Upgrade My Classroom

When a student is thinking of taking a student loan, what does $50,000 really mean to them. Well if they're anything like me, nothing! I had no personal finance education and the number seemed so vague. Plus you've probably also heard things like...

• Everyone has to take them
• I won't have to pay them back for a long time
• I'll just get a decent job that makes enough money to pay them back quickly

We know the issues with the above statements but our kids don't. That's why we need to break down what these big numbers actually mean every month. Even more so, we need to show them what real adult monthly expenses actually look like so they have context. We can't expect students to make the best decision possible unless they have the context and understanding.

Amidst Presient Biden's 2nd attempt to roll out a student debt relief plan called SAVE, I thought this would be a good time to talk about this. The reality is I'm 36 and I'm STILL paying off my loans!

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If we tell ourselves a certain story, we're going to make certain decision. If we change that story, our decisions will change as well.

Today we're going to break down the Story Cycle. This simple yet extremely powerful concept has been taught by many personal development and productivity gurus. Ultimately our story influences our actions, our actions influence our results, and our results reinforce our story. This is how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer!

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Today I start with a story. It's actually one of the earliest memories I have. It was a contract that my mother and my teacher made me sign...

As someone who is NOT an expert on addiction, drugs and alcohol or substance abuse, this is simply one man's experience with early prevention. Take a listen to today's episode as I discuss a few ways we can instill a strong identity and help set personal boundaries for teens as they navigate the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

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Today we're going to try a slightly different format. I will be playing a short clip from one of my recent talks at Dobbs Ferry High School in Westchester, NY. This clip highlights some of the selfish choices a teen can make when they tell themselves a limiting story.

Today I'll discuss 3 effective strategies for educators to help students navigate regret, urging them to consider the limited time they have and how their actions will shape their lives. From visualizing a 90-year life calendar to encouraging empathy and respectful conversations, I feel like this is a short, yet powerful episode if implemented. Enjoy!

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Throughout my time as a teacher, coach and speaker, I've learned quite a bit about how teens make decisions. One major realiztion I've had is that our decisions are governed by three fundamental truths. No matter what age and what circumstance, these principles are what guide and shape our decisions.

When it comes to teens, they are much more vulnerable due to the lack of life experience, as well as their timeline of cognitive growth. So today, I will break down what these three truths are and how we can better understand them. If we are to improve upon something, we must understand the fundamentals.

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When it comes to high amounts of energy, there are no better people that Matt and Phil from M&P Presentations. This dynamic youth speaking duo has been working with teens for over a decade. They have a truly unique perspective considering both Matt and Phil work professionally in the field of education.

In this episode, we discuss a wide range of topics such as self-care, personal growth, and overcoming challenges that teachers face on a day to day. We also dive into their journey in professional speaking, as well as how teaching better helps their speaking programs and vice versa.

You can find everything they have going on over at https://www.mppresentations.com/

Or follow them on social!

https://www.instagram.com/mppresentations/

https://www.youtube.com/@MPPresentations

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Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

If you'd be so kind as to leave a rating and review, that would help tremendously!

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At some point every teen will fail at something. The issue is that students are facing this idea of perfectionism that is engineered from social media and the constant connection to all their peers. So how can we help them and what strategies can we give them to work through their failures?

Today we'll dig into the importance of evaluating and revising goals, celebrating wins along the way, gaining perspective, and discovering the real motivation behind a goal.

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If you'd be so kind as to leave a rating and review, that would help tremendously!

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The SMART or SMARTER goal framework is fairly common among professionals and executives but how about teens? Has you student ever formally tried to sit down and create a detailed goal?

Considering it's the first episode of the year, the conversation on everyone's minds is always New Year's resolutions and this also could be on the mind of a high school student. If so, today I'll give you a few examples of some of the pitfalls and things to watch out for as you work with your teen to craft their goals. More importantly, I'll discuss the action steps that students need to take in order to achieve these lofty ambitions!

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If you'd be so kind as to leave a rating and review, that would help tremendously!

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It's a hard question...what do I do for the rest of my life? Even harder when you have to make that decision at 16 when applying for colleges. I have embarked on a few different entrepreneurial pursuits in my life. While I believe they all kind of stemmed from the same purpose, they were definitely different in the day to day. After deciding to pursue speaking full time, I asked myself the most important question...

If money was no longer an issue, would I still do what I'm doing today?!

Check out today's episode to find out my answer!

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If you'd be so kind as to leave a rating and review, that would help tremendously!

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Download the 3 part video series to learn all about Kevin's decision making framework for students.

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I was recently watching a video from Ali Abdaal, one of the most successful productivity Youtubers. He was going through a lot of higher level thinking and figuring out what direction to take his business next. This is where he dropped a gem!

If you're having trouble with achieving a goal or not sure what to do next in your life, ask yourself why...5 times! This is a really effective exercise that I think might bring more clarity than you even intended!

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Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

If you'd be so kind as to leave a rating and review, that would help tremendously!

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Book Kevin to speak at your school or event!

Learn more about Kevin's speaking programs here!

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