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Combating a Clock Moving in Reverse

Any parent of young children knows the struggle it sometimes is to keep them entertained and busy. While play really is the work of childhood, some days, kids need more than just play time. So what do you do when the clock seems to be going backwards, the kids just don’t want to play anymore, and you have just about spent every ounce of energy that you have? 

Three of my children are in full day school now, and my younger two are in preschool a few days a week, but there was a time not too long ago when I spent my days trying to think of ways to pass the time without screens. I had all five of my children within five and a half years, and in those early years, often found myself scouring the internet for ideas to keep them all busy. 

During that time, I learned a thing or two about what works, what doesn’t, and everything in between. Since sharing is caring, I’d like to share a few ideas that worked really well for my kids: ideas that promoted learning through experience, through sensory play, and through social interaction.

Sensory Bins

Sensory bins are my favorite way for children to learn through play. They are simple to create, easy to store, and last a long time. Our favorite sensory bin was made with beans as the base. I added some cups, spoons, little shovels, funnels, and small toys, and the stage was set for hours of fun. I learned early on that it worked best to put a large sheet under the bin to make for easy clean up. The bean bin would entertain my kids for hours on end, and would entertain all five of my kids at once. Their imaginations would soar, and they would have fun learning together. 

Keepy-Uppy with Paddles

Another favorite activity was making our own paddles with small paper plates and popsicle sticks or paint stirring sticks. The goal was to keep a balloon in the air, using only the paddles to keep it up. This activity promoted learning through movement and coordination. 

Matching Games

Matching is an excellent way for children to learn. It requires their brain to really look at things and find similarities and differences. It lets them notice the details of something. Versatility is another benefit of learning through matching. I’ve used matching games for color practice, learning letters and numbers, and much more. It is easy to add objects to matching games to make it go along with a theme or holiday. For instance, if the pieces are small enough, I will sometimes put the pieces to be matched inside an Easter egg. This also allows for practice of fine motor skills to open the egg, then matching skills to find the proper match. 

Water Activities

Kids love playing with water. While this can be a bit messier than other activities, it allows kids to experiment with the properties of water and volume. Throw some objects into a bin of water, and it suddenly becomes a game of sink of float, inviting kids to make hypotheses about each object. If it’s warm enough outside, a bin of soapy water, some old tooth brushes, and some rocks make for a fun “rock bath” activity. Freeze some small objects (animals, pom-poms, marbles, etc.) in ice cubes, give each child a cup of water and a medicine dropper and let them squirt water on the ice to rescue the object. It has been my experience that the common phrase, “just add water” works with kids too!

There are so many ways to learn and gather information. For kids who are kinesthetic learners (and even those who aren’t!), the activities listed above can help tremendously. So the next time you feel like time has stopped and you can’t make it to bed time, try one of these easy, low prep activities. Your kids (and your sanity) will thank you!

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The Benefits of Boredom

If you grew up in the 80s and 90s like I did (or even in earlier decades), you know very well the reality of growing up mostly screen free. You know what it’s like to make your own fun. You remember times growing up when you were forced to come up with your own ideas, rather than relying on a little screen. Simply put, you know how to be bored– and how to be okay with it!

Today’s kids are becoming more and more intolerant of boredom. I can’t tell you the amount of times I hear my own children say, “I’m bored! Can I play a game on your phone?”, to which I always respond with, “Nope! It’s okay to be bored! Put your mind to work and think of something fun to do!” The majority of the time, they will complain about it and try to state their case again and again, but every now and then, if they will sit in their boredom long enough, it’s amazing what they can come up with! 

Classrooms are experiencing the same epidemic. Because of the mass amount of information they are being fed through screens and other devices on a daily basis, their brains just can’t seem to handle any amount of down time. It’s almost like a panic mode clicks on– they can’t even fathom not having anything to do or look at, and that seems to drive anxiety and stress. Students are afraid of quiet. They are afraid of letting their minds relax and think away from screens. 

Granted, boredom is a stark contrast to the go go go state that their developing brains are almost always in. Quiet, slow, imaginative thinking is becoming a foreign concept. Students are so used to information being fed to them at a rapid pace that they aren’t sure how to slow their brains down. It’s like rush hour traffic, when hundreds of drivers are trying to merge onto, navigate, and drive on the same road. It’s chaotic and sometimes messy. There is so much going on all at once that it’s hard to make any sense of it all. It’s easy to miss things that are happening. Compare that to a late evening freeway: the amount of traffic has decreased dramatically. Cars don’t have to fight for a spot on the highway. The chaos is minimized. The noise and messiness have almost disappeared. It becomes much easier to navigate the road and notice things that are happening.


