What will I do with all my time over break?

Although I am not in classrooms and in schools every day, I know that our teachers and staff are working so hard to be prepared and make a difference for students. Because you are always giving, making 1000 decisions a day and managing the other demands on your time, there becomes a point when you need a break! I hope you all find some time to do what is in the image to the right-it important for your mental health, for your families, for your ability to be your best when you return. 

I will be taking that advice as well, but I have also come to accept that part of my relaxing and taking a breath is taking the opportunity of time off to reflect and continue learning.  I imagine there are a few of you out there that are the same!  I won't sacrifice quality time with my family, but I will set aside time for myself. 

During our Teacher Leaders Coalition meeting Tuesday evening, Cindy Johnson from the Chamber presented on the value of social networking and making connections with people you don't normally interact with.  She modeled her goal to meet three new people when attending functions or events and using questions to find something in common.  You never know the impact of developing new relationships-they may turn into support for you-a new business partner, donations for students, a new friend! The worst that can happen is that you never see the person again :).  It made me want to intentionally make an effort to do this over the break!  I wonder who I will meet in my travels back to Iowa!!

Dr. McDowell also led a structure that asked the leaders to share their personal or professional goals and make a commitment to help someone else achieve theirs.  It's so true when you make goals visible, it is so much easier to know what you can contribute to assist in the progress in their journey!

He referenced a book that has impacted me early in my career.

The 100/0 Principle applies to those people in your life where the relationships are too important to react automatically or judgmentally. The idea is that if you choose to take action to seek support, to seek solutions, to seek understanding, and expect nothing in return, then there is a likely chance that desired results will be attained. Here is the idea behind the book:

STEP 1—Determine what you can do to make the relationship work… then do it. Demonstrate respect and kindness to the other person, whether he/she deserves it or not.

STEP 2—Do not expect anything in return. Zero, zip, nada.

STEP 3—Do not allow anything the other person says or does (no matter how annoying!) to affect you. In other words, don't take the bait.

STEP 4—Be persistent with your graciousness and kindness. Often we give up too soon, especially when others don't respond in kind. Remember to expect nothing in return.

 

 So, I guess I can't help but leave you with one more opportunity to grow professionally during your time off.  In our journey to student-centered instruction with rigor,  I am linking a webinar that connects to a book I just purchased.  The webinar helps explain the "why" behind the importance of engaging students in standards-based ELA instruction at higher levels of cognitive complexity and the "how" to accomplish this. This is relevant to all teachers! A bonus... if you really want to know how to measure the impact of instruction, they show you how to figure the "effect size"!  After just briefly reading sections of the book and watching the video, I was reenergized and excited about supporting teachers and administrators! I can't wait to dig in and learn more.

This has turned into a longer blog than I expected but I guess it will make up for the next two weeks off!  I do want to thank you all (teachers, support staff, secretaries, nurses, grounds crew, food services, counselors, social workers, paraprofessionals, specialists, administrators) for the commitment, dedication, and impact that you have on our students! Than you for "BEING GRAND!"

How To End the first Semester Strong

This time of the year, it seems challenging to keep students (and ourselves) focused and intentional about learning.  There are so many things tugging for our attention: the holiday rush, evening programs, special events, etc...   So how do we maximize the learning time with students, enjoy our students, and manage all the other demands on our time?

The Cult of Pedagogy offers several podcasts that remind us of the research-based practices and strategies to consider when experiencing these challenges and feeling overwhelmed and/or stressed.

Here are a few that I found helpful:  classroom management,  ways to take care of yourself,  why you need to see each other teach, moving from feedback to feedforward. student motivation (this is a good one), and several other helpful and relevant topics. 

I love podcasts because I can listen to them in the car, while I work on other things, however, there is also a written summary of the content for those that want to print and highlight to reference when needed. 

It is true that we sometimes create our own chaos, so taking the time to reflect, plan, and prioritize may impact our mindset, actions, and response to actions on us. 

As you reflect on the first semester, celebrate the gifts, accomplishments, and opportunities yet to come and take advantage of the last week to finish strong!

                                         Our students and colleagues are counting on us!