If My Life Was a Christmas Movie...

What is the best Christmas movie ever?

White Christmas?

It's a Wonderful Life?

A Christmas Story?

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?

Elf?

Die Hard?  (Is it a Christmas movie?  It happens at Christmas...does that count?)

One of my favorites, Love Actually?

We could probably relate to a lot these movies right now.  

Our room probably looks like the Nakatomi Building after John McClane was there.

Our students behave a little like Buddy Elf.  Everything is so exciting and new this time of year.

We find ourselves feeling a little nicer and kinder this holiday season and we are not afraid to express it like in Love Actually.

While we wish our Christmas plays out like White Christmas or It's a Wonderful Life, it always tends to lean a little more like the realistic A Christmas Story or National Lampoon's.

While our expectations for the holiday season may not always pan out, isn't there still good in it?  Same thing in your classrooms...not every lesson may pan out or equal success.  Uninvited guest or uninvited hiccups may arrive and cause discomfort...or maybe a few laughs.  You may feel like it is you against an army...and you are trying to saving a room (or building) full of people.  Yet...there are still those lessons where it all comes together and your students pull off a great ending scene spectacular.  

At the end of all these movies, everyone realizes the importance of being together and the value of each person.  Isn't that why we watch them year after after?  We like that mushy stuff...and the funny stuff...and all that stuff in between.  Isn't that what we want each day in our classrooms?

Have a great break!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like December...

It is here!  December! How did it get here so fast?  How can we possibly be in the last month of 2018?  Was there twelve months this year?  

While the beginning of the year drags, once we reach July, the year begins going by at a neck breaking speed.

But December is here and there really are no words to explain how it feels to be a teacher in December. For you new teachers...buckle up...

It seems this month is the month where we cram as many events as possible into a week.  Basketball has begun...we have concerts...we have school sporting events on the weekend.  It feels as if your calendar is busting at the seams!  And that doesn't include the PERSONAL items on your calendar. Baking, shopping, decorating, Christmas cards, church programs.  There is NO down time in December.

And can we talk about the kids?  They are SO excited!  They know that break is coming...they know that presents are coming...and for our little ones, they know that Santa is coming.

While we could get lost in the hustle and bustle of this season, I ask you to all stop and pause.  Enjoy this time of year.  Enjoy the excitement that it brings.  And yes...even enjoy the chaos it brings,  Chaos can be good...it teaches us many things.  It teaches us to have back up plans, it teaches us about boundaries, it teaches us to expect the unexpected.  See the joy this time of year that can bring to a student who doesn't smile very much.  See the excitement this time of year can bring students who have been waiting for all the games and special events taking place.  Enjoy the fact that we get to do this job.  Enjoy the fact that everyone, even though they are stressed, does seem a little nicer this time of year.

Have a great December.  Enjoy your classroom and your family.  Enjoy the magic of the season.

https://www.boredteachers.com/humor/teachers-december

https://www.boredteachers.com/humor/it-s-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-chaos

Let Me Talk About Superheroes One More Time...

When I post, my ideas often come because of things I read and relate to what we do.  They may be related to events occurring in the world.  They may be related to our theme for the year.  Other times, they are just random thoughts that I put down.  I have a couple of wandering thoughts and hope to string them together.

Last year, our theme was superheroes.  I love superhero movies.  Whether it is the world of DC or Marvel, there is a great escape you can experience by watching superhero movies.  Today, the great Stan Lee passed away.  Stan Lee was KING of the superhero world.  He created some of the best:  Thor, Spider Man, the Hulk, Iron Man.  His creativity made these heroes household names.  When he began with Marvel in the 50's, he could have probably never imagine the empire Marvel is today...that his characters would be portrayed in blockbuster movies...in toys...and in some principal's silly blog.  He wanted to create characters who were like us by being vulnerable and likable.  Characters that had flaws, but characters that had really good traits too.