Kids today can greatly benefit from being bored. Their minds will quiet down. They will learn to listen to their own minds and come up with their own ideas. Imaginations will soar. Anxiety will lessen. Boredom will become something that is okay, and hopefully at some point, something that is wanted because of the benefits that come from it. Boredom can be a powerful thing if we allow it to be.

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Support Staff are the Backbone of the School

High School Students Wearing Uniform Being Served Food In Canteen

Schools are a working machine, with many parts. Each part is crucial to the overall functionality of the school. I don’t know of a single school that could run efficiently without its support staff. A school needs many hands to make things work. Those who work in the background generally don’t get the recognition and praise they deserve. But they do deserve to be acknowledged, because what they do is so important!

Custodians are vital to the overall physical appearance and functioning of the school building. They work so hard to make sure everything in the building is safe and in working order for employees and students. They respond to requests, big and small, to keep the school running as it should. 

Secretaries keep the logistics of the school running smoothly. They are often the first people to greet and talk to visitors as they enter the school. They keep things organized and keep track of so many things. 

Para Educators and other aides are incredibly helpful to classroom teachers. They are an extension of the teacher and allow teachers to accomplish so much more during the day. Aides help manage student behavior, help students with academic tasks, monitor playground and recess time, and encourage and uplift students. Para educators are essential for the support of special education classrooms. Oftentimes, they accompany students with special needs to mainstream classrooms. Sometimes they are assigned to work with one student individually. Whatever their assignment, they are vital to the school.

Where would we be without the dedicated cafeteria workers? They work tirelessly to provide nutritious meals for students. Their job is essential to the physical well being of the students. 

If you’ve ever worked in a school that has the privilege of having its own copy center and aide, you know just how valuable that resource is. Copy center aides help teachers by copying, assembling work packets or booklets, laminating, cutting papers, etc. Their work saves teachers so much time. While valuable at any grade level, upper grades would likely benefit most from the help of a copy aide due to the amount of students each teacher has in a secondary school.

Since the use of technology is so abundant in today’s classrooms, the role of IT techs is extremely important. Not all teachers are as computer savvy as they would like to be, so having access to someone who is can be very helpful. There are many times when I was incredibly thankful for the IT person at my school, but one instance stands out. It was time for end of the year testing, and I had just settled my class of 35 students into the computer lab, had them log in, only to have the network start glitching. I could troubleshoot most computer problems, but that was one I did not have the skill set to solve. Thankfully, the IT tech came to my rescue and we were up and going quickly. In today’s world of widespread technology use, the role of IT techs is priceless.

Last, but not least, let’s not forget speech therapists, behavioral therapists, occupational therapists, school psychologists, and school nurses. These workers do such important work in helping students make progress in specific areas. As a parent with three children currently receiving speech therapy services, I am indebted to their dedication and hard work. Their quiet, often behind the scenes work is immeasurable.

The next time you’re at your child’s school or at the school where you work, take a minute and express your gratitude to the support staff. I know they will appreciate the acknowledgement, and it will make their day to know the work they do is not ignored.

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Connecting With Students

Female High School Tutor Sitting At Table With Pupils Teaching Maths Class

Teachers can have a powerful and lasting impact on their students. Think for a minute about a teacher you had that made a positive impact on you. What about that teacher makes them stand out? Maybe it was their personality, perhaps it was the thought provoking assignments they gave, or maybe it was that they noticed you and got to know you. The reasons can be numerous, and are often personal to each individual. 

When I think of my favorite teacher, I immediately think of a couple teachers I had. First, I think of Mrs. Shimmin, who was my second grade teacher. She made learning fun, was engaging, knew when to be silly, and made each student in her class feel loved and important. Another teacher I think of often is Mr. Downs, my AP English and Literature teacher my senior year of high school. His class was anything but easy; I remember many nights, working until the early morning hours to finish term projects, but he pushed his students and challenged them to do better. Through his class and instruction,  I learned a lot about what I was capable of. He knew us each individually and was kind. He was understanding when the demands of high school and life were too much. He loved all of his students, and we all knew it. The last teacher I think of is Dr. Smith, who taught several of my education courses in college. She made her classes fun and engaging, and made sure to get to know each of her students, which is often a rare thing in a college course. I’ve been graduated from college for 15+ years now, and I still keep in touch with her. She still encourages me to do my best and shares in my happy moments. 

As I look back on what I remember most about my favorite teachers, there seems to be a common theme: kindness and love. It didn’t matter the subject taught or the age or grade at which I was taught. What mattered most was how I felt while being taught by these individuals. These teachers encouraged me to be and do my best both in and out of the classroom. They truly cared about who I was as a person. I wasn’t just a number on their roster. 

Isn’t what what we all need? To feel loved and cared for, no matter where we are? Since we spend a good majority of our time in a classroom during our child and teen years (and often into our young adulthood), teachers who create positive impressions are so important. 

