August - 2017

How much do YOU read?

How much do you read a month? a year? It is recommended by some, including the Pew Research Center, that children should read about 50 books per year, which includes being read to, flash cards, back of cereal boxes, etc. By the time children transition into teen years, these older children should read about 1.9 books per month, so that's about 20-24 books annually. This includes all genres including comics, magazines, and even social media. In 2011, 79% of adults read at lea

Aug 29, 2017

Have you ever heard, "Talent is cheaper than table salt"?

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." - Stephen King That statement resonates with me, I have a personal short example to share. My brother was tested in elementary school as Gifted. My cousin, just about the same exact age, was not. When they both entered their college years, one at FSU and the other at UF, respectively; they both encountered varied experiences. He was challenged and almo

Aug 28, 2017

My story of autism...

My story of autism begins roughly about 14 years ago. Prior to then my son was progressing socially and mentally as expected. He wasn't our first child so I had an idea of what we were supposed to be expecting when he was 3 years old. It seems to me like it happened just as quickly as when people turn on or off the light switch. One day he was social and playing with his brothers, no issues. The next day, he was hiding in his bedroom closet covering his little ears because

Aug 26, 2017

Integrity- What is it and what does it look like?

One day I walked the halls of my infamous school and I happen to run into a student. This particular student we will call Student A. Student A needs a little redirection from time to time, but a lot of love all of the time. He and I had just had a conversation a few days prior about believing in yourself and being your best at all times. We talked about how each day was a brand new opportunity of starting all over. He told me that he was ready to be a better version of h

Aug 25, 2017

Leadership. Who do you start with?

You're a leader of a team, so who do you start with? I have held a leadership position for more than 1/2 of my years in my career. One of the hardest tasks I have ever had to do and continue to work on is to lead myself. You see, it's a lot easier to see the areas others need to work on. It's a lot easier to examine others strengths and weaknesses. It's a bit harder for us to be able to look in the mirror and see our own areas where we have fallen short. "Why?" you ask.

Aug 23, 2017

You're a leader...What's your focus?

Do you focus on each individual's strengths or weaknesses? Many individuals tend to focus not only on their own individual weaknesses but they tend to focus on others' weaknesses as well. When you focus on a weak area, which by the way we all have them, just a little bit of effort can make an obvious improvement. Let's say you are a terrible public speaker. Your time management truly needs a lot of work. You're late, you make excuses why you're late and you ask for extra t

Aug 22, 2017

Did you have the "eclipse" connection?

Did you know that the word "eclipse" is written the same in Irish, Spanish, French, Galician, Basque, Portuguese, and Welsch? There now you're multilingual...ha ha ha! I'm only writing that because I'm so exhausted, I'm dog-tired and discombobulated! So today we got to experience the obscuring of the light, from the Sun, by the Moon. If you were lucky enough to watch it happen some where around 2:30PM Eastern, then I joined you here in Georgia. I talked to a few people righ

Aug 19, 2017

Do YOU believe in YOURSELF?

Nowadays we are all trying to be a little more mindful of what we put in our mouths, at the grocery store I find myself staying away from the aisles and doing a little more to hang out in the perimeter of my nearby Publix. I'm even a bit more conscientous about the stairs vs. the elevator (before you start giggling I already know that I start strong in the beginning of the school year and then it's downhill or in my case it's up/down the elevator). So why is it that we are n

Aug 17, 2017

Did someone say Publishing Launch Party?

Okay- well first of all I really have never heard of such an event. That's the truth! That may be because I don't know too many authors in my personal circle. I did go to a gathering a few years back and the host had a small table where his book was being sold; but he didn't do a speech, the invitations mentioned nothing about the book, etc. Now that my first book, "3,585 Miles to be an American Girl"; which happens to be a children's book, is scheduled to be released in D

Aug 16, 2017

You know about ADHD, but what about ADD?

So what's the biggest difference between ADHD and ADD? Yep! You're right, you guessed it...it's that "H" for hyper. Many children diagnosed with ADHD have trouble sitting still and might be so restless that adults quickly notice their rambunctious behavior and suspect there might be attention issues involved. Children diagnosed with ADHD are hyper, inattentive and can be very impulsive. They seem to make wrong decisions and regret them almost immediately. They have trouble

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As we inch closer to mid-year...

Time to get your submissions in!

Stay in your lane.