KindSight 101

What do business and generosity have in common? How does someone grappling with their own mortality bounce forward stronger than ever, with a newfound understanding of what matters in life? How do we teach what truly matters to our own children through our honest modelling?

In this very special episode, you’ll meet Ruban Rebalkin, a loving father, husband and the Owner and operator of Tumblebums (a local toddler playcentre business that saved my sanity on numerous occasions when my two were little.

I invited Ruben onto KindSight 101 because his story of resilience, courage, and faith is inspiring to anyone-parents, teachers, humans alike. He overcame some of the most challenging circumstances, bounced forward, and continues on to pay-it-forward to the community through the work that he does serving families. He provides hope for those going through dark times and does it with grace and humour. This story has the power to shift a person’s perspective on what matters in life and the importance of generosity in creating community. You can learn more about Ruban by searching Tumblebums online. Hope you enjoy our conversation!

Have you ever wondered what to do when a child in your class has a learning disability? How does one adequately ensure that the child maintains a strong sense of self, in spite of the fact that he or she may feel as though he/she is losing a race. What about parents? How do we support parents in navigating the rocky terrain related to having a child with learning difficulties? If you've ever taught or had a child with learning challenges, you're going to love this conversation. You'll learn some of the practical adaptations you can do at home and school. You'll also learn the one thing you'll need heading into a parent-teacher conference.

Delphine Rule is the mother of three children, two of whom have ADHD as well as learning disabilities. And she, herself, has a learning disability. She has spent the last 14 years working with students with learning challenges, both in and out of the classroom. Parents often have questions that are not always answered. Her goal is to be that support and sounding board for families through Access to Education.

https://www.access2education.com/about

If you want to make a big impact on those around you, to truly make positive change in your school, workplace, and community, check out this game-changing episode with the one and only, Dr. Jody Carrington!

In this episode, we talk about trauma, ways to connect with the kids in our lives, and some of the ways we can take care of ourselves along the way.

Jody is a passionate believer in the power of the relationship with the people

Jody Carrington is a clinical psychologist, mom, wife, author, minor hockey coach, and game changer. She grew up in rural Alberta and was inspired by a teacher, way back when, to pursue a career in psychology. She received her undergraduate degree (with distinction) from the University of Alberta, and her Masters Degree and PhD from the University of Regina, in Saskatchewan, Canada.

You can find her on social media by searching Dr. Jody Carrington (and join her on Facebook/Instagram Live on Sundays at 8pm CST) or at www.drjodycarrington.com

Deep down, most educational organizations care for their employees and students, and they want to keep up with new human rights policies and best practice, but when it comes to gender diversity in the workplace and school, many of us aren’t always sure how to proceed.

In this episode, I talk with transgender educator Kingsley Strudwick, founder of Ambit Gender Diversity Consulting, which

You can connect with him on twitter, Instagram, and facebook by searching AGDC or Ambit Gender Diversity Consulting.

This is the kindness activity I have always been looking for. It offers the perfect mix of kindness, student agency, and inquiry. I am ALL in. What is it, you ask? The Kindness Expo...a chance for students to showcase their kindnesses to people in their lives in order to make a difference in the world and inspire others to join in!

Today’s guest has a true passion for kindness, will leave you feeling inspired, excited to take on your own kindness projects with the people you serve in your life. You will come away with dozens of easy-to-implement ideas for mobilizing kindness in your life, school, and workplace!

Tamara Letter is a mom, tech integrator for her district, educator, and recent author of the incredible book, A Passion for Kindness. You can find her on twitter @tamaraletter by searching the hashtag #passionforkindness, tamaraletter.com and buy her freshly minted book, a Passion for Kindness anywhere you buy your books.

It’s 2007. Shutter shades are all the rage. People have to juggle ipods and flip phones for their respective music and T9 texting needs. Facebook is replacing My space. Transformers has just come out on the big screen.

Picture a ninth-grade boy in Cambridge, Nova Scotia, Canada. One frosty February morning about, he enters his school wearing a pink shirt. The jeers start quietly, as people nudge and elbow one another, snickering under their breaths.

Thankfully, two Grade 12 students Travis Price and David Sheppard decide to take an iconic stand against bullying that day. They go to a nearby discount store and buy 50 pink shirts, including tank tops, to wear to school the next day. Overnight, more than 850 kids get the memo and show up to school the next day dawning pink shirts in solidarity with the Grade 9 boy.

More than 10 years later, their act of standing up to bullying has grown into a worldwide movement called Pink Shirt Day.

In honour of Pink Shirt Day, which takes place February 27th 2019, I thought I’d gather a few terrific ideas that anyone could use to celebrate kindness in schools and communities for this special bonus episode of KindSight 101.

You’ll hear from a music teacher (Margaret Dzbik), a dance teacher (Karley Allen), a classroom teacher (Danielle Miller), and I’ll give you two bonus ideas (inspired by Tamara Letter and Laurie McIntosh) that you could implement in your classroom for the special day!

#pinkshirtday2019

About Tamara

Jody is a passionate believer in the power of the relationship with the people

Jody Carrington is a clinical psychologist, mom, wife, author, minor hockey coach, and game changer. She grew up in rural Alberta and was inspired by a teacher, way back when, to pursue a career in psychology. She received her undergraduate degree (with distinction) from the University of Alberta, and her Masters Degree and PhD from the University of Regina, in Saskatchewan, Canada.

You can find her on social media by searching Dr. Jody Carrington (and join her on Facebook/Instagram Live on Sundays at 8pm CST) or at www.drjodycarrington.com

George Couros is a leading educator in the area of innovation leadership, teaching, and learning. He has worked with all levels of the K-12 school system, as a teacher, technology facilitator, and school and district administrator. He is the author of the book, The Innovator’s Mindset and writes the blog, The Principal of Change, has done a ted talk, hosts his own podcast, and is a well-respected speaker. He is also the creator of connectedprincipals.com and is a contributor to edutopia.com.

In this episode, we talk about the power of encouraging our learners and educators to be problem finders and solvers, what it takes to develop an innovator’s mindset, and the distinction between what it means to engage vs. empower our students. You'll learn how two simple questions are the key to changing student behaviour for the better. We dig deep into meaningful ways to motivate our school community to tap into their passions and interests and talk about overcoming the constraints associated with schools right now. Through his engaging, funny delivery, George shows us how to build student agency into learning while keeping it real.

Laurie McIntosh is an incredible kindergarten educator based out of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada who dedicates herself to teaching her students to be kind through kindness cape superhero missions. A kindness superhero herself, she has been featured on The Ellen Show and has started The Kind Club, an international kindness club that any teacher can join with their class. She mobilizes kindness through her blog and social media where you can find her @lauriesmcintosh @MrsMacsKinders @the_kind_club. I hope you feel as inspired as I did after this conversation!

Here's a clip of her Ellen Show appearance.