Author: Jeff Yasinchuk

Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up. ~Brene Brown, PhD.

‘Ways to Be Home’

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.  ~Maya Angelou As I often do, I give immense credit to my brilliant, deep-thinking, and reflective teaching colleague, Barbara Hargreaves, for her inspiration for this post. In anticipation of our current home … Continue reading ‘Ways to Be Home’ →

Emergent Strategy: Never a Better Time Than Now

We are socialized to see what is wrong, missing, off, to tear down the ideas of others and uplift our own. To a certain degree, our entire future may depend on learning to listen, listen without assumptions or defenses.  ~ Adrienne Maree Brown With a desire to rethink and reinvision the true purpose of public … Continue reading Emergent Strategy: Never a Better Time Than Now →

A Humbling Dose of Perspective

As both a parent and educator, I am so grateful to a colleague for sending along this very humbling dose of parent perspective. An Israeli mother of four children candidly shares her frustration and lack of perspective about the rush to get home schooling cranked up... https://youtu.be/H7_wvQHMGOI Modelling Perspective As I make my way through … Continue reading A Humbling Dose of Perspective →

What #Teens Want Us To Know About #SexEducation (and waiting for us to ask)

Parents are not sex education experts just because they are parents. ~Pepper Schwartz With our second teen hanging out with a regular female friend, we feel as though we entering into the 'fire in the hole!' phase of his pubescent maturation. Our family continues to have healthy, open, honest, and at times, uncomfortable conversations. You … Continue reading What #Teens Want Us To Know About #SexEducation (and waiting for us to ask) →

A New Normal: Learning Amid COVID-19

Yep. Here we are. Strange times, indeed. While we are currently celebrating our kids by honouring the planned two-week spring break, we do know that the holiday will soon be over (for everyone). Sleep schedules, eating times, and access to electronic devices will all witness radical changes. With the inevitable end in sight (and the … Continue reading A New Normal: Learning Amid COVID-19 →

Finding Equanimity: It’s Not Just For Yogis Anymore

You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.  ~Marcus Aurelius Lately, I have, for lack of a better phrase, worked on not … Continue reading Finding Equanimity: It’s Not Just For Yogis Anymore →

Teaching (and Learning) Science Through Two-Eyes

This we know. The Earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the Earth. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.  … Continue reading Teaching (and Learning) Science Through Two-Eyes →

Unconventional Advice: Remember the Pain(ful)

I recently came across a speech from Chief Justice of the United Supreme Court, John Roberts who is currently presiding over the presidential impeachment trial. While the passionate and honest address was directly to his son's Grade 9 graduating class at an exceptionally exclusive private school for boys in Grades 6-9, it might be one … Continue reading Unconventional Advice: Remember the Pain(ful) →

Bringing FLOW To Our Students

Contrary to what we usually believe, moments like these, the best moments in our lives, are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times — although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we have worked hard to attain them. The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in … Continue reading Bringing FLOW To Our Students →