So how, then, does a teacher go about connecting with their students and working toward those kinds of positive impressions? 

One way is to create connections with each individual student. Get to know their names, what they are interested in, and what their family life is like. Know when their birthday is and acknowledge it when it comes. If they are in any kinds of sports, drama, music, or other programs at school, try to attend those events and support them. If you can’t make it to their school sponsored events, be sure to ask about how they went. Ask them about what they did over the weekend or holiday break. Remember when they have big (or small) things going on in their lives, and remember to ask about those things. Simply put, take some time to really get to know your students. It’s an investment worth making, and is an investment with a great return.  A little effort goes a long way!

Another way is to give meaningful feedback on their work. So often, students who are struggling are the ones who get the most attention when it comes to feedback on assignments. But in reality, every student loves to hear what they are doing well at, and would also greatly benefit from the teacher taking a little time to discuss what they can to do improve.

In addition, teachers can also find ways to incorporate their students’ interests into lessons and assignments. For instance, when asking my students to write a persuasive piece, I would always make sure to select topics that they would feel more passionate about. Seventh grade students won’t be very invested in writing about who to vote for in the upcoming gubernatorial election, but they certainly will be invested in writing about whether or not they should be allowed to bring their cell phones to class or who the best current musician is. Gearing lessons and activities toward student interests will engage them and will make an impression on their growing minds.

There are many ways for teachers to connect with their students, and often times, these will be personal to each teacher. But what matters most is that teachers are making an effort to connect, impact, and care for each student in their classroom. Because after all, don’t we all just need a little more love and care?

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Reading: A Skill Worth Holding Onto

A seventh grade student, in annoyed exasperation, once asked me, “Why are we even reading books? I already know how to read, so why do I need to keep doing it?” The English teacher in me was ready with an answer, ready to defend reading, and ready to convince this student that they would, indeed, use reading skills for the rest of their lives.

So why is reading even worth doing? 

Reading is one of the most important skills a person can have. Some might argue that it is the most important skill, and that it is crucial for living in today’s world. I don’t think there is a day that passes where I don’t use reading in some form or another. Research has shown that reading improves writing skills, spoken communication, and imagination, among others.

Written language has been used and passed down through generations for thousands of years. Early civilizations found it to be an effective way to communicate ideas as well as to preserve histories and ideas. Although written languages have evolved over time, one thing remains: they are still used to communicate and preserve ideas. 

Learning to read is a lifelong skill. While not all adults who graduate high school or college will go on to read for pleasure and entertainment, I am positive they will still use reading skills in their daily lives. Take, for example, a person who finds themselves ill and in need of some kind of medication. Reading suddenly becomes a very important skill, as one must read the label and directions on the medicine bottle so that they can correctly take the medicine. Or perhaps someone wants to clean their kitchen, but doesn’t know what cleaners would be best. Again, reading becomes essential, as one must read labels to correctly identify which cleaning agent is best and how to use it. 

The instances in which we use reading are endless. We read when we are at the grocery store trying to choose what foods to buy. We read when we are driving and reading road signs. We must read when we are using an instruction book to assemble furniture, or when using a user manual to learn how to check the tire pressure in our car. I imagine we’d have some interesting tasting foods if the chef or baker wasn’t able to correctly read the recipe or labels of ingredients. Imagine the disasters that could ensue if medical professionals weren’t able to read chart details. There are a myriad of situations that could be greatly impacted by the inability to read. While not all people enjoy picking up a book and reading, one thing is certain: they will still use reading, and will find that it really is a skill they use daily. 

So to that seventh grade student, and to anyone else who isn’t sure that reading is even important, I assure you that it really is something that you will need to use daily, and that continuing to read will only improve your ability to read effectively and efficiently. Besides, reading can open up a whole world of possibilities, and that’s pretty exciting!

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A New Face

Were you ever the ‘new kid’ at school? You know the feeling— anxious, unfamiliar, and a little excited all at the same time. Growing up, my family moved around a little bit, and I had the chance to be the new kid a few times. It wasn’t always easy, but it definitely brought some growth and new opportunities. 

I’m feeling a bit like the new kid around here right now. A little anxious, a bit unfamiliar with things, but mostly very excited! My name is Logan Nielsen, and I will now be the one behind the posts on this blog. McKenzie has done an incredible job, and I have big shoes to fill, but I am up for the challenge!

So who is this ‘new kid’ anyway? I am a former junior high English teacher turned stay at home mom. I taught junior high for eight years in Utah, and spent one year as a paraeducator in a special education classroom at a middle school in Oakland, California. Over the course of my time teaching, I taught general education English courses to grades 7, 8, and 9, and also taught Creative Writing, Study Skills, and advanced level English courses for grades 7 and 8. Writing is one of my favorite things to do, and I am passionate about education. 