I am sure Stan Lee created comics that bombed.  I am sure some times his boss did not like a character he created.  I am sure once movies were involved there were times a character he created wasn't portrayed in a way he like.  I am sure he felt pressure to perform...pressure to get it right...pressure to create the next really good thing.  

I am sure there were times when Stan Lee was under pressure after celebrating the success of something big.  Maybe after the success of the Fantastic Four, something went wrong.  Maybe that next character didn't get completed in time. Maybe he had a line of people outside his door demanding the next great thing and there was no great thing at that time.  Maybe he was expecting his co-creators to come through with something, only to have it not happen.  Maybe he had said it was going to be done at noon and the production wasn't completed thus making his fans wait.  Some of those thing were beyond his control.  There was no one single thing he could do to speed up production or make that next great idea just pop in his head.

I am sure these types of situations could make Stan forget about the success of his completed projects.  It could make him irritable.  It could make him want to throw his hands up and in the air and declare he was done.  

This happens to all of us.  We can have just experienced a really great event, (perhaps it is something personal...something in our classroom)something that we are really proud of, only to have that joy be crushed two minutes later.  Then instead of remembering that really great thing, we remember that crushing thing.  We often have to step aside in order to bring ourselves back to those really great things.

I am sure Stan Lee experienced that.  There is no way that every super hero he created was successful or even made it to production.  He was probably told he had bad ideas.  I am sure he had impatient editors.  He probably got caught up in the moment of these little things and forgot all about the great things that happened prior...we all do.  But by pulling himself together, I am sure he was able to create some characters even better than the Fantastic Four...like the X-Men.

Remember all of this.  Remember that when you are surround by pressure, don't forget that beauty you have seen prior.  When you are experiencing something that is unexpected, may cause you a little discomfort, or may have you to re-plan, know that stuff happens.  You can be angry about it or you can be flexible.  You can pause, think about the great things that have happened, and work to keep creating more great things for the team around you.  

Thank you Stan Lee for the characters you created that allow us to see good in the world. People who work to create good things for their teams, like the Avengers.  People who look past the "stuff" to help create a better world.

Reach. Educate. Inspire.

The week of November 12th is American Education Week.  In 1919, the NEA and the American Legion got together to think of a way to build public support for education.  We had just come off World War I and it was found that over 25% of the draftees who fought in the war were illiterate.  These organizations viewed this a need for our nation to bring an awareness to the importance of education.  In 1921 at the NEA Convention in Iowa, it was recommended to designate one week a year to educate the public on what was occurring within our public schools.  The first American Education Week was held in December of that year with the Legion and the NEA co-sponsoring the week.  The following year, the US Department of Education joined as a co-sponsor and the PTA joined in 1938.  There are currently over 10 more additional agencies which pledge their support to this week.

The theme for this year is "Reach.  Educate.  Inspire".  Three little words.  Three amazing things.  Three things that can be difficult to do.  Three tasks that can be overwhelming.

Reach

We are called to reach students of various backgrounds.  Our students vary in race, sex, socio-economic status, IQ, emotional well being, family backgrounds...this list goes on.  How do we reach students who vary so differently...not just from each other but also from us?  It is hard to tell a student "I understand" when so very often we don't.  We can't imagine what it is like for some of our students.  Despite all of this...we do end up reaching students.  We make relationships.  We show we care.

Educate

(Please see the paragraph above as all of that applies here too!)

You mean we have to do this on top of that? THIS is what our job is:  to educate.  But we know that it is SO much more than that.  We have to build relationships, help students find their voice, ensure they feel safe, know what they like...we have to do so many things before we can even begin to do what is considered our job.  We are so much more than educators.  For some students, we may feel like family.  Perhaps that is why we are exhausted.  We are doing so much more than just educating our students.

Inspire

Which of the three is the hardest?  If you do the first two, does this one just follow?  What is the recipe for this one?  As I have typed and retyped my thoughts on this one, I am thinking you have to have a big dose of reach in there to inspire students.  But then I think about when I was in school, it seemed teachers has a secret life we knew nothing about.  I think about all the things we know about our students and what they know about us.  When things are tough for us, our students know.  When things are tough for our students, we know.  I don't remember that as a student.  Was I less inspired by my teachers?  I don't know.  What do you think it takes to inspire?  Is it something that happens when you have all the right pieces in place or is something entirely different?

