Video)

It's break. Everyone's more than ready to get away from the daily grind... Students, teachers, parents, admin. You deserve this break. In fact, you need it. This time is about your needs. You need time to recharge, relax, revive, rejuvenate. Self-care is critical, and is not selfish. If fact it's one of the most unselfish things you can do. Here are some ideas: 1. Chill. Don't think about school. Come up for air. Relax. Unwind. Rejuvenate. Recharge. Let go of the agenda mindset. 2. … [Read more...]

How to plan for projects and exams: Backwards planning 101 video

Planning is one of the most important skills students must master, but for those with executive function challenges, this is notoriously difficult. I spend a great deal of time helping students build their own personalized approach to planning, so it actually works for their idiosyncrasies. "Backwards planning" is a specific strategy I use with students who have long-term projects or upcoming exams/tests. It's flexible, easy, and powerful. The most important benefit is that it greater … [Read more...]

Down to the wire: How to pull it together at the end of a semester

Watch out! It's the end of the semester, a few weeks before break, and it's not uncommon for things to fall apart seemingly at the last minute. Unfortunately, many students fail classes they could have passed if they took certain actions. The end of the semester arrives before you know it, and sometimes it's too little too late. Next thing you know you're signing up for summer school or retaking classes... Not fun and very discouraging. Usually this happens with students who feel overwhelmed … [Read more...]

Gratitude

It's November, Gratitude Month. A time to go inward and reflect on the things that matter most and those things we're thankful for. A focus on gratitude helps us to be in a state of abundance rather than scarcity. Benefits As it turns out, a practice of regular gratitude is good for you. People who have a regular practice have healthier relationships, happier memories, greater self-esteem, more energy, increase their income, are sick less often, are less depressed, sleep better, exercise more, … [Read more...]

Parents, you're not alone (Part 2)

I often cite the fact that the single most common sentiment I've heard from parents over the past 20 years goes something like this, "I just want my child to be happy and successful." This idea drives all of my work. You see, to me, the value of an education is measured by how happy and successful our children feel. Too much of our "modern" approach to education actually gets in the way of this. So I recently posed the following question to a Facebook group I like, "What is your GREATEST hope … [Read more...]

Parents, you're not alone. (Part 1)

It's not at all uncommon for parents to share with me that they feel alone, like they are the only ones going through this, and like they are not good parents. Well, you are not alone. You are about to see many of the same themes repeated over and over. A bit of background: Last weekend I gave a workshop to a big group of parents. It was called Upgrade your Grades, How to turn a rough start into a successful semester. It focused on the topics of executive function and emotional regulation. I … [Read more...]

Seth Godin: Why you should listen

“What is school for? If you're not asking that, you're wasting time and money.” --Seth Godin Seth Godin is someone who I admire... a lot. I've been following his blog for four years, have read many of his books (Permission Marketing is my favorite), watched most of his videos and listened to countless interviews. What's the big deal? Why should you care? Because Seth has a truly unique way of articulating his ideas so that you can use them to better help your child grow up in this world. He … [Read more...]

Standing Desks and how they benefit kids (video)

Please CLICK above to share. I recently did a 15 min interview with Trevor Brown from The Undesk I am a huge fan of standing desks and strongly encourage my students to try them. It should be noted that nothing is right for everyone and that you should find what works for you. Having said that, I use one myself- in fact I'm standing at it right now as I write this post. And I love it. Also, I live in Boulder, where there are countless startups and tech companies. More and more I see people … [Read more...]

"How do I help my kid if he/she doesn't want it?"

If I had a dollar for every time I heard this... Listen, trying to help a child who won't accept it is definitely a hard pill t swallow, but you're not alone, and there is hope. This trend often starts when the student is in middle school and can last throughout college. Parents discuss this type of situation with me regularly. They say, "My kid won't listen to me," "That's exactly what I said to her, but she got mad when I said it," "I try to help but he won't let me," Etc.. Aspects There's … [Read more...]

The dip: How to deal with the falling grades pattern

"The dip" is something that notoriously happens right around the 6th week of the semester (typically, this means there are 12 more weeks to go). Things pile up, a few missing assignments, a few bad scores, and suddenly, everything feels overwhelming. The dip is very predictable. It actually starts at weeks 2-3, although it's very hard to detect at this point. Everything seems fine, but details are beginning to be missed here and there. Between weeks 4-6, it really hits hard. Almost out of thin … [Read more...]

How post-its can help you get on top of school

Here's a new video all about how students can use stickies or post-its to get organized. This is great for you if: you aren't great with details you forget what you have for homework you procrastinate you forget to turn homework in you don't like to study or don't really know how you aren't naturally organized Trust me, it'll help. Enjoy! … [Read more...]

