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What If We Measured Potential Through Music — Not Tests?
“I’m not saying I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.” — Tupac Shakur...

Barry Smith
2 days ago3 min read
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The Myth of Learning Disabilities: When the System Fails, We Label the Child
When you type "disabled" into a thesaurus you will get terms like defective , broken , impaired , flawed , dysfunctional , ...

Barry Smith
2 days ago3 min read
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The Ones Who Say No: Why the Next Generation Refuses to Play Along
We’ve been witnessing a quiet revolution — not in the streets, but in the hallways of schools, in the back kitchens of fast-food...

Barry Smith
2 days ago3 min read
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ADHD: What If It’s Not a Deficit—But a Superpower?
“Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to...

Barry Smith
2 days ago2 min read
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The Catastrophe of Compliance Revisited
“ Different sores must have different salves. " English proverb In her powerful critique of compliance-based systems, Dr. Lorraine Fox...

Barry Smith
Apr 202 min read
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Unlocking Human Potential
Mentorship vs Manipulation and Micromanagement The foundation of empowerment is belief. When a mentor or leader believes in an...

Barry Smith
Mar 82 min read
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No Such Thing as a Bad Kid
Charlie Appelstein’s No Such Thing as a Bad Kid is a strengths-based guide for working with children and adolescents who exhibit...

Barry Smith
Feb 222 min read
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Make Schools Relevant: A Case for Project-Based Learning
“The illiterate of the future will not be the person who cannot read. It will be the person who does not know how to learn.” - Alvin...

Barry Smith
Feb 93 min read
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From Compliance to Self-Reliance
"I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think." - Socrates The Future of Education The shift toward self-reliance and...

Barry Smith
Jan 263 min read
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How to Become a School Genius: A Step-by-Step Guide
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

Barry Smith
Jan 254 min read
25 views
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Building Self-Steam
A s teachers, managers, coaches, and mentors, we hold immense power every day—the power to uplift, to inspire, and to help others...

Barry Smith
Jan 192 min read
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Mentoring: The Antithesis of Compliance
T rue mentoring stands as the antithesis of compliance-driven, coercive programs that prioritize power struggles over genuine growth. At...

Barry Smith
Dec 22, 20243 min read
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The Systems of Hockey
Hockey teams use various systems to structure their gameplay, depending on their strategy, roster strengths, and the situation in the...

Barry Smith
Dec 17, 20243 min read
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Mentorship Over Authority: Creating Collaborative Pathways for Youth in Care
“The best way I know how to defeat an enemy is to make him a friend.” — Abraham Lincoln Youth in residential care are often marked by...

Barry Smith
Sep 29, 20245 min read
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One Child at a Time
As mentors, our role is not merely to guide but to nurture resilience, patience, and the courage to explore new horizons. The development...

Barry Smith
Sep 28, 20243 min read
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Beyond Privilege
Whole brain learning is an approach to human development incorporating 9 elements that ultimately engage all of our learning systems. ...

Barry Smith
Sep 10, 20246 min read
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Workshop Resources
"There is no position in sports as noble as goaltending." - Vladislav Tretiak Always remember, it's not the critic that counts . This...

Barry Smith
Aug 22, 20243 min read
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Workshop References, Videos & Links
Mentor's Master Class - Resources Horton Hears A Who (2008) - Horton and Kangaroo What can this approach...

Barry Smith
Aug 4, 20242 min read
101 views
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The Greatest Goalie That Ever Lived
Terry Sawchuk, one of hockey's most legendary goaltenders, lived a life marked by triumphs on the ice and profound struggles off it. Born...

Barry Smith
May 31, 20243 min read
39 views
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Viktor Frankl and Man's Search for Meaning
When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves. -Viktor E. Frankl Viktor Frankl was an...

Barry Smith
Feb 25, 20242 min read
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