Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 140

In this very personal episode, Dr. Shaw discusses the need for parents to model well-being for their children.  Her premise is that if a parent, for example, has fear about something, it's healthy for that parent to allow their children to see and experience the adult's experience with fear because those same children will have their own feelings of fear about something and it's important to demonstrate that that's normal and okay.  It's a personal story because Dr. Shaw uses an example from her own very recent experience, but primarily this discussion is about encouraging parents to walk their walk and talk their talk so that when a child goes through something and is trying to navigate a social and/or emotional challenge, they can see that even their parents as role models might go through the same thing.   Overcoming challenges develops resilience, and that's a great quality for children to develop.

 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 139

On this brief episode, Dr. Shaw addresses a challenging situation that often comes up for parents, and her discussion is about how to deal with one's role as a parent when you are experiencing a seriously negative moment or phase yourself.   He approach here resembles that of a life coach as she offers both examples of and solutions for moving oneself out of negativity and into a headspace that is more positive so that you can serve yourself and fulfill your role as a parent more fully. 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 138

In this episode, Dr. Shaw re-visits the topic of parents who might influence their children by passing down negative traits unconsciously.   Dr. Shaw uses some illustrative examples, some from her own life experience, of scenarios wherein the behavior of a parent can be projected onto a child and, in a way, ingrained in that child's own behavioral patterns.   Dr. Shaw encourages parents (and educators) to carefully watch out for this kind of negative influence by self-monitoring one's own faults, foibles and insecurities.   It's a tricky endeavor, but an important one to monitor in order to have your child have the most positive experiences as they navigate life.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 137

In this brief episode Dr. Shaw continues her focus on "guided practice" which is the educational scenario where very simply, someone is helping with the practice of a skill.  In this case, the example that Dr. Shaw uses comes from her own recent experience rather than an instance in a classroom, but the outcome is the same... when someone supports your learning process, it strengthens that process and leads to a more positive result. 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 136

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw focuses on the simple human aspect of habitual behavior.  She postulates that old habits are not necessarily tough to break because you actually never do kill them entirely... they can and do live side by side with new habits.   The key to this, which has an educational application, is GUIDED PRACTICE, or doing something not alone.   Dr. Shaw uses starting an exercise regimen as an example of creating a new habit or rhythm in live that doesn't necessarily kill or replace or change the old habit.   To have progress or re-training with any new habit involves the training and development of a muscle (literally or figuratively), but that training, again, doesn't supplant an old pattern.  What you don't want is "fighting" within yourself when conflicting habits or patters co-exist.... that's draining and is filled with negative energy.  Again, Guided Practice creates the result you desire.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 135

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw touches on an important angle of good sportsmanship (a subject that she tackled in one of her socio-emotional learning books (the one found here:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HTL1BB9) and it's the notion of not always needing to win.  Dr. Shaw acknowledges that competition can be healthy and that it has its own life lessons attached, but that it's also important for children to learn about the cooperation necessary while playing a team sport.  She also likens the notion of "losing" to the concept of making a mistake... she is a huge proponent that there are countless learning lessons held in the mis-take, and that not winning a game can offer a similar experience.  The idea is to have experiences that can and will contribute a great deal to one's personal growth, and being on either side of the end result of a competition has a reward. 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 134

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw examines the notion that your child has feelings but you cannot possibly and completely understand their feelings because you are not them and they are individuals.   She uses her own experience with a wheelchair-bound son as an illustrative example of how one might project their own feelings about an experience onto a child.  More importantly, she examines why displacing your perception of someone's feelings with your own feelings is a mistake.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 133

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw continues her conversation that began with last week's podcast on Re-Birth... this follow-up touches on the concept of freedom.  Both are interrelated topics of Springtime and the Easter/Passover Holiday season.   She ponders the internal and external factors that impact freedom.  Her point of view is that HOW one shows up to circumstances is what liberates a person, and that someone can only show up properly is if they are present.  She offers some methods and exercises that can help you be present because, again, she firmly believes the sense of having freedom can only begin with being present.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 132