One solid tip for organizing papers & homework

Here's a video that just might have some great insights for you. It's about one of my favorite systems I help students develop. I call it "the queue." It's a simple, powerful method of tracking everything important, homework or otherwise, in one centralized place. As one of my students said, "it feels harder in my head when my important papers are all spread out in different folders." Most of my students are able to apply this easily and consistently, it works! How to set it up: 1. First, set … [Read more...]

Advocacy letter example

Hey all. Here's a real advocacy letter that was sent by one of my families this year. Feel free to use the ideas to craft your own. I have a different article about email advocacy strategies here if you want more info. Here's the example (names have been changed): Aug 15, 2014 Dear Mrs. Jones, Hi! First of all, we are excited about the 5th grade and look forward to a successful school year. I have heard that you are an excellent teacher and that Alec is in good hands. We have been … [Read more...]

Real stories

I received this email last week and it articulated something I've heard countless times and in countless ways. Here's a quote from it: "My ex was a total asshole to my Aspie and it's infuriating that he can't understand his own son, nor does he want to. There's "that" as part of this journey... fighting against educators, the "public" when we go places, and our own freaking spouses and families... Grrrrrrrr. My child's soul got hurt. Ok, on a positive note, my son called me after it happened … [Read more...]

Planner haters

I hear comments like this regularly: I hate planners. I don't need a planner. I just don't like to use a planner. I know, I know. You really don't want to use a planner. But you do need to figure out some way to manage the details. Seriously, I'll break it down and help make it simple and straight forward. I know because I do this with students all the time and it works. The nuances I will describe will make a BIG difference. Look, students who aren't naturally organized tend to get … [Read more...]

Advocating via email

Please CLICK above to share. Unfortunately, many advocacy efforts have little effect, so it's important to make every step count as much as possible. In this post I will explain how I help families write advocacy emails at the beginning of the school year. This is mainly for elementary through high school but can be applied to college students as well (see the end of the video, go to min. 9). How to write the email: Note: These are just my recommendations. Take what you like and leave … [Read more...]

8 Quick & easy ideas to start school off right

Make no mistake, the patterns that are set in the first 4-6 weeks of school set the tone for the entire school year. If students hit a wall 6 weeks in, and red flags start popping up, chances are they'll be afflicted with S.U.S.S. for the rest of the year (Swimming Up Stream Syndrome. Not fun). Therefore, it's critical to hit the ground running and be prepared on day 1. Here's how: (Take what you like and leave the rest) 1. Print 4 copies of the school's YEARLONG calendar. Tape 1 in the … [Read more...]

WDS & Fizzle

I know, unusual blog title. Here is a video about a conference I go to every year called the World Domination Summit, a podcast I am crazy about called Fizzle, and some thoughts regarding the world our kids are growing up in. Hope you are having a phenomenal summer. Seth … [Read more...]

Great article

One of the things that keeps me up at night is the state of the economy we are leaving to our children. This is a great piece with some great insight. It's called The Pitchforks Are Coming... for Us Plutocrats and was written by Nick Hanauer. Enjoy and share what you think on the comments here. … [Read more...]

Final exams- a different way to study

Yesterday, I was working with one of my students and we spent some time on a different way for him to study. He loved it. I have taught many of my kids this method and it's really powerful. There are a few things that we traditionally associate with studying: note cards, reading your notes over, memorization, etc.. But there are so many more ways to integrate learning. This one involves a digital recorder. (I use the Olympus 801 . Digital voice recorders cost between $30-$100. Try to get the … [Read more...]

You're not crazy

Seriously, you're not. I don't know if there's something in the air or what, but I've had so many students, parents and teachers tell me stories lately about broken schools, I have to share it. Know this: if something feels wrong, it probably is. There are a lot of people going through the same thing. So often we feel alone, wondering if we're off base, if we worry too much. Too many students struggle and suffer needlessly, and you're not crazy, even though systemic dysfunction would have you … [Read more...]

The problem with writing papers

One of the college students I work with recently emailed me this: "I need to produce an outline for a term paper this semester (completing the outline is an actual assignment, due Monday, April 7) and I would like to meet for your assistance on that. We do not have to worry about quickly moving past the outline, like we did on that last paper. I also plan to meet with the professor Monday and Wednesday mornings to discuss overall concerns with the paper beforehand and get a better idea on how … [Read more...]

Hate to beat a dead horse…

I recently received an email from a teacher of one of my middle school clients. It opened, "The binder I ask students to maintain has sections for: (1) Literature Notes, (2) Writing & Grammar Notes, (3) Vocabulary, (4) SSR entries, and (5) Texts - the short stories and myths I've passed out." I see this often- highly organized teachers who require students to maintain highly organized binder systems like this. While I appreciate the intention behind this, it is overkill and … [Read more...]

