smh... student motivation hints

some days i feel exhausted, some days i feel energized. Some kids make amazing changes and improvements, some are still lost in frustrating refusal and negativity. I AM HERE FOR IT. ALL OF IT. this career is not for money, it is my contribution to the world, and the fact that I stumbled into this job where i get to inspire students to find as much purpose and happiness as i have teaching is UN. RE...

recorded this one at home 2 days before a mind blowing podcast by a PhD researcher who wrote a book by the SAME TITLE. I'm not making this stuff up, there are clinical studies proving how to rewire your brain and make unbelievable changes to your mind, your life, your perspective. but it's only unbelievable if you don't believe it... if you try to make changes you will actually feel that it works....

after a long day with a few students who are not making the right choices, here's one who's completely turned around. what's COOLEST is that he is now happier, more motivated, productive, focused, inspired, and did i mention HAPPIER?!? This kid and all the others who make changes is the reason i love teaching so much, to see students make amazing changes for the better. This gives me hope and a po...

Inspired by a 1st period discussion I had recently where we argued over the usefulness of money, but the ultimate disconnect between deep, true, long lasting happiness. listen in to hear what I think is actually your source of true happiness, and reflect on your own life to see where yours lies

Javi is trying to get his grades up for basketball... or maybe for his mom, or maybe for college so he can study something he doesn't even know yet! His mom taught him to work hard and always improve, and he has been doing that all year. I push him a lot, and I'm really proud of the changes he's made.

I have to remind myself to not be frustrated or stressed with kids who haven't made the right changes yet because there are SO MANY who have, and more and more changing every day. I'm so excited to see the improvements and watch kids grow and develop because that's what all living things do, FOR A LIVING. and if this podcast or anything else i do can influence that change, i'mma die happy knowing...

These two freshman girls just met this semester, and they are making huge changes so they can make a better future because they don't want to stress and struggle. One is new to sahuaro and the other had a bad 1st semester, but their future looks super positive because they know if you surround yourself with motivated people, life is so much better, and success is easier! Very proud of these two

sitting down with the hardest working runner i've never taught, we talk about how failing calculus in college twice didn't defeat him because of his experience on the cross country team. Listen in as we dive into his methods for keeping his long term motivation and grind up no matter what obstacles life throws, how to stay driven for YEARS. this 2 hour interview could have easily gone for another...

you can choose to lower and raise your cortisol and adrenaline with your sympathetic nervous system to perform when you need to, the question is, how high to raise those hormones? how long do you need to perform? and can you view this stress as excitement with a positive perspective? stress isn't bad if you know how to PLAY with it

i've never seen this student this stressed. she's usually so happy, motivated, and positive, so i had to investigate. turns out she CHOSE all of these responsibiblties, and she knows they are all good things! but... we have to deal with the negative feelings. by the end of our chat, she had vented and identified the root of the problem and left with a smile and some relief but most importantly: A...

these awesome girls inspire me SO MUCH they don't even know... some of the most dedicated girls know how to improve their life with structure and schedules, but they're worried it'll be boring? listen here as they search for some solutions to make their lives even better, dropping all sorts of wisdom and encouragement for each other and for everyone listening. 

5th period raised my adrenaline today, and not in the good way. sympathetic nervous system stress raises your heart rate in a fight or flight situation that threatens life, but in school there is no threat to life, so when students fight me, i fight back. BUT THIS IS WRONG, i need to be sympathetic to the stress you feel and teach you that there is another type of GOOD stress, good adrenaline that...

when his parents stepped in he had 9 missing assignments, but most of his other classes are boring. when your dad is a basketball coach, of course ball is life, so bryce is working on specific drills to learn to play with his left hand. He holds himself to a higher standard than just D's, and his goal in life is to be able to do whatever he wants like his grandma. 

establishing good habits can be hard, but there is a formula, and it's WORTH it. when this student started getting their work done they learned that having good habits and getting stuff done feels SO GOOD. your parents are proud of your accomplishments and so are you, but ultimately you become able to change your life however you want through habits, and the reward is feeling you are proud and in...

amazing academic performance with daily skilled habits can be fueled by a long term goal, and all of them can make you happy. but are you motivated by happiness, or habits, or goals...

What does outrageous curiosity have to do with being squished? When your family instills strength and confidence, you become unstoppable in pursuing your dreams. 

Distractions are toxic. But can we train our brain to reject them?

When your parents teach you mindfulness and AVID teaches you growth mindset, you don't let failures hold you down. Listen to this student show some serious love to her mom and explain why she likes the pressure of difficult classes. 

This basketball player knows failure is temporary, something to fix. He also learned from his family that education is the key to a good. The friends around him are fun, but distracting sometimes and he has learned to not let his team down he needs to move to a different seat in class. Smart actions  

Perhaps one of my most important episodes ever. From a great conversation I had with AP biology today. Money is fake, but it is also useful. What basic needs do you need to buy in order to pursue true happiness in life?

5th period today was unbelievable. Listen in to my reflections as I try to understand why my students continued to distract themselves by overreacting as if defending from threats like anaphylactic allergic response to a perceived threat. But this is the world and the culture they are drowning in here in 2022. This allows me to marvel, and laugh at the absurdity of it all, but also to be compassio...

Story time, some raw honesty about how I approach challenges in life. 

Agreement and positivity are twins. Being happy comes from accepting what is in your life, what is good in your life. How are you saying no to the things you know are good for you? How can you say yes to more of the good stuff that makes you better, happier, more productive?

Addictions are not your fault, but you need to know how to control the most powerful drug destroying our lives today: cell phones. apps are designed to be addicting, they pull you away from relationships, success, and true long-term happiness. How can you get this drug out of your life every day at specific times to be a happier, better version of yourself?

Are you joining a team to work towards the same goal, or are you competing with your teachers, family, bosses, and classmates? Are you resisting the cooperation of good teamwork by rejecting responsibilities, or are you thankful to have teammates that have your best interest in mind?