In this episode, Dr. Shaw turns her attention to the meaning and the rituals associated with the arrival of Spring.  In particular she is focused on the notion that this is a season of birth and re-birth, and that those life events are reinforced by the holidays of this season that celebrate new beginnings and new freedoms.  Dr. Shaw encourages the listener to think about the motivations that go into creating a new generation and what parents goals are when they have children.  It's a fascinating perspective that doesn't always rise to the forefront, but it is a perfect series of notions to process during this unique time of the year. 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 131

This episode is an important follow-up to the prior podcast in this series, Episode 130, in which Dr. Shaw describes a situation in which a child acted out and ended up controlling the situation by getting attention for bad behavior.  Dr. Shaw does not condone a parenting strategy that rewards bad behavior in any way, and in this podcast, she further discusses how a parent needs to behave like the responsible adult when handling a child in a challenging situation.  She uses the example of a child having temper tantrum in a social or public situation, and she offers her expert point of view on WHY that behavior is happening and HOW you should truly respond.  Her rational and thoughtful approach to this scenario should benefit any caretaker or educator by laying out the best possible strategy.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 130

In this fascinating episode, Dr. Shaw responds to a parent's request for advice about how to handle a child with bad behavior.  In responding to that inquiry, Dr. Shaw deconstructs her own recent experience with a child who uses misbehavior to gain results.   Dr. Shaw brilliantly describes the situation, sees directly into the manipulative thought process motivating the bad behavior, and recounts how the parent (a very good, not unskilled parent, by the way) handled but also mis-handled the situation.  Dr. Shaw offers advice on how the entire episode could have been guided differently by the parent to a better result.  Interestingly, witnesses who watched this same scenario were impressed by the parenting they saw, yet Dr. Shaw manages to go one step further to outline what should have been done for greater long term results.   Once again, she identifies the issue, and offers the best possible solution.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 129

In this episode Dr. Shaw follows a recent visit to her granddaughter's school which inspired her to share her enthusiasm here for the practice of teaching.  The school is set up with a multi-age class structure and its focus is on teaching social skills (teaching humanity, if you will, just like the title of this podcast).   Dr. Shaw was there presenting one of her favorite lessons which is...  there are no real mistakes, only mis-takes, which themselves are pure learning opportunities.   That lesson inspires risk-taking within a comfort zone which is one of the keys for Dr. Shaw in her teaching method and how she like to have children learn.  Additionally, in the school where she visited, teaching social skills is not a one-day, one-and-done topic... it's an environment where that kind of growth and expansion occurs on a natural and ongoing basis.   This quick recap of Dr. Shaw's experience is a true microcosm of a major part of her educational philosophy.  Enjoy! 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 128

In this super-brief episode, Dr. Shaw simply shares some reflections on what it feels like to go through the medical issues that she's going through.  She points out that how one shows up for life is the most important thing.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 127

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw talks about "The Law of Attraction."   For those not familiar with this line of thought, The Law of Attraction is the belief that positive thoughts bring positive results or experiences and negative thoughts bring negative ones.  It's based on the notion that the energy focused thought is powerful enough to create a cause and effect relationship.   Dr. Shaw has had some medical challenges of her own recently, and she uses her own recent experiences to create an illustrative example of this way of thinking and how it can manifest results.  She also deftly ties this belief system into ways to impact one's parenting outcomes by using the Law of Attraction in child-rearing.  Just as a reminder, her parenting book on effective communication with children is available on Amazon at this link:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WJRX7JF 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 126

In this brief but important episode, Dr. Shaw tackles the concepts of discipline and consequences as they specifically relate to parenting.   Quite often, discipline for children is required, but without the proper approach, the opportunity for a teachable moment will be lost.   Children can easily see the negative in a situation when they misbehave and are subject to disciplinary behavior, but Dr. Shaw is a believer in "natural consequences"... they will make sense to your child and be more effective in those life lesson moments. 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 125

In this episode, Dr. Shaw continues to be inspired by her own recent personal medical challenges to see things from a perspective that opens new doors educationally.   Here, she considers the notion of victimization... in other words, she asks the question "Am I a victim for having my condition?"   In answering that question, it brings up an examination of "Why?" questions which are often asked by children.   In Dr. Shaw's point of view, "Why?" is often answered with one's head but instead, answers can and should sometimes be found in behavior and emotion.   During this discussion she lays out a three-tiered way of looking at oneself... by using INTENTION, ATTENTION and REFLECTION.   It's a fascinating discussion with parenting possibilities built right in.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 124