Is there another profession where we ask so much of people?  Maybe not.  We get the great gift of working with the future of our country.  We need to make sure we are reaching our students...that we are educating them...and that we are inspiring them to be the best they can be.

And remember to do the same for yourself...reach your goals...educate yourself...and inspire yourself to be the best you can be.

Help Me Help You

Last Thursday, I headed to Sioux Falls to the Teacher of the Year banquet.  It was a great evening to wrap up Mrs. Schaefer's year as our state's Teacher of the Year.  It was also a time to acknowledge the great things the teachers in our state are doing.

Mrs. Schaefer spoke, as did Sean Covel.  Sean is a native of the Black Hills (Edgemont, South Dakota) who has gone on to produce some pretty successful movies.  Remember this one?

Mrs. Schaefer talked about teachers needing teachers.  We need to be a community that supports and encourages each other.  When we are stressed or experiencing self-doubt, we need each other.  We need to hear from those in the trenches with us that it is going to be ok.  When we are stumped on how to reach students, it is our colleagues that can offer us help and guidance.  And as Mrs. Schaefer stated, when the fire alarm goes off while you are preparing to head to recess, it is your fellow teachers that help you get your students outside...without their shoes on.

Sean Covel addressed the crowd on a single word and the power it has, especially in our classrooms.  When we get frustrated at a task and think "Can I get those students to do it?", we must add the word "HOW" to the beginning of the question. How can I get them to do it?  What are the possibilities out there waiting for me to untap?  We have to be willing to challenge ourselves and our peers in order to make great things happen.  When we think about all the ways to do something, it gives up hope that it can be done.

The Observe Me project is a way for us to do these very things.  We need to see other teachers in action. We need to hear from other teachers on how they find success.  We need to hear feedback from our peers.  Instead of thinking "Can I do it?" we need to start looking for "How can I do it?".  We need to stretch...we need to help each other...we need to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations in order to improve.  

Keep leaning on each other.  Keep growing with each other.  Keep encouraging each other.

Do as I Say...

As an educator, we have been assigned with the duty to help students develop into life long learners...into productive workers...and into good citizens.

It is a tough job.  There are days when these duties seem to fall solely onto our shoulders.  It is a lot to ask.  For some students, we may the only people in their lives helping them develop those skills.  For others, we may be another voice telling them what they here at home.  What is it that makes students to put into practice what we may be "preaching" to them?

I believe if we have built trust with students, they are more likely to model the behaviors and actions we know will help them find success in this thing call life.  If they truly know we care and we are there to help them, they will take our word to heart and apply them to their lives.

While the trust part is a major piece, I also believe that we have to lead by example.  If we are telling our students to be learners, are we being learners?  If we are telling them to be creative, are we being creative?  If we tell them to take risks, are we taking risks?  If we are telling them to work well with others, are we doing the same?  

Have you ever been to a doctor who is overweight and had them tell you that you need to lose weight?  It is hard to take the advice of someone who is not living what they are asking you to do.  It is hard to see the value in a task a professional puts focus on, if they cannot put that same focus in their life.

Our students need to see us living those behaviors we have been teaching them.  One of those behaviors I thought about this year is reading.  We are always telling our students to read.  No matter the grade, we are taking them to the library.  We are having them check out books.  We are giving them materials to read.  Do they see us read?  Do they see this as important as we make it out to be?

I walked into a classroom this year and a teacher had proclaiming on her wall that "She is a reader!".  Alongside this statement, she had placed a photocopy of the book cover she were reading at the moment.  This teacher was showing her students that something she was asking them to do was something she was doing as well.  What is great is these books are not only professional books or adult reads, but some may be reads that are targeted to her student's specific grade level.

