Author Archives: Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

About Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

an educator in Independent Schools for over 38 years

KQED Mind Shift on avoiding or recovering from the Overparenting Trap.

Posted on January 9, 2016 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

5 Steps for Parents to Recover from Overparenting… KQED I am enjoying learning more about the reaction folks are having to this book. This piece is spot on. If we do not avoid overparenting, our children will revolt!

Posted in 21st Century Skills, adult development, childhood development, Uncategorized | Tagged education, parenting, seven hills school walnut creek | Leave a comment

The Science of Emotion: Dacher Keltner

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

The first of our Seven Hills School Parent Lecture Series events was a tremendous success! As parents, neighbors and friends of the school exited Hunt Hall, the refrains were resoundingly positive: “I could listen to him all day.” “I’d love him … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, childhood development, Dacher Keltner UC Berkeley, education, the science of emotion | Tagged 21st century, adolescent development, brain development, character education, Dacher Keltner, Dacher Keltner UC Berkeley, parenting, Seven Hills School, Seven Hills School Parent Speaker Series, the science of Inside Out | Leave a comment

NPR and a conversation about Overparenting.

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

There is plenty of room for adjustment on all sides here. Schools and parents DO need to work together. I feel sure that we could definitely improve how we think about autonomy for students from all angles. NPR: Overparenting?

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, adult development, childhood development, education | Tagged 21st Century Education, character education, educational leadership, Parenting Teens, seven hills school walnut creek | Leave a comment

KQED’s Mindshift on the Teen Brain…

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Adolescence is a tornado of change: Not only is it the period of fastest physical change in life – aside from infancy I often quote statistics about developmental changes in the middle school years: people change more between 10 and 15 than … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, adult development, childhood development | Tagged advisory programs, CA, CAIS, Seven Hills Walnut Creek, social emotional development | Leave a comment

Are we sending the right messages about what’s important?

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

After all, college admissions is a beginning, not an ending. This is a serious and honest piece about the damage we unwittingly inflict on children when we focus on the immediate outcome, rather than the long term journey… I think … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, adult development, childhood development, Uncategorized | Tagged education, high stakes testing, parenting, Seven Hills School | Leave a comment

Boston Globe on Parenting

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

The proliferation of articles and blog posts on parenting and fears of parents lead me to the obvious and inevitable conclusion that we, as parents, are too consumed with our children as our bumper stickers. Life is messy, and our … Continue reading →

Posted in adult development, childhood development, fear, parenting in 2015, social emotional learning | Tagged CAIS, CAIS Seven Hills Walnut Creek CA, contra costa county ca, education, independent schools, NAIS, NAIS Seven Hills Walnut Creek CA, parenting, private school, seven hills school walnut creek | Leave a comment

New York Times Op-Ed by Tony Schwartz on distraction and attention

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

I had the opportunity to learn first-hand from Tony Schwartz, who spoke at a Head’s Conference in New York a few years ago., I have been intrigued by The Energy Project ever since. Enjoy! New York Times Op-Ed by Tony Schwartz … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, NY Times, parenting in 2015, technology | Tagged parenting, technology, The Energy Project, Tony Schwartz | Leave a comment

The New York Times: Reading

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

“Kids who read more get better at reading, and because they are better at reading, it’s easier and more pleasurable so they read still more,” he said. “And kids who read well don’t just do better in English class — … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, new york times, NY Times, parenting in 2015, Seven Hills School Walnut Creek | Tagged education, literacy, NY Times, parenting, seven hills school walnut creek | Leave a comment

The Atlantic: parental pressure…

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

I am forever pushing back against the demonization of parents. Many of us are doing the best we can, or at least the best we think we should be doing. There are some sobering facts here, and again, I am … Continue reading →

Posted in academic excellence in elementary schools, body image, childhood development, education, fear, grit, leadership in children, The Atlantic Monthly | Tagged Atalantic Monthly, character education, childhood development, education, parenting, seven hills school walnut creek | Leave a comment