Yellow Parachute Blog
Yellow Parachute’s Blog Mission
Our blog mission is to share the research and resources that inform our unique approach to coaching Executive Function Skills, to advocate for neurodiversity, and to uplift students, parents, educators, and leaders.
How to manage expectations about summer learning
To my fellow parents, I’m about to save you from your own expectations about summer learning. At this point in May, summer feels like that land of promise and endless possibility. We plan on learning from every mistake [...]
Why we procrastinate, and how we can change
I’ve been thinking a bit about procrastination. It’s finally spring in Minnesota, and it seems that along with 60-degree weather and sun, we’ve tend to put off whatever needs to get done. Over my time working with [...]
Coaching Your Conductor: The Learning Coach and Executive Function
Imagine sitting in a concert hall. The crowd falls silent as the conductor takes her place on center stage and cues the orchestra. Moments later, she’s keeping the melody, watching the tempo, and tracking the upcoming key changes. [...]
The Journey Starts Now: How To Discover What Motivates Us
20 years ago, I had a big list of ideas and a whole lot of ambition. I knew that I wanted to help students transform into learners, no matter their barriers. I also knew that I had a [...]
A timeout could be just the thing we all need
We’re encouraged to always say yes to more. And with technology—it’s easier to do more, to have bigger and better dreams. But I think the chance to plug-in and connect also has some consequences. This “always-on” approach makes [...]
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Steps
Imagine that black pair of boots that keep showing up on your Facebook feed. The ones that would go with everything you own, including that outfit for that event next.... next Friday evening? Or what about that shiny [...]
What we talk about when we talk about self-doubt
A lot of people ask why we at Yellow Parachute talk so much about self-doubt. If our intentions are to inspire, then why focus on anything else? My answer is simple: We can’t talk about how to succeed [...]
When The Light Gets In, You Know Who You Are
Our rescue dog Allie’s middle name is Grace. Hers is a story of where the light gets in. But it wouldn’t be a story about where the light gets in if we didn’t talk about what almost got [...]
How To Disarm So You Can Be All In
Where would we be without the incredible research and life-giving language of Brené Brown and Ann Voskamp? Well, for a start, the story I could have/would have made up last week is that our dog friends think Allie [...]
How To Know Your Best Is Enough
Last weekend my sweet and beautiful rescue dog Allie was the roughest, meanest dog at the dog park. She instigated scuffles, chased with teeth bared, sprang, jumped, and growled her way through canine interactions. Uffdah. We had to [...]
How ‘Personalized Learning’ Became Dirty Words
And How YP Is Cleaning Them Up When I mention “personalized learning,” to my ACT students eyes roll, jaws clench, gum snaps, arms cross, shoulders shrug. Why such bummer reactions to a term I believe can revolutionize education? [...]
“My teacher hates me.” What it means and how to deal
“There’s nothing really that great about being cool. Cool is, by definition, self-protection.” - Brené Brown I heard it again this week: “My teacher hates me.” This, from a student who I look forward to seeing each week, [...]
Learning Coaches Change Lives
When our self-images get warped, we need relationships—the vision and kindness of caring friends and mentors—to correct them. I’ve found some incredible interventions to combat this broken-lens-view in my own adult life and can’t wait to share them [...]
How to Stop Arguing About Food, Time, and Money
As promised in last week’s post on conquering the self-defeating stories we tell ourselves, what follows is an honest and thorough accounting of what happened with those checklists I delegated to my kids to keep their home/school/hockey/dance obligations [...]
What Gets In The Way: The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Click. How many times a day do you feel the lenses of other people trained on you? Do you imagine what they notice—the coffee stain, the rogue zit, the quaver in your voice? Our (often misguided) ideas of [...]
Why Finding Your Voice Takes Hard Work
“She’s a natural.” You’ve heard it a million times regarding a talented athlete, academic, artist, musician—anyone who performs above and beyond the normal range of talent, In fact, there’s a movie starring Robert Redford (throwback to the 1980s) [...]
Happy Holidays!
Thank you for your partnership. Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years.
Elevating a Family’s Gifts with Christine Patka
These past several weeks, we at Yellow Parachute have been thinking deeply the big themes of the holiday season: family values, gratitude, giving, gifts, and slowing down to reflect on it all. We’ve tried to be mindful of [...]