I am a reader.  I read like crazy this summer.  I love coming home to a box from Barnes and Noble and trying to decide with book in the box I will read first.  I will stay up all hours trying to get through a book...even those I have read more than once.  I didn't stop reading when I was done with school.  I still read every day.  I think that passion may have come from experiencing great novels that took me to some pretty fantastic places.

I decided to do what this teacher has done and let our students know that I am reader.  I found this great website which allows me to type in the name of the book I am reading and up pops the covers for the editions of the book.  I select the cover and a little poster is made for me.  I have placed these posters in my office window that faces the library.  If I am going to support our teachers asking students to carry a novel around, I need to let them that I see the value in reading.  I may also be reading the next book they would like to read.  

It is important for our students to see us doing NOT just telling.  Let them know you are reader...a learner...a risk taker.  Why believe someone that this is the path of success if they don't see you living it?  Step back and examine what you are doing.   Don't be a "Do as I say, not as I do" teacher.   Let students see you do those things you tell them are important.

Here is the link to the website I used to make my poster:  http://whatimreading.org/index.html

Are you alive?

We have reached the midpoint of the nine weeks.  How would you say the year is going?

I know the exhaustion of the first weeks of the year is overwhelming.  The adjustment period of getting back into the groove of wearing real shoes and real pants is hard.  There are some days during those first weeks (and those last weeks), that we feel like we are barely hanging on.  

But we made it through.  We are alive.

But are we?

Are you bringing life into your classroom?  Are you getting to know your students?  Are you building relationships?  Are you trying new things?  Are you excited about what you are doing?  Are you excited about what your students are doing?  

Are you alive?

Are you really, truly alive?

Are you making each day count?

Are you smiling each day?

On the worst day, are you thankful for all you have?

Are you taking each day as the chance to do something remarkable?

Are you alive?

Be alive.  Be alive in your classroom.  Be alive with your family.  Be alive for your well being.  Make each day count.

Keeping Rooting For Your Team

Everyone has a favorite team, don't they?  Even if you are not a sports nuts, there is a team you would say is "your team".

Some people pick their team based on where they live.

Some people pick their team based on who they live with.

Some people pick their team based on where they went to school.

And some people throw you for a loop and likes a team no one else likes.

Many sports fans are loyal.  They are fans for life.  No matter how many times their team looses, they root and root for them.  The season is horrible and they get to the point saying they aren't cheering for the team anymore.  But then the new season approaches and they dig out the shirt, put up the flag, and become the team's number one fan again.  They do so because you never know what a new season will hold for your team.  You don't give up because this year could be "the year".  

(Remember the Cubs?  https://theblackboardofeps.blogspot.com/2016/11/goodbye-someday.html)

I was one of those fans.  The Minnesota Twins...who have broke my heart many times and I always go back...traded my favorite player Brian Dozier this summer.  The news came out while we were back to school shopping.  I was bitter.  I was mad.  I was sad.  I went up to random people in Target who were looking at Twins shirts and told them not to buy them.  I looked like a crazy person.  I get that sports teams trade people's favorite players ALL time, but it finally happened to me.  My player was leaving the Twins.  I hurt.  And that hurt did not go away.  My daughter in the following weeks would ask me if I was still mad at the Twins.  And I was.  I didn't watch a game. I have not worn a Twins shirt since July 31st.  I didn't read their tweets.  I skipped over their Instagram stories.   For the first time, I didn't know (or care) if they had won and loss.

But last night something changed.  I was somewhere where I couldn't escape televisions showing the Twins game.  I watched for like five minutes.  I had no idea who some of these new kids were.  I was still hurt.  And then I realized...I have to get over this.  I have to move on.  I cannot carry the yuck I feel for a team that I really do root for.  By carrying that yuck, I may miss out on some really cool moments for the team.  I am missing seeing rookies grow and develop into big league players.  I am missing out on seeing who will be the leader in the clubhouse for the Twins.  I am missing out on baseball.

