Coach Bill / Dad, Entrepreneur Special Educator, American Political Scientist, Writer, Musician.

Is it the responsibility of the teacher or the student to pave the road for success in the education environment? What happens in the physical education class of twenty students whereby seven have above average gross-motor skills, ten are right on, and three seem to fall behind? In a school setting with a forty-five minute class duration, the impetus is for the teacher to ‘run’ the class as best as possible, rather than teach to the lowest common denominator. ‘Stragglers’ can tend to ‘fall behind,’ and soon enough class is over. This can repeat over and over again, week after week, semester after semester.  What happens to the three students after many classes is that they begin to develop a sense of failure which is confirmed by the teachers continued approach in orchestrating the class. Is the student at fault or is it the responsibility of the teacher to better integrate these three into the class? As a teacher of thirteen years and a father of three, I alwa...

When we meet people, if we let ourselves yield to each other, we open up and our stories can come forth. They can impact us, change our perspective, create empathy and even get us to change our actions. During my last visit to Florida, I met a father and son team straight out of a crocodile dundee movie. The young boy, Will, was very outgoing and met me with a big smile upon my arrival. Two of my sisters and I had visited his 'estate' as guests of his Dad. My eldest sister is friends with him. It is a log cabin home filled with stuffed alligators and mounted heads of hunted stags of the field. This is a man's home, nay a cowboy's home. In the entrance to the property there is a humongous Oak Tree and as my experience that afternoon and night unfolded I would soon learn that I was a guest at the estate of two living Oaks. A Dad Oak and a son Oak, if ever there could be one.  Will's Dad was taking us out on their airboat on the St. Johns River a half hour ...

Driving a race car takes more than stepping on a gas pedal and turning a wheel. It takes epic executive function skill usage. A NASCAR driver must know how to gauge, pace and focus on an ever-changing battle field where the other racers jockey for position in order to win. Like a game of chess, race car drivers must use their foresight (anticipate, predict) and keen sense of timing to know when to make a move, pull ahead, hold tight or come in for a pit stop. The pit crew must also have tip-top  executive function skills as they recalibrate, change up and get the super-charger roadster back on the road in two shakes of a lamb's tale. The road crew of individuals each have their key duties which they must focus on as they work together in harmony to bring up to speed and release the speedster back into the race. Of course, from the stands, it may look as if they cars are just going around in round, yet the relationships that bring each racing team to the track form the foundati...

updated 1.9.15 8:30 pm  set For the effective educator, knowledge is not absolute power. It is the ability to apply that knowledge that is of greater value. While in Florida, I was introduced by my sister to a friend of hers who is a U.S. Marine veteran. He did two tours in Iraq and fought in the battle of Fallujah. He is an all-American hero and grizzly bear of a man standing close to six and a half feet tall with ‘Wolverine’s’ (Marvel Comics) sideburns. He is and looks like a mighty warrior. His name is Chris and he is the single father to a princess with severe special needs. Her name is Chloe. One of her arms and one of her legs is atrophied. She is five and a half years old. Her current physical challenges prevent her from standing up and walking like most of us. I visited the family home for three hours during my recent family visit to Daytona Beach after the new year. Chloe took my heart. I coached by yielding to her in our first session together. She was not...