Breakfast Club Blog
The BOOST Breakfast Club Blog is a curated space where bloggers from around the world contribute content on a continual basis about a variety of topics relevant to in and out-of-school time. The BOOST Breakfast Club blog is at the heart of an ongoing dialogue where expanded learning and education professionals share their personal thoughts and stories from the in and out-of-school time field. They also tell us what they ate for breakfast!
The BOOST Breakfast Club Blog is Brain Food for In and Out-of-School Time Leaders!
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All You Need Is Love
A couple of years ago I bought a new car. It came with a 6-month free trial for a satellite radio service. I don’t typically listen to the radio. I actually enjoy the moments of peace and quiet I can have when I’m driving. It’s an opportunity to think. But when my son Oliver is in the car with me, he always insists on having something to listen to. He is 11 years old, so his first choice is hip hop, but the language is a bit uncomfortable for me, so we tried the comedy channel, which was worse. ...Read More
When The Earthquake Hits…Navigating Personal Trauma
As professionals in the field of education and youth development, we are often faced monthly, weekly, and even daily, with helping support and manage other people’s trauma. We hear the horrible stories, watch in live-action the day to day responses and behaviors of kids who have been traumatized, and often spend our days and nights urging others to seek out guidance and help for managing these almost unimaginable experiences. But, what happens when the tables turn and that trauma is our own? Thr...Read More
The Lost Places
“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” Rosalía de Castro I love quotes—they inspire me, they encourage me, they guide me, they offer words when I can find none. I collect them like one might collect coins or shells, and surround myself with them when I feel lost. I’m in a lost place right now. I think so many of us hide that feeling, that lost place, shielding ourselves instead with an “I’m fine!” for the rest o...Read More
The Student and The Teacher
For the past year and half, our team has been working to transform the organizational culture of large educational systems. Though deep and profound as a sentence, we have found that this transformation essentially begins with oneself. Simple to say and write. A lifetime to do and practice. And yet many times we are often asked, “This is great stuff…. But when are we going to get to the real work?” The Personal Mastery needed to lead and transform large educational systems (especially instit...Read More
Reliving The Past (In A Good Way)!
If you’ve ever listened to the Hamilton musical soundtrack, or you had the unique opportunity of seeing the production for yourself, one of their best songs is Yorktown. It describes the battle of Yorktown in 1781; the battle that had the British wave the white flag in surrender! A line in the song reads, “And so the American experiment begins, with my friends all scattered to the winds…” In the Summer of 2016, I was playing that song multiple times a day. Why? As a member of the After-Sch...Read More
Beyond Grief: The Power of Lily’s Legacy
This blog is difficult to write. I have been a Breakfast Club blogger since 2014. I have shared my thoughts about the impact of our work, the future of our field, and the evolution of our leaders. Every time, I give my heart and passion into every word and hope that it will inspire others. This process has come easy for me until one life-changing moment in 2016. The 2016 BOOST Conference had just wrapped up. Minutes after the conference closing, I found myself surrounded by the BOOST Leadership ...Read More
Let’s Create a Butterfly Effect to End Gun Violence
Dylan Hockley would flap his arms up and down whenever he was excited or happy. “It was truly joyful to watch because he was such a happy little boy. I asked him once why he flapped, and he told me, ‘because I’m a beautiful butterfly’,” recalled his mother, Nicole, in an interview before the first anniversary of the day Dylan was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary. At Dylan’s memorial service, Nicole said in her eulogy, “There’s a saying that if a butterfly flaps his wings in one place it can cause...Read More
Confessions of a Special Ed Kid
I grew up watching day and nighttime talk shows like Oprah, Phil Donahue, 20/20, and Dateline. I read a lot of biographies about legendary public figures, activists, artist, rebels, and missionaries. Looking back, I can see that at an early age I was searching to hear my story. I wanted to see and hear it, for it to validate my experience and more importantly create a sense of identification. I wanted to hear my story but not share it. I convinced myself there would be a 60 Minutes episode somed...Read More
What is a Recovering Principal?
Car in park, deep breath, let the day begin… Greeted by my custodian with an update of the daily damage caused by outsiders accessing a vulnerable campus, graffiti on the walls, drug paraphernalia on the playground, no sub coverage due to the shortage, deep breath, IEP meeting starting at 7:45 a.m., check the security cameras, contact the police department to come and investigate, deep breath, parent urgently needing to meet, and a big smile wishing students a wonderful day during morning ...Read More
It’s Time To Wake Up! A Teen Suicide & How Teachers Can Make A Difference
Editor’s Note: We all share deep sadness when we lose a young person to suicide. Suicide knows no race, creed or class. In this blog, we have asked permission to share Breakfast Club blogger Kathy Bihr’s personal Facebook post and reflection about a young man in Orange County, CA who took his life in the first week of February. Our hearts and souls live with the family who lost their son. Please share carefully, but share far and wide. Patrick’s story is not singular. I was ...Read More
Surviving Your 20’s For An Even Better 30’s
At the age of 31, I moved back with my parents. Sleeping on the couch in my parent’s basement, I reflected on the “dumb” choices I’d made. I realized that at the root of my problems was my inability to manage my impulses. However, had I not fallen on my a** – several times – I don’t think I would have been able to see the error of my ways. My 20’s was a crucial time in my life; full of temptations and distractions. But with great reflection, I realized all the decisions I...Read More
A Holiday Invitation, Highs and Lows: What Will You Choose?
Happy December! It’s the season of holidays for many of us, though I know not all. I embrace the holiday season, and Christmas is my holiday. I love it all—the lights, the trees, the presents, the magic. I love that the first snowfall usually comes during this season. I love the opportunity for gathering with people to enjoy eating, drinking, and merriment. I love that I have a fireplace and can light a cozy fire during this season. I love the Christmas music playing in the background (fo...Read More