In my personal life, I am married to a hardworking husband, and am mom to five amazing kids, ages 8, 7, 5, 4, and 3. My oldest four are boys, and our little caboose is our only girl. My husband works as a vocational counselor, helping people with disabilities find work. My hobbies include reading, crafting/sewing/quilting, and spending as much time with my family as I can. I also enjoy creating and doing educational activities for my children. We value handwork, play, and learning at our house!

I am excited to be here. I hope I can continue to publish informative quality posts that you’ve become accustomed to reading here. Thanks for being here and coming along for the ride!

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Jack Voelker All Latitudes Lacrosse: Our 2024 Scholarship Winner

Our top Build a Better Future Scholarship winner for 2024 was Jack Voelker. Being the top winner means that he also received a $5,000 grant to further the work of his project in addition to a $10,000 college scholarship. 

In Jack’s version of building a better future, he started with a simple observation while visiting Croatia. He writes, 

“I am a dual Croatian-American citizen, and my family and I regularly go there to visit relatives. Being an avid lacrosse player, I went to a local scrimmage. This would have been the end of my experience but for one observation that led to one question that led to a mission: I noticed that as each player ran off the field, he would hand the substitute his sweaty helmet to wear. This repeated several times. I asked a player on the sideline if his teammates had forgotten their helmets. He said no—they didn’t have enough for everyone because they were expensive. My mind flashed to the new helmets we received every year for our club team and piles of perfectly good “last year’s” helmets collecting dust in garages all over Long Island. The next year, I returned with a dozen donated helmets and was met with deep appreciation. In subsequent summers, I would bring as much donated equipment as I could. Word spread through the small international lacrosse community about the American kid helping in Croatia, and other developing programs reached out. My response was to found All Latitudes Lacrosse (ALL), a nonprofit dedicated to growing the sport globally.”

His love for the game and for the people ran deep, so he knew he needed to make a difference. Once he made the initial jump to donating supplies he was able to connect with more and more people and organizations to help him further his project. 

“I have created All Latitudes Lacrosse, to connect donated lacrosse equipment from my community on Long Island with developing programs around the world. Here in the United States, most equipment gets discarded after the purchaser no longer needs it. Thus, the solution to inaccessibility to equipment around the world was connecting the equipment that is outgrown or no longer used here, with where it is needed. However, doing so was difficult, as simply shipping the equipment is expensive. The biggest challenge was finding low-cost or even free ways to get 2 teams’ worth of gear to each of the programs that I helped. Therefore, I had to “get creative.” In one case, I partnered with a safari company headquartered in New York City to get the equipment to Nairobi.”

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On top of donating equipment and supplies to these communities across the globe, Jack has also been able to create connections with the players and get to know them even better. He told us about his experience, 

“The project was effective in its ability to reach such a wide variety of programs around the world. For example, at the 2018 World Lacrosse Championship in Netanya, Israel, I connected donated lacrosse equipment from my community with a local youth program. While there, I ran a clinic, in which I taught the local children how to play lacrosse. Despite a language barrier, I experienced a deep connection with these children through the sport. In 2022, I connected donated equipment with a youth program in Ghana. During the Wildfire Lacrosse Festival (a celebration of the inauguration of this lacrosse program), I spoke with the children via video call. I spoke about my experiences, balancing school with sports, and how sports can make you a better student. Again, I was able to see firsthand the power of sports in bringing people together and building relationships.”

As for the grant money, Jack has big dreams as well. He was chatting with a friend about the challenges that come with playing lacrosse and it gave him a great idea on how he can expand to help even more students to play. He writes, 

“We spoke about our individual experiences in the international lacrosse community, and what the biggest challenges are for the growth of the sport. He told me about one of the biggest struggles that his community faces. Throughout the course of any given month, girls are unable to attend school or participate in sports for about a week due to their menstrual cycle. This means that for 25% of the time, girls have to stay home. As a result, it is difficult to increase participation for girls in sports – especially a sport like lacrosse which already faces its own challenges.”

“Therefore, I would like to use the grant to purchase and send period underwear. I would like to approach the company Thinx and work out an agreement. For example, I would ask them if it would be possible that for every one item that I purchase, they would be willing to donate one or two. I have done something similar for the boy’s lacrosse program. I started a “Cups for Kenya” equipment drive. I reached out to Shock Doctor and asked them for a donation. I purchased 50 protective cups and they donated another 100 cups. It is an overlooked but critical piece of equipment for players. Access to this product for women in communities like Reagan’s would drastically improve the quality of life for these girls by allowing them to receive a more complete education, as well as participate in sports.”

We are so excited to see where All Latitutes Lacrosse goes in the future and we are so proud to have Jack as our 2024 top scholarship recipient!