In this episode, Dr. Shaw turns her attention to the crisis in schools here in 2023 wherein social skills, manners and basic behavioral standards are lacking, even among some of the youngest students.   Many teachers blame this phenomenon on the fallout of the COVID pandemic, and in all likelihood, the disruption in education caused by the events of 2020 and 2021 are to blame... but there is also a solution to the problem and that is for teachers and parents to set the stage differently for the education of children today.  Here, Dr. Shaw discusses her own lifelong approach to the classroom which puts social-emotional learning first.  Her philosophy is that if children are not in a comfortable, trusting and respectful environment from the start, then there's no foundation on which to teach reading, writing and math.  Dr. Shaw practiced this approach long before there was a pandemic disruption, so her words of wisdom in this podcast are truly valuable.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 123

In this episode, Dr. Shaw veers into a topic that is related to all of her work on social and emotional learning, but is somewhat different since she takes a stand on current events in this broadcast.   Dr. Shaw has become troubled recently by some trends in education that are, in her mind, counterproductive, backwards thinking and quite dangerous.  She has been outraged by things that are happening in the State of Florida where teaching courses and using course materials that are not approved by the State can be a felony.  Much of this restrictive thinking centers of issues of race and the denial of history, and it involves an imposition of censorship that is uncalled for in modern education.  Moreover, Dr. Shaw is a well-known advocate of learning by making mistakes, and if our cultural mistakes made in the past are erased, there will be no learning lessons for the present and future children in our society.   This is a passionate and fascinating discussion, and it lines up with what is in the national news right now.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 122

This brief episode is a direct follow-up to the previous podcast in this series as Dr. Shaw continues to address her journey during which she is facing a health crisis.  Since they began nearly 2 1/2 years ago, these podcasts have all generally been geared toward advice for monitoring and molding the behavior and social-emotional growth of our children and grand-children, and although the line of discussion in Dr. Shaw's current arc of podcasts has included much self-reflection, the life lessons contained herein are still very relevant for any parent, grandparent, or educator.   In this discussion in particular, Dr. Shaw addresses the notion of "attachment" and what it means to surrender to a loss of something as well as what it means to replace a behavioral trait such as vanity with an ability to sacrifice things to which we are attached for a higher good and more valuable purpose.   These lessons are valuable to any adult and can be modeled for our children. 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 121

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw gets a bit deeper into revealing her own personal learning lessons currently coming to her as a result of a medical challenge.  She deftly shares her own personal experiences while also demonstrating how her lessons are consistent with lessons that parents should be sharing and modeling for their own children.  Education is always the foundation of what Dr. Shaw shares, and since these podcasts are about children but geared for parents and educators, her discussions on this theme as well as her others are always most appropriate for adults.   At their core, the life lessons than can be among the most important to pass along to our children are often introduced by life's more challenging moments for adults.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 120

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw delivers a succinct lesson in parenting for this early part of the New Year, and it was inspired by an episode during which a child was exhibiting some unattractive behavior during the recent holidays.   It's easy for a child to get over-tired, over-wrought or over-stimulated by sweets and treats during the holidays, and Dr. Shaw witnessed an incident that served as an important microcosm for what can go right or wrong with behavior.  A child became a bit hysterical and the child's parent did what she knew how to do to mitigate the situation, but Dr. Shaw's philosophy as explained here, is a much more effective strategy for addressing what happened.  There can be long-lasting implications resulting from how a child's behavior is responded to, and Dr. Shaw does a nice job with this quick story of putting parents on the right track.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 119

In this brief podcast, Dr. Shaw re-ignites a conversation about teaching RESILIENCE to our children, but the topic actually came up via a very recent personal experience for her.  Dr. Shaw had a medical scare recently, and among the many thoughts brought on by that incident was the notion of keeping a positive attitude and not allowing thoughts that are are negative, non-contributing or distractions in any way.  She learned and shares some valuable lessons about life from this recent experience, and, as is generally the case, Dr. Shaw suggests some excellent scenarios by which one can regularly practice their humanity, and their resilience.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 118

