Blog
Building Self-Determination: 7 Essential Steps for Confidence and Success
Self‑determination plays a huge role in how we set goals, stay motivated, and bounce back when things get hard. You can see it when a student keeps practicing even after failing a test, when a teenager advocates for what they need, or when an adult sticks with a long-term goal despite setbacks.
Whether you are supporting students, clients, or your own personal growth, these seven steps can help strengthen self‑determination in practical, meaningful ways.
1. Understand What Self‑Determination Is
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Jan 7th 2026
What’s the Problem? Tips on How to Teach Kids to Solve Problems
“But, what’s the problem?”
Does this sound familiar? I hear this question
from my students A LOT!
I find that my students struggle with
understanding what a problem really is. Most assume that a problem is only a
problem when it affects someone else, or when they see an immediate consequence
for an action.
In reality, of course, there are long-term and
unintended consequences that they may not see for a while. And there’s also the
ironic realization that problem solving isn’t JUST
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May 13th 2019
Forgotten Permission Slips: Organization in the Classroom
Excerpts taken from full article originally featured on boystown.org/parenting.We’ve all heard “Mom, I have this permission slip for a
field trip. It’s due today.” If I’m being honest, I hear it several times a
year! My daughters struggle to stay organized once they leave school for the
day. They’re so excited to come home and watch Netflix or play with the
neighbor kids, that they forget I’m supposed to sign them up to go to the zoo.From their teacher’s perspective, it has to be frustr
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Apr 27th 2018