When someone hurt us, we must get over it.  When we carry yuck, we miss out on a lot!  We miss out on a kiddo taking the lead in the class.  We miss out on seeing them grow.  We miss out on congratulating our peers for successes in their classrooms.  We miss out on some great conversations that can brighten our day.  We are missing out on one of the things that brings us together:  people.  And it is so good to be around people.  What about those kids and people who we followed before the hurt?  Don't they still deserve us to keep cheering them on? (I am sorry Eddie Rosario...I still like you!)  Don't give up on these kids!  Don't give up on each other!

Will you always have a little sting?  Probably.  But don't let that sting become the thing that separates you from seeing and being a part of great things.

I think I took a step in the right direction with the Twins. October baseball, which is some of the best baseball, is coming.  I also have a really comfy and warm Twins sweatshirt I want to wear.  And if I would have not watched last night, I would have missed the replay of this moment from Tuesday night's game:

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/chubby-twins-catcher-gets-love-for-awesome-dash-home/89-593818178

Keep rooting for your team.  

Working For a Living

In our society, we often attach labels, good and bad, to the decisions people make.  This can be from where someone lives, what they drive, how the do their hair.  The list goes on.

We often attached this label to the jobs people have.

Blue collar.  White collar.

Hard work.  Cushy work.

Work beneath me.

At an early age, every job is cool!  There is no kindergarten student embarrassed to say where their parent works or what they do.  Children often want to follow the path their parents have taken in the field of employment at this point.  They are proud of what their parents do.

Then something happens.  All of a sudden certain jobs are not "cool" or looked upon as "meaningless".  Is it tied to money?  Is this why children start attaching those labels?  Do they see what certain jobs can provide financially?  Do they see exactly what each job entails?  Do they hear society talking about these jobs in a negative or positive light?  What happens?

It doesn't end in elementary school.  When students are making the decision on what to do after high school judgement is cast.  Some times by peers, other times by society.  There is still a perception that going to a two year technical institute is "less than".  Students who choose not to go to a post secondary route and enter the job force right away are often looked down upon.  Why is that?  We need people to enter these jobs right away.

There was a school did a great thing.  There are always big ceremonies for high school athletes signing contracts to play sports at colleges.  They did it for students heading right to jobs:

https://www.mnn.com/money/green-workplace/stories/signing-day-recognizes-high-school-seniors-starting-jobs-not-college

I have thought about this topic again as it was in the news about a former television actor and the career path he has chosen since he stepped away from the camera.

Geoffery Owens was on "The Cosby Show".  He played Elvin, a son-in-law, from 1985 until 1992.  Since that time, he has done some acting.  It is not those jobs that have put him back in the news.

Someone posted pictures on-line of Owens working at Trader Joe's as a checker.

And no...this was not for a role. It is his job.

The comments that have come from this fall into the idea that this is a "bad job".  There were comments how this was "a fall from grace".  People stated it was sad he was bagging groceries.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/04/entertainment/geoffrey-owens-interview/index.html

Makes me wonder:  how does that make people who work that job feel?  People who love their job at Trader Joe's.  People who face each day with more enthusiasm and zeal than someone working a job where they make six figures.  

White collar or blue collar.  All jobs should give a person a sense of satisfaction.  All jobs are necessary for this country to keep moving.  All jobs are important.  We need people to drive the bus, bag the groceries, milk the cows...just as much as we need people to heal the sick, design the house, teach to the next generation.

We need to remember this when talking to our students.  Whether they chose to go to a four year college, two year college, or right to the work force, what they are doing matters.  As a state, we have stepped away from saying making students "college ready".  It is our goal to make students "career ready".

Enjoy what you do...no matter what that job is.

What Kind of Player Are You?

Senator John McCain passed away this weekend after an 18 month battle with brain cancer.  As I read posts of condolences on social media and viewed interviews, it is evident this was a remarkable man.  Whether you agreed with his politics or not, you have to acknowledge this man was dealt a hand in the game of life that he played amazingly.