In this brief episode Dr. Shaw examines a couple of fascinating subjects regarding how both children and adults handle some aspects of interpersonal relationships.  Dr. Shaw starts by talking about an issue that her granddaughter experienced, and that issue blossomed into a fruitful discussion about generosity of spirit and about the expectation that a friend may or may not value the same qualities in a relationship that you do.   The truly interesting part of this story is that Dr. Shaw, obviously decades the senior to her granddaughter, had a recent experience that was quite similar, and the mirroring of the two sets of experiences with friends led to several valuable lessons including lessons about knowing your audience, understanding that you must consider how a message might be heard differently than intended, and that age and maturity may not dispel all uncomfortable situations when it comes to interpersonal relations.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 117

In this episode, Dr. Shaw emphasizes an important concept that she touched on recently in earlier podcast episodes, namely "marking and noting" behaviors as an important ingredient in modeling.  In fact, because she is repeating her focus on this topic, she also veers into a discussion about the power of repetition in educating young children.  She shares some examples of both repetition and marking and noting from her own life experience as well as from her extensive classroom experience.  These are concepts that are an essential ingredient in her formula for communicating effectively with children, and are worthy of their own repetition.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 116

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw focuses on an action that a parent or teacher can make to truly relieve pressure from a child's psyche and that's the notion of noting and marking a mistake.  We all make mistakes all the time, but for many children, there might be shame or other strong negative emotions connected to making an error in school or at home.  If parents and teachers put effort into noting and marking their own routine mistakes and keeping it light when mistakes occur.  Take away the burden of a mistake and encourage the freedom to experiment and learn by making mistakes.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 115

In this week's episode, the conversation turns to a topic that incorporates a number of the parenting strategies that Dr. Shaw has discussed in the past, but the scenario here is unique.  Dr. Shaw addresses situations where parents are friendly because their children are classmates, but the dynamic changes because the relationship between the children evolves in one way or another.   This discussion arose from real life experiences that Dr. Shaw has witnessed recently, but it also is something she has experienced as a parent.  Discomfort arises when parents who at one point were not only friendly but quite supportive of one another then find themselves taking sides in an emotional or even physical rift between their respective children.   It's a situation that requires care and attention and the kind of behavior in which the parent must model appropriate behavior for the children.  Dr. Shaw also relates how she handled a particular situation with her own daughter and a friend, and in that story she not only helped her child but satisfied her own needs as a parent.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 114

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw discusses the notion of letting someone "off the hook."  Dr. Shaw doesn't believe that when someone is exhibiting negative behavior that we should not provide an excuse that it's okay to be that way... we should not attribute behavior from our children, for example, to a "phase" that they are going through.  When one is angry or cranky, that feeling is an acceptable feeling and all feelings can't be helped, but it is not okay for that angry or moody person to not be accountable for their behavior.  Sometimes, it's helpful to point out to a child when we are in a negative space, we still cannot use that mood or feeling to hurt someone else.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 113

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw discusses her philosophy that one of the most important aspects of life is how we show up.  What she encourages is that when negativity is in the air, we should surrender to how it is, not take anything too seriously and remember that the moment will pass.  Negating the feelings instead of surrendering to them is being less true.   Learning to not take a negative moment personally is a winning formula, and teaching ourselves and our children the best strategies for dealing with having a bad day get us past it.   Allowing ourselves to feel our feelings is essential, but creating negative behavior as a response to negativity is not the best way to show up.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 112

In this episode, Dr. Shaw elaborates on a phrase that she uses quite often in discussing parenting strategies.... she will often say to "mark and note" something with your child.  Here, she dives deeper into what it really means to mark and note an action or an activity or a feeling and how marking and noting something aids a child in their education.  Dr. Shaw points out a simple and obvious example of marking and noting something for a child, and she also veers into a conversation in which she shares a slice of her own life and how she marks and notes her own behavior as an enabler.  The key here is the desired result of marking and noting events in one's own life or your child's experience.  There is value in focusing on what is happening in any given moment, and when one stops to point it out, there are social, emotional and educational gains.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 111

