Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw

This episode in this series presents a highly personal point of view while at the same time is completely a "must-listen" for teachers and educators.  Here, Dr. Shaw discusses her recent return to classroom teaching, and in doing so she dissects her motivations, her own insecurities and her strategies for success.  She talks about her self-examination and her implementation of intention.  She points out that we need to recalibrate when we see ourselves going in the wrong direction and that we should demonstrate to our children what those actions look like.  She discusses her own challenges, perspectives and resiliency in a way that can provide a roadmap for all of us on how to live a better professional life.

Once again, Dr. Shaw takes us on a journey through the power of positive thinking.  Early in the this episode she states that "We are what we think about," and she follows that up with the philosophy that she is trying to treat people as they ought to be and not as they are.  That attitude allows us to see everyone we encounter in the most positive light, and by doing that, we also create self-respect.  It's a philosophy that can extend easily to our children but it is also applicable in any adult's life.  One key habit to break is focusing on the negative... by marking and noting and celebration the good things that come along, no matter how small they may seem, that attention paid to the good stuff will only bring more good stuff.

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw explores her philosophy that we should all live the life that we love, and that we should teach our children to do the same.  It starts by identifying what you love.  Dr. Shaw is a contributor right now at a Montessori School and she shares some of the wonderful experiences she is having there.  She also mentions her children's book called "Time Out is Time In" which postulates that when a child is getting a time out they are really give the opportunity to reflect and to check in on themselves.  Learning how to navigate the world is an important ingredient to learning what you love.  Dr. Shaw talks about having quality relationships, and the bottom line for this topic is that the first quality relationship we need to have is with ourselves.

In this ultra helpful episode, Dr. Shaw shares the eight (8) key principles that guide her life, and she shares these in order to provide help and guidance to anyone who hears these.  So many of us are looking for answers and trying to figure out what we are doing incorrectly in our lives.  As Dr. Shaw says, in some ways her list of principles are obvious and common sense, but by listing them out and offering a bit of explanation for each, she really does provide a remarkable roadmap for a fulfilling life.

In this brief but timely episode, Dr. Shaw takes advantage of the turning of the page of the calendar year in order to put forth a key tenet of her philosophy.... and that is that we should treat others as they ought to be, not as they are.   That practice of treating others as they ought to be puts the focus on helping and improving, and there is no better quality to a relationship than to be capable of lifting each other up.  Also, the gift is remembering in the moment what that intention looks like.  Wishing a Happy and Healthy and Fulfilled New Year (2026) to you and yours!