John McCain was the son and grandson of four star Navy admirals.  Many people would look at that being dealt a royal flush in life.  It could have been the card he played when he entered the Naval Academy.  But he didn't.  In fact, he graduated 894th out 899th cadets.  Fifth from the bottom.  He didn't try to cheat the game.  He accepted the fact that despite being a very smart man, he probably didn't play the game to the best of his ability.

After leaving the academy, he began his training as a naval aviator.  He was sometimes considered reckless and not the best pilot.  He knew to succeed in the game, he need to practice.  He needed to focus.  He knew he needed to be a good teammate to those in his company.  While serving on the USS Forrestal, there was a huge fire and explosion.  McCain escaped with injuries after trying to help save another pilot and losing 134 of his teammates.

McCain hit the news again after he was captured in Vietnam as a prisoner of war.  His plane was shot down, breaking both arms and a leg.  He was dragged from a lake and sent to a POW camp in Hanoi.  He was given medical care only when it was found out that his father was a admiral.  The care was poor and after returning to a camp, he was place in solitary confinement for TWO years.  It was during this time his father was made Commander of all forces in the Vietnam theater.  Due to this the North Vietnamese were ready to let him go.  What a big change in the game for him!  It was like drawing a "wild" card in Uno.  Did he play it?  No.  He stated if he should be release then all prisoners should be released.  This move in the game caused him to undergo serve hourly beatings. (Due to these beatings and poor care, he was permanently incapable of raising his arms above his head.  While in office, he spoke out against torturing POWs.  He could have very easily played the game of "you did it to me...I'll do it to you".  He did not.)  He was a POW for over five years.  Five years of playing a game you had no control over.  Playing a game he did not want to play.

After coming home, McCain entered the game of politics.  What a game that is!  You hear so much about people cheating at the game.  People don't always play fair or follow the rules.  People try to bend the rules in their favor, not always thinking about the other players in the game.

Was this a political post?  No.  What it was is an example of how at times the cards you are dealt stink.  You have two choices.  You can play the game or you can quit.  But if you chose to play, you have to play all in and play the game right.  There were many times when things were tough and the game for McCain could have been changed by him bending the rules or not thinking of his teammates.  He played the game with the hand he was dealt.

Go back to the little piece of paper I gave you on the first day:

"Life is a game of cards.  You did not invent the game...nor did you frame the rules.  You have no control over the cards dealt to you.  But you are there to play.  A good player, even with a bad hand of cards, will play well and emerge a winner.  A bad player, even with the best of cards will play badly and lose.  How are you playing?"

How are you playing?

"It is your character, and your character alone, that will make your life happy or unhappy.  That is all that really passes for destiny.  And you choose it.  No one else can give it to you or deny it to you.  No rival can steal if from you  And no friend can give it to you.  Others can encourage you to make the right choices or discourage you.  But you choose." -John McCain

Are You in the Game?

Tired.

So tired.

I don't think there is any amount of sleep training that can prepare you for how exhausted the first week back is.

I know you are tired.  I know these five days have seemed to take a long time.  I told the story that I woke up on Tuesday SURE it was Thursday or Friday because of how tired I felt.  I know your feet are probably hurting from wearing real shoes.  I know that wearing pants with a zipper and snap are an adjustment after yoga pants and shorts all summer.

But let me ask you this:

Are you in the game?

Are you playing?

Are you putting your all in?

Are you adjusting your game based on the players in your room?

Are you coming to school happy?

Are you being a good teammate?

Are you having fun?

I am hoping you can answer yes to those questions after this week.  I hope that five...six...twenty weeks down the road you can answer yes.  Don't loose the commitment you put forth this first week.  Keeping that attitude, those expectations, and that enthusiasm will ensure your room doesn't turn into "The Hunger Games" a few weeks down the road.  

Keep playing the game!

Be Kind This Year

It pains me to let you know that break is over.  The time to recharge your batteries, to enjoy the outdoors, and to do what ever you want has come to end.  

I spent the summer coming to work, camping, reading, and going to the movies.  While "The Incredibles II" was amazing, perhaps the best movie I saw this year was a documentary.

The message was powerful.  The message was simple.  

