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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
6 days ago2 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
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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
Articulating Meaning: Building Language Integrating differentiating Perspectives The Rubik's Cube Solution Guide

Barry Smith
Aug 4, 20241 min read
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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
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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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Understanding the Different Levels of Player Engagement
“We only know a tiny proportion about the complexity of the natural world. Wherever you look, there are still things we don’t know about...

Barry Smith
Feb 18, 20242 min read
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Players are Worth It
Jordan Tootoo's book "All the Way: My Life on Ice" is an autobiography that provides a gut wrenching account of his life, both on and off...

Barry Smith
Jan 7, 20243 min read
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So You Want to Be the Goalie?
The feeling of having no power over a situation in generally unbearable. When we feel helpless we feel miserable. Even if you have the...

Barry Smith
Dec 30, 20234 min read
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Mentor Profile: Anatoly Tarasov
Anatoly Tarasov (1918–1995) was a prominent Soviet ice hockey coach and administrator, often regarded as the "father of Russian hockey."...

Barry Smith
Dec 17, 20233 min read
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