This episode is the second of a two-part mini-series of podcasts related to the theme found within Dr. Shaw's philosophy that nothing in life is only one way, and this particular half of that theme is focused on maintaining high expectations.  Dr. Shaw explains that while some folks feel that there is a negative side to having high expectations in that those expectations might not be reached, there is great benefit to having high expectations for your children and for yourself.  She provides illustrative examples and shares her own experience over many years of classroom instruction.  She also points out that the attitude exhibited by some that says that "if you have no expectations you won't be disappointed" is simply a way of getting yourself off the hook for the effort and results that holding a high bar can actually generate.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 110

This episode is the first of a two-part mini-series of podcasts related to the theme found within Dr. Shaw's philosophy that nothing in life is only one way, and this particular half of that theme is focused on the benefit of not having attachments.   A key observation is that there are elements in our world that are completely out of our control and those can have an impact upon us.  The best way to respond to those moments that we are influenced by an external element is to just be present and in the moment.  In terms of parenting, our children remind us what is most important to us... and we practice what we value in order to teach our children those most valuable lessons.   Dr. Shaw says that a great mental place to be is to simply embrace life in all of its fullness and with neutrality.   That doesn't mean there aren't likes and dislikes... it just means that without judgement, it makes situations better. 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 109

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw discusses the topic of ENABLING.  She actually draws upon her own recent first-hand experiences and the lessons that she's learned personally in handling a particular interpersonal relationship.  While "enabling" is most often associated with an adult-to-adult relationship, and while the example story that unfolds in this podcast does involve adults, there is an aspect to how one handles situations in which one is an enabler that is quite helpful in parenting situations.  Often the enabler is attempting to not just help, but to satisfy a need or to define oneself in a particular way.  It's a fascinating topic, and as always, Dr. Shaw's perceptive inward and outward observations can be quite edifying.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 108

In this podcast episode, Dr. Shaw goes a bit more in depth on the topic of last week's podcast where the discussed centered on how to help your child pay attention to how they feel in social situations so they can make better decisions.  Expanding on that, Dr. Shaw poses questions like ... what do we really do when we are not comfortable in a social situation?  how do we have the confidence in ourselves to be true to ourselves?  how do we manage our needs in an uncomfortable social situation?  Clearly there are situations where our children are not fitting in, but they may lack the confidence or the strategy to get out of that situation.  Dr. Shaw lays out various ways to navigate out of those kinds of scenarios.... and it is challenging because most of us have been compromised socially in our own lives.  It can take a form of bravery for a child (or an adult) to find solutions and choices that can resolve these challenges.  Again, paying attention and monitoring the feelings associated with the social setting will contribute greatly to creating to quality relationships. 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 107

In this episode, Dr. Shaw continues to focus on ways in which parents can both monitor and model behaviors in some key social situations for their children.  Her philosophy is that children do not have the experience or the wherewithal to understand that some of their social settings might make them uncomfortable for some reason, and it's important that children are given the know-how, perhaps by example, that it's okay to have those feelings and that it is in fact okay to exit situations that make you uncomfortable.  Dr. Shaw uses her own life for illustrative purposes, both referring to times when she was a child and as an adult, talking about times when she was unfulfilled in a situation but stayed in that situation in order to not be alienated.   If children are shown positive examples by their parents, educators and other adult influencers whereby they are given the knowledge and permission to understand and act according to their feelings, they will be better adjusted as life progresses for them.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep.106

In this podcast, Dr. Shaw begins a slight shift in the focus of her podcast series.  During September, she had been focused the strategies for setting the stage for success for your children in the new school year.  Here, however, she pivots in a new direction and begins sharing some of the background that is being developed for a new book for adults.  After writing 22 children's picture books for socio-emotional learning, Dr. Shaw created a parenting guide for effective communication with children, and now she is developing something akin to a memoir that is tentatively titled "Showing Up."  Her strategies for parenting all overlap with her own personal value systems, and in this podcast she shares an interesting tale about her extended family that serves as a terrific illustration of how the way you show up as a model for your children will have a lasting impact on the kind of adults they will become.  It's a brief but fascinating message with an important lesson built in about human nature.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 105

In this episode, Dr. Shaw continues and concludes her mini-series on the handling of the start of a new school year, specifically the strategies that set the stage for success.  For Dr. Shaw, it's all about preparation.... her prior two podcasts were about being organized and front-loading, and this episode is about the value of THE DAILY ROUTINE.   In some ways, the first two components of this lineup of topics are built into the daily routine, and together everything feeds into the efficiency of your life of parenting and child-rearing.  For children, there is greater personal success when there is a feeling of independence and of accomplishment.  Preparation reduces stress, and a smooth flow to the day truly serves the needs of everyone in the family.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 104

