https://youtu.be/CQu-JSUwE7s It is a two-word phrase that sends a shiver down the spine of every teacher, coach, and parent: “I can’t.” You see it happen all the time at home or during sports practices around Racine. A child is faced with a task that requires a little bit of struggle—whether it’s tying their shoes, wrapping […]
https://youtu.be/2adB-v4cMy0 We have all heard the corporate buzzword that dominated headlines over the last few years: “Quiet Quitting.” It describes an employee who hasn’t officially walked out the door, but they have completely checked out mentally. They do the absolute bare minimum required to not get fired, sitting silently at their desk while completely withdrawing […]
https://youtu.be/_sV7OipTjwA If you are a parent who didn’t grow up training in the martial arts, shopping for a local school can feel like navigating an entirely different language. We get it over the phone all the time here in Racine: “What is the actual difference between Karate and Taekwondo?” If you don’t know the answer, […]
https://youtu.be/7yrRvuJ1gLg I remember exactly when the cultural shift started to take root. It was about twenty years ago, early in my career as a public school elementary teacher. All of a sudden, a wave of “participation awards” flooded the educational system. If kids competed in a school spelling bee, a science fair, or a gym […]
https://youtu.be/ODBR_AJhhkw The transition from a cozy elementary school classroom to the fast-paced world of middle school is one of the most intense structural shifts a child will ever experience in their youth. Suddenly, your fifth grader is no longer anchored to one classroom or a single teacher who manages their entire day. They are thrown […]
https://youtu.be/HuWFecJ35Ms It is the standard, textbook advice printed in school handbooks and repeated at assemblies across Racine: “If someone is bothering you, just tell a teacher.” While well-intentioned, I am going to ask you to wake up to a very uncomfortable truth: this advice is completely failing our children. Before opening our studio doors, I […]
https://youtu.be/3-BGbEtseg8 When parents walk through the doors of our Racine dojo and we ask them our standard onboarding question—“Is there anything we should know about your child’s learning or behavior?”—the answer we get at least 50% of the time involves four letters: ADHD. Decades ago, seeing this behavior was rare, maybe affecting one out of […]
https://youtu.be/HLQFFUGew5A If you grew up in the 1980s or 90s, you probably remember the classic child safety campaigns. We were all taught a very specific, almost cinematic script: a creepy man rolls down a car window and asks, “Hey kid, do you want a piece of candy?” or “Do you want to come look at […]
https://youtu.be/uJkYsvtAW6E “Mom, my stomach hurts.” “Dad, my head is pounding, I don’t think I can go to school today.” It’s a familiar morning routine for many families here in Racine. You look at your child, feel their forehead, and check for a fever—nothing. Their head and stomach are physically fine. So, what is actually going […]
https://youtube.com/shorts/SMTq_R5fN7Y When kids hear the phrase “summer slide,” they immediately think of the massive water slides down at the local community pool. But for parents, the summer slide represents something far more concerning. It’s the steep developmental and academic drop-off that happens when a child hits summer vacation, unplugs from all responsibilities, and does absolutely […]