Surrogates

I’ve always loved Christmas! From the time I was a child through my son’s and daughter’s growing up years, we gathered as a family to pick out the tree and decorate the house. We made Christmas cookies and prepared special meals while singing Christmas carols, and we...

Wait

“Freya, Heathcliff, are you ready?” Keith and I ask our dogs, praising them when they sit. “Wait. Look at me,” we say with words, hand signals and further praise while putting food dishes on the floor in front of them. “Ok, have some.” During dinner, Heathcliff and...

Information Overload

Classroom teachers know all about information overload. During a lesson, they monitor student behaviors, make countless “on-the-spot” instructional decisions, follow through with specific actions and assess results. This intense, fire hose flow of information demands...

Stubbornness

Both of our dogs can be stubborn in their own ways. Even when afraid, Heathcliff tends to obey our commands and loves to go for walks. But sometimes when he sees other dogs, he growls, fusses, whines, pulls on his leash and breaks training in his excitement. Off leash...