Paging Dr. Scott

It’s summer. Teachers are using these few months to hone existing skills and develop new ones. Dr. Scott recounts a recent classroom activity that illuminates the need for a renewed passion, knowledge of students, preparation, and a student’s desire to have fun while learning. It’s borderline a Maslow‘s hierarchy of needs. Dr.. Scott encourages awareness of student ability levels. Most classrooms...

Back in the day, kids could make "arrangements" to have a fight to solve a disagreement. The fight would be on the playground, at the bus stop or after school. Once the fight was over, the fight was over. Nowadays, kids are bringing gangs, guns and knives to the fight. In those cases, someone always gets hurt.  In this episode, Dr. Scott asks the question, What about the children? and shares a rec...

What do you do when you're ignored? How do you handle rejection? Some people take rejection to the point of no return. In this episode, Dr. Scott shares a recent story of one woman's reaction to being blocked on TikTok. You read that right! For some people, men and women, boys and girls, rejection demands confrontation. Listen in as Dr. Scott gets to the possible root cause of the extreme behavior...

Have you ever experienced betrayal? You know, the belief and expectation that someone you trust will prove themselves trustworthy with either your possessions, your children, other loved ones, or your heart. Only to find that they would let you down. The thing about betrayal is you never hear it from them. "You make the discovery," someone else tells you. That makes it an even harder pill to swall...

We have always been a nation of people who needed an explanation —from our politicians, from our parents. We didn’t always get the explanation we wanted, but we always wanted to know why. The same applies to the generation of learners who are sitting in our classrooms today. They want to know why they need to have a seat; they want to know why they can’t go to the bathroom; they want to know why t...

Fear comes in all shapes and sizes, and it sometimes comes when we least expect it. In the case of careers and professions, we often find ourselves fearful of operating in the spirit of excellence. If you’ve ever seen the movie Coach Carter, starring Samuel L. Jackson, he references a poem that starts with, “What is your deepest fear?” The last two lines of that poem should resonate with you as yo...

“Kids can be mean. Really mean.” Those words from a sixth grader prompted Dr. Scott to issue this announcement as a public service. Whether it’s a woman’s crown or a young girl’s tiara, a cute hairstyle matters. No one is fond of a bad hair day, but for children, even as early as seven years old, appearance begins to take on new meaning. A bad hair day can lead to all sorts of other things, from m...

Are you among the 32% of people who feel uncomfortable talking about money with your significant other? Hello listeners and Happy New Year! If you’re subscribed to Paging Dr. Scott, you know she believes strongly in giving equal attention to all aspects of life and living; that includes financial wellness. This topic is so important, because after raising three well-rounded children on a single mo...

Shielding Ourselves from Workplace Scourges Take a deep breath for this one, guys. In today’s episode, Dr. Scott pays homage to a former co-laborer in service to students and staff in higher education. As we approach the anniversary of the death of Dr. Antoinette Candia-Bailey, we listen in as Dr. Scott lays bare many of the issues in workplace dynamics, promotions and advancement, mental health,...

As a consultant and academic coach, Dr. Scott has heard it all. In this episode, she reflects on a teacher complaint that he “Can’t do 20 things at once.” Many classrooms have taken on the appearance of a living room where students let themselves in and make themselves at home. In such an environment, students decide the agenda, seating arrangements, meals and level of socialization. Dr. Scott dis...

Have you ever felt bombarded with a litany of tasks handed down from your administration or, worse, your district leadership? Leaving you wondering how you will complete it all and still teach? What about the realization that your kiddos aren’t prepared with the foundational knowledge they need to be successful in your classroom? It makes the concept of Gradual Release of Responsibility a lofty go...

As educators and leaders in secondary public schools, we all share a common goal: helping our students achieve academic success. However, the path to success is not always smooth. Many students face barriers that can prevent them from reaching their full potential. On this Teaching Tuesday, Dr. Scott explores seven key obstacles that stand in the way of academic achievement and discusses how they...

Have you ever had a change of heart about a person? Not based on your personal experience, but the experience and judgement of someone else? Was it warranted? How do you know? In this episode, Dr. Scott challenges us to weigh the opinions of others against our own experiences. It can be an easy trap to shift from admiration and respect to disdain and disappointment based solely on the mislabeling...

In this episode of Teacher Tuesday, we tackle the elephant in the room: procrastination. Believe it or not, procrastination is arguably the #1 cause of teacher disorganization and classroom chaos. It's difficult to trace it back to procrastination, but it really is the evil twin to a classroom conducive to learning. Dr. Scott walks us through ways to combat this to make life, instruction and learn...

Parental Discretion is Advised The realization that women are still misinformed about feminine hygiene came as shock to Dr. Scott. Myth: It is impossible to clean the entire body and rid it of "certain" odors. Fact: With proper diet, cleansing practices and basic knowledge of female anatomy, body odor can (and should) be a thing of the past. Let's find out how! Note: Pressure washing, as used in t...

We all know the #1 rule to establishing rules: Keep it to a minimum, ideally 3-5 rules for a classroom. Dr. Scott and her students broke that rule one year and it was the most productive and successful year her students experienced. In business, strategic planning (SP) is the norm. It is systematic, intentional, collaborative and time sensitive. Dr. Scott adopted SP strategies to create classroom...

If you thought students of the past were the experts at classroom disruption and teacher manipulation, this new generation of kiddos has mastered the art. From trips to the bathroom to lying on the floor during instruction, students all over the country are winning the battle for control of classroom time and space. Dr. Scott is putting her foot down. No more Mrs. Nice Guy!

Wellness Wednesday: When it comes to mental health, there is still the stigma and shame people can't help feeling when life starts life-ing. Listen as Dr. Scott reminds us that no one is immune from the challenges of the unexpected. You are not alone. 

In this episode, Dr. Scott laments the role she played in rewriting chapters of her life that should have been sealed and classified. She weaves three stories into one, dropping a bit of science to help men understand how their minds work when it comes to women, desires, sex and the inability of many men to know where to draw the line. This episode will help you understand why men can find themsel...

In this episode Dr. Scott touches on how our words, our mouths, our voices contribute to the relationships we value. Touching on topics such as blame, expectations, inaction and Emotional Intelligence (EQ), she challenges us to do more self-reflection and less finger-pointing.  Her advice? "Don't allow your body to become a Depot for Darts." In other words, avoid living life filled with venomous w...

In this episode, Dr. Ursula Yvette Scott emphasizes the importance of effective communication between teachers and parents. She offers detailed advice on how teachers can prepare for open house, and the significance of sending a 'Dear Parents' letter to set expectations and initiate communication. Dr. Scott provides practical tips on drafting the letter, addressing parents' concerns, and maintaini...

In this episode, Dr. Ursula Yvette Scott discusses the importance of establishing control and setting clear expectations in the classroom from day one. She provides detailed advice on how to manage classroom behavior, including seating arrangements, the importance of using inside voices, and maintaining respect for classroom resources. Dr. Scott emphasizes the significance of preparing students no...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Ursula Yvette Scott tackles the hard truths surrounding recent controversies involving high-profile Black men. With unfiltered reflections on accountability, race, fame, and temptation, she breaks down a viral comment and asks: At what point do we take responsibility for our actions—regardless of who else is getting away with it? Using the cases of Shannon Sharpe, Did...

Dr. Ursula Yvette Scott shares what the podcast is all about and what you can expect when you listen to Paging Dr. Scott. Listen in!