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

The ability to consistently practice the Executive Functions skill of monitoring oneself by using a standard, leads one to correct, adapt, and become more efficient. Monitoring can be a gateway that prompts self-assessment, impulse control, and even short and long-term working memory, all of which are executive functions skills in their own right. Of most import though are the following three EF skills which are required for self-monitoring: Mental Flexibility: the ability to shift from one task to another, or between emotions even. It can also mean to transition smoothly, even in if the shift is unplanned, and sudden. Mental flexibility is a key skill that when coupled with emotional control, can set a nice platform for increasing emotional intelligence. Problem Solving: Requires ability focus and sustain attention in a goal directed manner, in order to surmount a challenge, solve a problem, find an answer, or solution.  Metacognition: Thinking about your thinking. It is ...

Does a Teacher/ Coach's mindset and expectations drive a program? Can it mean the difference between great, lackluster, and a dismal educative outcome? To say that in any field or industry one's mindset and expectations don't have a direct impact on performance level would probably be very naive. So the time before a coaching session, or the Teacher entering the classroom, is as important as during the actual instruction. Being a routine reader of Sun Tzu's, 'The Art of War,' I find it useful to consider the current chemistry and existant rapport that I as a parent or coach may have with the child. From a diplomatic perspective, and with a focus on keeping the experience positive an able-bodied parent or teacher can be able to begin establishing new, sturdier framework from which to launch varied initiatives inversely focused on toning executive function skills, like mental flexibility. Reading up on Sun Tzu helps push the mind to consider and extrapola...

What causes autism? What causes learning disabilities? What causes neurological disorder? Well, what happens when genetic information is barraged with an on-slaught of toxicity decade after decade? What about the offspring of that DNA? Glitches happen. Neurological glitches. DNA breaks down.  Charles Dickens's opening salvo in his, 'A Tale of Two Cities,' begins with his assertion that these were the best of times, and they were also the worst of times. Never before have people been able to communicate, exchange ideas, travel, or with the ease that exists today. Technological breakthroughs have led to advances in science, and medicine. Innovation has led to growth of business, and industry. Health care is more widely received than ever before.... and yet.... all is not well.... The ocean's are toxified and becoming fish-free, our rivers and water systems are polluted with our run-off from nuclear industry, our gmo and unethical farming practices are chokin...

Without fan fare the officially stated causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder show no smoking gun, but a general breakdown caused by a congruence of environmental factors over many generations.  Undeniably, DNA  breakdown occurs when we take in harmful toxins into our body. Scientific evidence that has been growing for the last fifty years shows that humans in America are straining the body's capacity to function properly, and so dysfunction. The 20th century was unprecedented in regards to environmental toxicity. The 21st looks primed to outdo it. Incidentally, the rise of neurological disorders from learning disabilities to Autism is on the rise. Out of every 66 Americans born one will be identified as on the Autism Spectrum. That number was 1 in 150 just a decade ago. So, things are not getting better. The train is going the wrong way, and we and our future generations are on board for a while to come, God willing. This is an epidemic.  We are eating high levels...

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. Buddha The decisions you make every moment tend to lead to action and non-action. Regardless, of what decisions or choices you are typically known to make. Regardless of how long you have done things a certain way, it is possible to come to terms with the understanding that right here, right now, you are free to make different decisions, thereby possibly embarking on the new you? Are you feeling like a victim? Maybe you are. I am not here to talk about why you may/ may not be a victim. Maybe you are being teased, bullied, slandered. Maybe your being shunned, excluded, purposefully unappreciated. That can definitely get anyone 'down,' and feeling kind of 'dark gray.' If you are such a person, or if you are the parent, older family member, or teacher,  of someone in this situation, please experiment with these guidelines. Make a daily goals checklist identi...

"The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips." If you want to increase your ability to self-monitor yourself, muscle-up all your self-control, and will power and practice being still. Still in your body, still in your mind. Do this for 5 minutes in the morning before you start your day. Follow your slow, long, deep breath. This is basic meditation. It is scientifically proven to dramatically enhance your executive functions skill, IF you meditate consistently over months. Being still is hard. WE ARE ALL WIRED to move in this day and age. But this is not a blog posting about why I want you to be still, or how great the world would be if more of us would be still, less we become like France (haha). This posting is to disect this EF skill, give you some tools/ applications on strengthening this skill, and some very quotable quotes worth qouting. To self-monitor, from an executive functions skills development context, means to use a 'stan...

Early on in my career I was clear that the effective Teacher is not the one with the greatest knowledge-base, but he or she who not only teaches content, but teaches the kids how to refine their emotional intelligence. I am a great believer in the psychoeducational approach to teaching. Namely, the power of a caring, nurturing relationship. Although certain key processes need to be in place for an effective feedback loop to occur, I have experienced countless successful learning outcomes due to this pivotal part to my own pedagogy. There is something about relating, connecting, and bringing emotion that more times than not, is the very oil I use to keep the students I work with progressing. The caring, nurturing concept to Teaching was recently polished off by National Educator Nel Noddings over the last decade. No one reinvented the wheel here, but Mrs. Noddings put some important spokes front and center. They are integrated into the live vision of Life Skills Corp.