In this episode, Dr. Shaw follows up with the second part of her mini-series of podcasts geared to parents who want to "set the stage for success" with their children.   Being that it's September and the start of a new school year in many parts of the U.S., Dr. Shaw felt that it was important to share some wisdom regarding how to best approach certain aspects of parenting with preparation.  The conversation in this brief podcast is about FRONT-LOADING, a favorite topic of Dr. Shaw's, and here she discusses ways that a parent or an educator can front-load.  She delivers some perfect examples of how she did it as a teacher along with ways that a parent can model front-loading for their children.   The bottom line is that front-loading means do lots of work at the beginning of a task and one can do less later on.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 103

This episode marks the first of an informal 3-part series, and this edition opens with the notion that it's September, it's back-to-school by now for all regions of the U.S., and that there's a piece of advice from Dr. Shaw that can be very helpful.  Her tip is to be organized. While that sounds simple, we all know that parenting in general and getting children out the door and off to school specifically can be challenging.  Here, Dr. Shaw discusses the how's and why's of being organized with your children... and actually, she talks about teaching the children to be organized on their own.  It's a brief but fascinating discussion, especially since Dr. Shaw admits that she used to feel that being organized was repressive but she learned how liberating it really is.  She also outlines some of the valuable life-lessons that exist for children who are in charge of their own organization... plus it's a major time saver.  Dive in and learn how to get your children organized, and a number of daily family activities will be so much smoother and the children will actually feel more accomplished and independent.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 102

In this brief edition, Dr. Shaw discusses a situation that not only falls into her area of specialization as a teacher, but it also has personal significance for her based on her own family experience.  Here, she shares thoughts and feelings about children who are struggling readers.  Dr. Shaw admits that she was one... that her daughter was as well... and she reflects on the pressures and the potential feeling of under-achievement that might be arise for a child who takes longer than some other children to grasp the skill of reading.  Dr. Shaw offer sound advice about handling the possible stress and strain associated, and she provides a list of tips for the best parenting modes for dealing with a struggling reader at home.  This is a quick but powerful podcast, and we hope you find it helpful.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 101

In this episode, Dr. Shaw imparts a valuable lesson that works to serve the listener both in their own life as well as when in parenting mode. Dr. Shaw speaks here about dealing with social or interpersonal situations where one is "on the outs." There are strong feelings that can come up when one feels not included... there can also be a tendency to rationalize what's going on or to assign blame.  Dr. Shaw uses a real situation close to her own heart in order to illustrate at least one way to navigate the feeling of not being included.  Understanding ways to deflect ill will and ways to be confident can be incredibly valuable, not only for adults but certainly for children whose sense of safety and security is in a formative stage.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 100

This is Episode 100 in this series, and Dr. Mindy Shaw utilizes that milestone to accomplish a couple of key things in this podcast.  Among the topics covered this time is a recap of some of the key educational guidance that she has been providing for parents everywhere both here in the audio world and in her series of books

which you can find HERE.  

She also takes a good amount of this episode to share a very personal recent experience that has given Dr. Shaw the opportunity to re-learn some things.  That same experience has also helped her to crystalize a key philosophy for education and for life... that it's all about how you show up in any circumstance.   

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 99

In this very brief edition of this podcast series, Dr. Shaw shares her point of view on pressuring our children to learn.  This topic was inspired but recent tutoring that Dr. Shaw has been doing with a child who is struggling slightly as they are learning to read.  Dr. Shaw shares her own family's experience with this situation, and she also shares what she learned about putting undue pressure on a child about their pace of learning.  Different children have different personalities and skill sets, and she encourages not to add unnecessary drama to your child's life by imposing an emotional attachment to their pace of learning.  The learning will come, and it's an important lesson for all parents and educators.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 98

