10 Slang Terms Teens Use That Adults Should Know
Last fall, ESPN ran a very funny piece on how NCAA football coaches did not understand the slang terms of their players. From Nick Saban to Tom Allen, coaches admitted that the terminology their youth athletes used to communicate was a little like a foreign language to them. Sometimes they said it felt like they needed a translator to explain
Five Hints for Starting Your Career Well
Some time ago, our team received a note describing an all too frequent scenario: I am a 23-year-old male, single (recently dumped), employed as a restaurant server, a former high school soccer athlete, and an intermediate violinist. I identify as an agnostic and I plan on returning to school part-time in the Spring, but right now I want to do well
Three Traits Generation Z Possesses That We Adults Often Don’t
I recently watched a TED Talk, featuring a young teen named Ashton Cofer. He and a team of peers decided to take on a significantly large and yet unsolved problem in America: Styrofoam waste. From packing peanuts to disposable coffee cups, each year the U.S. alone produces some two billion pounds of Styrofoam—none of which can be recycled. Frustrated by this
Why Empathy Must Be Taught
When speaking to high school students recently, I commented on the rising number of teens who experience high levels of stress and anxiety in our culture today. One very sharp senior raised her hand and said, “Wow! I knew I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, but I didn’t know so many other students do as well.” This is a picture
Five Paradoxes on Teens From the Eighth Grade
I just saw the movie, “Eighth Grade,” and for the entire 94 minutes, felt like I got to climb into the brain of a young teen coming of age. It’s the story of Kayla Day during her last week of eighth grade—detailing her feelings about her body, her virtual friends, her popularity, her wishful love life and her anxiety about them
The Problem With Many Smartphone Solutions
Smartphones have been around long enough for people to see both the benefits and consequences of such devices on young people. As our speaker team makes their way across the country this month to 45 school events, we are meeting educators, coaches and parents who mourn the addictive nature of portable devices. We now know that smartphones are as addictive
One Great Response to FOMO
Hilariously, everyone I meet across the nation has heard of FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out. Fewer have heard of the other fears students say they have today: FOLO: Fear of Living Off-line. FOMU: Fear of Messing Up. FOJO: Fear of Judgment On-line. FOMIRL: Fear of Meeting in Real Life. All of these fears have apparently surfaced because of our 24/7 connection
Five Steps to Ensure a Positive Mood
The one thing I hated most about my leadership in my early career was the unpredictability of my moods. I don’t think I was unusually moody, but I was aware that my disposition—sometimes volatile—affected the team I led. No doubt, they often wondered: Is this a good day to approach him about a problem? Is he in a good mood
Why Discipline Is Better Than Punishment
Some time ago, I spoke at an educator event in Missouri. During the Q and A period, a gentleman raised his hand with a deep concern: “Today, it seems like we’re quick to penalize (even suspend) students for wrong behavior more quickly than when I was in high school. Do you see the same thing?” The fact is—I do see the same
One Important Resolution to Make This School Year
I just read some research that confirmed what I suspected for years. Even though students in Generation Z (those growing up in the 21st century) desire to “make the world a better place,” volunteering is down, not up. Yes—you read that correctly. Here is a quick summary of the findings from Education Week: A recent study by the University of Maryland's
Four Expectations Generation Z Has of Future Employers
The first wave of young adults from Generation Z are entering the workforce, and believe it or not, they are different from the Millennial Generation, who are a bit older than they are. Generation Z is the population who grew up during the first fifteen years of the 21st century. Although those years involved economic recession instead of economic expansion
The Dark Side of Alexa and Siri for Your Kids
This summer, I witnessed something I never anticipated in a young child. I was visiting a friend’s home who had three young children. They also have Alexa, a smart speaker in their kitchen. His kids are growing up with artificial intelligence around them all the time—smart phones, smart watches, and now smart tech you can order around at home. And that’s
How Generation Z Shops and What It Means for Us to Teach Them
If you are communicating with middle school, high school or college students, you already know they’ve grown up in the digital world. They are the Touchscreen Generation, also known as “screenagers.” It may surprise you to discover, then, that 98 percent of them still shop in brick and mortar stores—some or most of the time. Even though many shopping malls
What School Is All About
Growing Leaders recently hosted a RoundTable for Principals in Atlanta. It was a joy to hear from best-selling author Dan Pink, authors Will Parker and DeeAnn Turner and an educational panel made up of Julie Diaz, Gary Davison and Dorothy Jerrett. One of my favorite learning moments, however, occurred during a break. Renee Hood approached me to talk. Renee serves as high