Fifteen days until school starts. It’s 1:30am, and I am wide awake feverishly writing notes in bed while I listen to a podcast I stumbled upon. The title of this blog never ceases to prove true, as by the time I’m done listening, I’m thinking of all the ways – HUGE ways – this impacts me. Personally, sure, but professionally – wow, yeah.
Mel Robbins isn’t new to me. I’ve read her book and listened to her on various interviews and I’ve listened to her podcast, but somehow, down a rabbit hole, I found an interview she did six months ago with Harvard professor, Dr. Stuart Ablon. The interview is called, “6 Words That Will Change Your Family” and what Dr. Ablon says felt as though he catered his words directly to me. How many times in the last few years have I lamented that students are just “unmotivated,” “apathetic,” “uninspired.” How many times did I bang my head on my table and wonder – again, how was I supposed to be any more engaging? How was I supposed to reach kids that felt unreachable? How was I going to help kids learn the things they needed to learn when they couldn’t even pay attention to me?
And then there it was, Dr. Ablon speaking directly to these questions, directly to my misconception that kids aren’t motivated.
I could go on and explain what he had to say, but frankly, he is far more articulate on this subject and his passion just pours through his research and his excitement to share this with anyone and everyone in the hopes of changing how we deal with others, especially children.
The podcast is an hour and a half long and while I encourage you to seek it out in any format, watching the interview on YouTube felt especially powerful.
Dr. Ablon also has a book that speaks to these findings and strategies called, “Changeable.” My copy is already on order at my local bookstore.
Go.
Listen. Watch. Read. Absorb. Think. Understand.
Change.
All it takes is 6 words.
Teaching at 3am 