Mindset
Rain Clouds and a Growth Mindset
By Guest Blogger on October 12th, 2017
I’m not a science teacher. But I know that when the dark, gray, thick clouds roll in, it means rain isn’t far behind. Most people see dark clouds as foreboding and impending doom.
When they roll in, they run for cover. Continue reading
Help! I need somebody! Help!
By Guest Blogger on January 19th, 2016
My daughter is not quite two, yet her little brain is abuzz – learning new things at every turn of the corner.
Almost constantly she comes up against something new, something strange or challenging, and every time without fail, she looks up at me with her big brown eyes and says “help!”
It astonishes me how easily she is able to admit she needs a helping hand. How quickly she recognizes she’s facing something new and challenging and she may not get it right the first time. This mindset is what Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset.” And most children my daughter’s age have it.
They are perfectly okay with asking for help, and not just asking, but receiving it. Continue reading
What Successful People Know
By Guest Blogger on September 28th, 2015
No one likes to fail.
No one likes the feeling of failure, that lead rock deep inside your gut weighing you down. And for a long time, I was afraid of failure. This was because I didn’t understand what successful people know.
What successful people know is that failure doesn’t have to be the worst thing. It doesn’t have to ruin us or break us. In fact, the incredibly beautiful fact about failure is that it is as much a part of success as hard work, as talent, as passion, and drive. Failure is actually a huge piece of the success puzzle. It’s just that most people never recognize it. The sooner we realize that failure is just one part of the road to success, the sooner we can learn from our failures, get back on track, and grow. This is what it means to have a Growth Mindset. Continue reading
Happiness Starts with YOU!
By Amy LaGrasta on February 4th, 2015
Attitude is Everything.
Have you ever thought about it? It’s true. In 2014, I read The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. You should read it too! It has really helped to change my mood and shape a new way of positive thinking. In the book, Achor posits that daily affirmation of three happy or good things, no matter how big or small, will help your mind re-focus on the positive.
I have really worked hard to exercise the “three good things daily” practice. My team also shares positive things in their world regularly, creating a positive team and work environment (And if you know anything about counselors, we deal with some pretty tough stuff!) Overall, this daily habit creates a mindset focused on being grateful. It has positively affected my attitude at home with my family and at work with customers and colleagues. Continue reading
“Clash Man” Becomes a Leader
By Guest Blogger on December 2nd, 2014
I sometimes wonder if my three years in middle school were harder than my three years in a refugee camp.
On the fashion front, I wore the same shirt to school three times a week and earned the name “Clash Man.” In 8th grade, I got kicked off my basketball team and my family was forced to move into low-income housing. At my new school, I got my first D in math, and Cs in some of my other classes.
If you would have asked me if I was a leader, I would have laughed. I was trying to survive each day of school and hoping that life would get better.
Life did get better, but not because I got better housing or a new wardrobe. Continue reading
Increase your Student’s Success in School
By Guest Blogger on November 28th, 2014
Take a free course designed to help your student!
Just in time for Florida Parental Involvement in Education Month, Florida Virtual School is proud to announce a free course created just for parents! Secrets to Student Success Revealed is free on Udemy.com.
We have taken research proven strategies from experienced educators and crafted a free course for parents and educators to learn these strategies in a quick and easy format. If you’d love to know how to motivate your child, talk to your child, advocate for your child, and even learn how your child’s brain works as well as steps you can take to improve his/her sleep, nutrition, and exercise, then Secrets to Student Success Revealed is for you. Continue reading
Internet Safety Month: Protect Your Digital Footprint
By Guest Blogger on June 17th, 2014
Today’s teens consume Social Media every day – perhaps every five minutes in many cases! How often, though, do they consider the implications of their online activities?
The Social Media course at Florida Virtual School has been compared to “Driver’s Ed for the Internet” – teaching students about the safe and responsible operation of Social Media. Here are the top five tips from the course:
1) Protect your Digital Footprint – it’s the sum of every interaction involving you, and it lives FOREVER. While it’s obviously important to control what YOU post (photos, status updates, etc.), it’s also important to discover who ELSE is influencing your digital footprint – tagging you in photos, mentioning you in posts, etc. Keep your eyes open. Continue reading