Appreciating Variability
Universal Design for Learning, discusses ways to recognize variability as an asset, and not a liability. The strategic networks of the brain are mentioned and their connection to The Marshmallow Test. In this test of instant gratification, young students are given a marshmallow. They are told that they can eat the marshmallow now, or if they wait, they can have two when the teacher comes back. It is interesting to see the different strategies the students use to try to help themselves in this experiment. Another strategy that we can teach our kids is a "positive time-out". Usually, time-outs are used as a form of punishment. But it is more powerful, if we teach our kids to use them as a time to self-reflect and self-regulate. Instead of waiting for problems to arise, we must help our kids self-monitor and to recognize when they need a break. One of the first steps in doing so is helping them to see patterns in when they are getting upset and to understand what triggers them