The homestretch

There's a lot going on at end of the school year: Spring fever diverts energy, everyone's getting excited for summer. Although standardized testing is pretty much over, teachers are now stressed about "covering" the remaining content for the year. There is often a lot of top-down pressure making it worse. Students who are in the swimming-up-stream cycle are burnt out, resistant, fading. Parents are scrambling to help their kids pull it together as the red flags pop up, often too late. A few … [Read more...]

Two Types of Kids

Detail oriented and structured. Linear, sequential, step by step, left brained, focused, organized, good listeners, strong students, on top of things, responsible, concrete, practical, regulated, likes rules, facts, safe, on time, follows directions, knows the right answer, good with systems, uses planners, puts things back, good with folders and binders, turns in homework, studies. Not good with details. Global, big picture, holistic thinkers. Right brained, random, distracted, disorganized, … [Read more...]

Overkill

Yesterday I met with a new student who wants help with organization. I asked her to tell me how she tries to organize and she showed me her 3 ring binder. Any of you who know me know I'm not a fan of the binder for most of the kids I work with. It's a simple matter of ROI (Return on Investment). For kids who aren't naturally organized, it's a lot of paper pushing investment for what's often little, if any, return. And they know it. Same Old Story This case is the same story I've seen so many … [Read more...]

Quick Organizational Overhaul

Some students seem to get organization through osmosis, but many need a great deal of direct and specific guidance in order to develop their style. Simply speaking, some kids systematize more naturally than others and regular overhauls make a big difference for the “organizationally challenged”. Here’s a rundown of how I often begin sessions with students who are still developing their systems. This quick overhaul can be done with any age, elementary through grad school. It’s good to do this at … [Read more...]

Just Throw it Away.

Look, teachers pass out a lot of "stuff." Whether you’re working with a first grader or a grad student, help them develop the habit of taking a half hour every weekend to go through the backpack/locker/desk and eliminate the clutter. This includes old assignments, trash, broken pencils, etc.. Of course there are reasonable times to keep things, but ask students to consider if it’s really valuable or if it can be recycled. In this world of material abundance, letting go of the right stuff is an … [Read more...]

Great Teachers

Great teachers don’t teach school, they teach people. They don’t “control” their classes, they lead individuals to thrive. They don’t get kids “caught up,” they meet learners where they’re at and inspire curiosity... Without judgement or shame. They don’t depend on “data to drive instruction,” they inspire people to fall in love with learning. They aren’t concerned with “accountability” because they’re entrenched in authentically caring that students feel like worthy and capable human … [Read more...]

World Domination

It's July 5th, 2013 and I'm heading to the World Domination Summit in Portland, OR. This conference has had a tremendous influence on how I've built my blog. It has been life-changing to be surrounded by the energy of a bunch of people trying to dominate the world with good work. WDS is a group of 3000 amazing people who do good for the world in various capacities (with a tech twist). Last year I met and saw some incredible speakers: Chris Guillebeau - is the ring leader of WDS, a man who … [Read more...]

Plan C

Plan A Kids go to school, conform to the system, learn what they need in order to be "happy & successful", have a great experience, live happily ever after. If that doesn't work... Plan B Get interventions to help the student conform to a broken system that doesn't serve them properly. More tutors, therapists, extra busywork, more testing, special programs, punishments, threats, lectures, etc.. Hopefully they won't learn to resent school. Hopefully they won't end up feeling bad about … [Read more...]

"I'm not smart."

I was recently working with a high school sophomore. Noting her strengths, I gave her a genuine compliment about her intelligence and ability to come up with uniquely creative solutions and viewpoints. She looked at me and said, "but I'm not smart. I get bad grades." My eyes burst wide and I said emphatically, "what do grades have to do with anything? You're not your grades and you are very smart." It's a crime when kids feel this way. Grades are tiny, blurry snapshots, not big pictures. … [Read more...]

Teach with Passion, not "Packets." And a Thanks to Jeff Bliss

By Seth Perler: A parent of one of my former students forwarded this video to me today. The student in this video is my kind of kid. As Jeff Bliss of Duncanville High is getting kicked out of class, he beautifully articulates what too many kids go through. In the video he's talking to his teacher, expressing his frustration about how they're being taught. He says to his teacher that kids need to learn "face to face", that "if you want kids to get excited you gotta make em' excited." "You want … [Read more...]

The Writing Process

"My most important piece of advice to all you would-be writers: when you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip." --Elmore Leonard I've taught writing in various capacities to hundreds of students, from 3rd graders to graduate students. There are numerous systems designed to teach kids how to write, all claiming to be "the way." I prefer to teach the following paradigm, as it provides a fantastically solid foundation. This is a universal approach that works with all ages, so don't … [Read more...]

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