Train Your Brain

February 27, 2025 by Scott Todnem

The Reticular Activating System
Have you ever noticed that once you start thinking about something, you start seeing it everywhere? Like when you learn a new word and suddenly hear it in conversations, or when you start looking at a certain kind of car and now it seems to be on every street?

That’s not magic—it’s your Reticular Activating System (RAS) at work.

This tiny yet powerful part of your brain is constantly filtering what you pay attention to. And here’s the best part: You can actually train your RAS to help you focus on what matters most in your life.

Here are some concepts to help…

Habits That Stick

February 07, 2025 by Scott Todnem

Building Habits
Developing habits that last isn’t about willpower or sheer determination; it’s about strategy and intentionality.

We want a simple yet effective framework to create habits that stick—habits that align with our goals, strengthen our personal agency, and lead to a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Here are three tips to help…

Personal Agency

November 19, 2024 by Scott Todnem

What does it mean to truly own your life? It might mean stepping into the role of the architect of your own existence. It might mean blending the wisdom of the past with the innovations of today. Or it might mean embracing change—not as a threat, but as an opportunity for growth.

Let’s explore three key principles of personal agency.

Analysis Paralysis - You Are Not One Choice

February 16, 2023 by Scott Todnem in Habits

Free Will?
With too many choices, we can experience something called analysis paralysis. This means we become so overwhelmed with multiple options that it causes us to panic or freeze up. We overanalyze things and in turn, do nothing.

You’ve experienced this if you’ve ever turned on the TV or a streaming service and had so many options for shows to binge watch that you end up endlessly scrolling only to choose… none of them.

So… what do we do? These tips will help.

Let's Talk Emotions

February 03, 2023 by Scott Todnem in Habits

Emotional Regulation
It’s important to know that sadness and anger happen just like calm and happiness.

That’s life!

So how do we deal with feelings? These tips will be especially helpful for emotional lows, but it works for any given moment in life.

Is Procrastination Truly That Bad?

January 20, 2023 by Scott Todnem in Habits

Procrastination
What’s the best way to go about completing work?

Work completion is too nuanced to be one-size-fits-all, but let’s break down two standard options with a few quick considerations.

Real Resolutions Build a Lifestyle

December 31, 2022 by Scott Todnem in Habits

Real Resolutions
There are certainly benefits in the clarity of turning a wish into a goal. With any significant life change, however, the magic is not in the resolution. The magic, if there is such a thing, is in the lifestyle.

Here are the details.

Red Ribbon Week

October 24, 2022 by Scott Todnem

Red Ribbon Week
We observe Red Ribbon Week at the middle school level each year with daily events to draw awareness to the cause. Like many other schools, we utilize statistics and other facts to celebrate living drug free in combination with special spirit days.

In prepping and planning for Red Ribbon Week, I continue to reference Discovery Education resources, including their social impact programs as well as “virtual field trips.” These are available for educators and anyone working with young people.

Here are the details.

Be Vape Free - Virtual Field Trip

September 16, 2021 by Scott Todnem

Be Vape Free
Recently, I happened upon some Discovery Education resources for a few “virtual field trips” they have just launched.

These resources are created in conjunction with the CVS Health Foundation and CATCH My Breath. Like many health educators, I was familiar with CATCH and so I dove into their newest work on the vaping epidemic. This caught my eye because of my need for additional resources for lessons on decision making and nicotine products, plus it can be modified in case of hybrid or remote learning needs.

Be Vape Free is a nationwide initiative providing standards-aligned e-cigarette prevention resources at no-cost for educators teaching grades 5-12. It is evidence based, working with current trends reported from the CDC, and it looks like the partnership will continue to provide up-to-date information for students, parents, and educators alike.

Here’s what I learned.

Sleep Tips for Teens

September 22, 2020 by Scott Todnem

Zzzzzzz
In the age of around-the-clock work and entertainment, it is apparent that students (and many adults) are in need of reminders when it comes to slowing down. Specifically, how to recover from each day with consistent sleep.

The average adult sleeps less than 7 hours per night. In today’s fast-paced society, 6 or 7 hours of sleep may sound pretty good. In reality, it might be a recipe for chronic sleep deprivation.

Teens are following suit. Young people aged 12-18 require 8.5 to 10 hours of sleep. Yet 85% of teenagers are sleeping less than the recommendations per night. And, nearly 17% of teens qualify for clinical diagnosis of insomnia. Numbers are on the rise with other sleep disorders.

While sleep requirements vary from person to person, humans need consistent sleep to function at their best. This brings us to a quick list of five sleep tips specific to teens. (Plus one for good luck.)

Let Your Guard Down

December 07, 2018 by Scott Todnem in The Last/Next Time

The Last/Next Time
Teaching blog shorts to get educators thinking. "When was the last time...?" questions to reflect on and "Take advantage of the next time..." prompts to act on. Be a lifelong learner and better the craft of being an educator.

Today’s Question
When was the last time you let your guard down while teaching?

Wrong Answer

November 13, 2018 by Scott Todnem in The Last/Next Time

Today’s Question
When was the last time you used wrong examples?

Go Back to Go Forward

October 18, 2018 by Scott Todnem in The Last/Next Time

Today’s Question
When was the last time you retaught a lesson topic?

Teaching Mindfulness

September 18, 2018 by Scott Todnem

Mindfulness
Since it's beginnings, Health Education has used meditation or quiet time inward as a reflective process, helping students learn the benefits of slowing down from time to time in order to have clarity with thoughts, feeling, and actions. We teach valuable lessons about analyzing influences from the past and we motivate with goal setting lessons looking ahead to the future.

I find mindfulness to be useful in the between.

The Struggle Is Real

September 13, 2018 by Scott Todnem in The Last/Next Time

Today’s Question
When was the last time you allowed your students to struggle?

Wellness Plan

August 27, 2018 by Scott Todnem

Goal Setting
One of my favorite assignments to use in 8th grade is a Wellness Plan. This particular take on things is one I've found to work well in helping students, especially middle school students, started in a goal setting project.

A template of my Wellness Plan and some analogies for higher level thinking are included.

Student Choice

April 25, 2018 by Scott Todnem in The Last/Next Time

Today’s Question
When was the last time you offered a choice project for students?

Share the Love

April 18, 2018 by Scott Todnem in The Last/Next Time

Today’s Question
When was the last time you took a picture of your work in the classroom?

That's Funny

April 11, 2018 by Scott Todnem in The Last/Next Time

Today’s Question
When was the last time you used humor to your advantage in the classroom?

A Chance to Chat

April 04, 2018 by Scott Todnem in The Last/Next Time

Today’s Question
When was the last time you offered social time to students?