The biggest buzz in education is ChatGPT, the AI search that can provide solid writing pieces for students.  What is a teacher to do?  A bit of a discussion, and the concerns not only about AI, but the Internet in general for our children and students.

Have you ever hit a stretch where your sleep becomes messed up?  Well, I hit that part of the year where it all came crashing down on me.  What do you do during those times, to maintain the energy for your job, but more importantly, your family.

Are teachers who maintain strict rules in the classroom relish the opportunity to garner dictatorial powers?  Is student misbehavior just their revolt against unjust tyranny?  Or are those teachers expressing more love and care for the students of their class then the teacher who wants to be everyone's friend?

Coach discusses the purpose of boundaries in the classroom between teacher and student in order to provide a safe learning environment.  He also shares how a teacher also needs be careful of crossing the boundary and assuming they know better for their student than that child's parents.

How does anonymity affect how people behave in a crowd? Find out how baby carriages can be used as weapons and cutting in line is a form of narcissism. And when it comes down to it, what are we teaching our kids.

Playing on a team helps us see a greater goal than ourselves.

Do we see our job having an ultimate purpose?  Do we guide our families with an overarching goal?

Plus the deficiencies that capitalism and progressivism can create in seeing others as dollar signs or external factors that are only skin deep.

How are we doing making other people's place on earth a bit better?

Disney places a heavy emphasis on the guest experience by teaching their cast members their 7 Guest Service Guidelines.  Many visitors to the Disney World will remark how some cast member made their stay a bit better thanks to following these guidelines.  How are we doing as teachers and parents in making children's lives a bit better?  How does disciplining bad behavior a part of that process?

Part 1 of a series of reflections on Coach's trip to Disney World. 

Walking into the Magic Kingdom in Florida, looking around Main Street, was not much different in 2022 than it was in 1976 leads to a discussion in how constants in life help us deal with an ever changing world.  Also, how experiencing the unrealism of Disney should help us to strive for perfection rather than be satisfied with imperfection, and how focusing on our struggle to be perfect rather than pointing out others imperfections, brings joy.

Taking the famous opening line of A Tale of Two Cities, Coach shares 

the BEST- spending time and cultivating your family by spending time away with just them

the WORST- the months between the return to school in January from break until spring break and how we can spark energy in our lifeless students, children, and even ourselves.

As a new year approaches, Coach looks back at how he has done keeping his new school year resolution of returning his classroom back to normal after several years of COVID restrictions and as a parent, how he needs to do better by his daughters because he loves them more than he loves teaching. 

On the last day of this special series of episodes, Coach shares several historical events that occurred on Christmas Day (not Jesus' birth) and how the event selected as the best has much to teach us about our society today.