In this short episode, Dr. Shaw discusses what she simply calls "Straight Talk," and the topic is one of great importance for parents who seeks to have effective communication with their children.  The subject comes up often from parents and the main question asked is, "How do I discuss difficult or uncomfortable subject matter with my child?" Dr. Shaw has several great tips included here, and she gives simple, real-life examples of the kinds of topics that might be challenging.  This subject matter is also covered in her wonderful parenting guide on effective communication with children, and you can find that book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WJRX7JF, but while you're here, give this edition of the podcast a listen.  Dr. Shaw's guidance is simple yet powerful.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 97

This podcast is a continuation and follow-up from a recent episode and it extends the discussion about defending one's position in human interaction.  Dr. Shaw cites an example from her own life wherein she could have been argumentative and defensive, but because she is aware of NOT defending her position and to actually observe and understand what could be seen as an opposing point of view, she actually ends up learning from the situation.   Energy is not wasted in this scenario on a discussion of what's right or wrong as it doesn't matter what's right and wrong... what matter is having the ability to see the situation through the eyes of another person and to learn and grow from that observation and from the compromise it might inspire.  It's a difficult instinct and a muscle that must be developed, but it can be an extremely helpful for children who can only gain by seeing all sides of a situation. 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 96

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw discusses the fascinating topic of strategically balancing the strong tendencies in children.   She uses the example of being a fighter, and Dr. Shaw starts out by admitting that she had that quality and that that quality or tendency is often seen as a negative.  Dr. Shaw points out that there are absolutely positive aspects when a child is prone to having a strong personality or is a "fighter," and she offers some interesting illustrative examples of how that behavior might play out.  As she often does, Dr. Shaw brings the conversation around to maintaining effective communication with your child so that there is clarity when a strong personality trait results in correct or incorrect behavior.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 95

In this edition, Dr. Shaw tackles some fascinating aspects of the education process.  She begins by contrasting teachers who teach a lot of "stuff" and who inherently include a lot of "fluff in the stuff," and there are teaches that ascribe to the philosophy that Dr. Shaw lived by and that is to teach less stuff, but went much deeper on the essentials of education.  She then introduces the concept of Guided Practice which is a type of learning where there is less independence for the child and more guidance.   With less independence, there is less of a chance that the child will learn something incorrectly, and Dr. Shaw provides a great illustrative example of guided practice.  She then moves the discussion into methods for self-learning in which one doesn't accept their own old stories or habits.  You can do that by carefully observing yourself and then you can model your own advancement by noting it for your child.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 94

In this brief but insightful episode, Dr. Shaw talks about the concept of choice and making choices.   She points out that while it can be true that perception becomes one's reality, it can also be said that the choices we make become our reality as well.  She feels that life allows us to make choices, but that our choices don't come easily.  For starters, we have to be conscious and aware to guide ourselves to making good choices.   Sometimes we are the cause of our own suffering because we don't make the right choice, but if we can teach ourselves and our children to be aware enough to change your behavior before making the wrong choice, one can avoid choosing the wrong situation to be in.  It's a deep and complex concept, yet Dr. Shaw gives some nice illustrative examples of the steps to making this work.   Make the choice to listen to and understand this strategy about choices.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 93

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw takes on the challenging subject of how to hear what might be considered criticism and to not take it personally.  Dr. Shaw has always been an big advocate of the concept of not taking things personally, but that can be especially delicate ground to tread upon when dealing with your children who are often in a system of education or other social settings where external rewards are a large part of the system.  It all comes down to teaching children, as well as ourselves, to understand who we are in our truth, and to distance ourselves from the potentially negative feelings that can happen when we hear something that might be considered criticism.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 92

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw tackles the tricky subject of teaching our children to do the right thing FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.  Dr. Shaw is a big believer in intrinsic rewards as opposed to external rewards, and she examines what that means.  Schools and other systematic institutions often bestow prizes, rewards and other forms of recognition to children and to adults, and that can create a false motivation and an unrealistic expectation.  The real gift is to act out of truth and to recognize that the accomplishment itself is the real reward.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep 91

In this episode, the ever-evolving nature of Dr. Shaw's podcasts becomes evident as she once again uses a personal experience and the observations generated by that experience to examine the human psyche.  Her experience was the result of attending a recent retirement party for a fellow teacher, and the emotions and feelings that came up for Dr. Shaw at that event gave way to an examination into useful information.  The story she shares opens the door for the listener of this podcast to alter their approach to both their own day-to-day as well as their approach to certain aspects of parenting.