Be kind.  Do all things with kindness.  Let people know they matter.

I think these are three simple rules that we can apply to our school year.

Be kind.  

Be kind to those around you...whether they are your co-workers or your students.  Some times we have to lead with our heart.  We have to know our students.  We have to know that many are coming with big baggage.  We have to be understanding.  I am not saying be a pushover (and I don't think that Mr. Rogers would say that either).  Be the person a kid or staff member can come to when things get rough and they need support or have questions.

Do all things with kindness.

It is hard to be good all the time.  It is hard to be nice all the time.  But it does make a difference in your heart and the heart of others.  Sometimes sugar attracts more flies than vinegar.

Let people know they matter.

We may be the only adults some of our kids see for the majority of their day.  Some may not see a parent.  We have to let them know we are happy they are here.  We have to let them know that we want them to grow.  We have to let them know that even when they mess up, we still care.  

We are a team in a world that is filled with anger and doubt...a scary place to be an adult in.  Can you imagine it as a child?  Mr. Rogers built a following that continues to this day by following these simple principles.  How great would it be to be remember the same way he was?  There were numerous people, including myself, crying during this movie.  We remember a man who loved everyone and for many was the first example of genuine good and kindness they were exposed to as children.  Work on being remembered as a doer of good...a doer of kindness...a doer of what is right for our children. 

"Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person.  There have been so many stories about the lack of courtesy, the impatience of toady's world. Road rage and even restaurant rage.  Sometimes, all it takes is one kind word to nourish another person.  Think of the ripple effect that can be created when we nourish someone.  One kind empathetic words has a wonderful way of turning into many." -Fred Rogers

Have a fantastic school year!

PS:  Mr. Rogers must be good.  I have blogged about him before:  https://theblackboardofeps.blogspot.com/2014/03/its-such-good-feeling.html)

Teach You I Shall

It is May 4th...

It is Star Wars Day. 

The story of Star Wars is one of good versus evil.  There are heroes.  There are villains.  There are those heroes that become villains and then have that internal conflict on who they should be.

Star Wars has been a part of our culture for over 40 years.  It stays relevant.  It stays fresh.  It continues to draw in fans.  True that some of those fans are made because their parents are fans, but many of those little fans stay fans.  What is great to see is the new fans love the new characters like BB8, Rey, and Kylo Ren, but they also love and respect the oldies like Luke, Leia, and Hans.

What does this have to do with teaching?  We have talked about superheroes all year.  There are times we feel invincible, but then there are those times when self doubt and the dark side begin to call us.  We experience doubt and negativity.  We begin to think of how easy it would be to just stay in that dark place rather than give more.  When we experience the Force, it does great things.  We see wonderment in the eyes of our students, our peers, and sometimes even ourselves.  We work to become Jedi Masters, looking for the Force in our students.  We find ourselves hoping for one student to embrace it and use it for good.

We need to also think like George Lucas when we teach.  We have to stay relevant.  We sometimes have to look at different resources for ideas and inspiration.  Granted we won't be able to sell our idea for over $4 billion to Disney, but by having a new set of eyes look at our great idea, we can stay on top of our game.  We can begin incorporating these new ideas into a skill set we have mastered.  The oldies are good.  We love the oldies, but there are times when the story line on an oldie has run out.  They need to be replaced.  It is hard.  But it can often lead to a new star or strengthen a supporting idea. (I am not saying that what happened to Hans Solo was right.  I am still upset about it.  But I know it is an important piece the the future story.)

Go forward.  Look for new ideas.  Learn from the Masters.  Train yourself to use the Force for good.  

https://www.weareteachers.com/teachers-may-the-fourth-be-with-you/

As always...May the Force be with you.

 

The Final Countdown

Are you ready to close the page on this school year?

To be honest with you...this has been one of the toughest years I have had personally and professionally.  It seemed like when my attention was drawn to one, the other area exploded.  I was unable to to find a good balance this year.  The stresses from one area started to bleed into the other area thus causes stresses there.  I just couldn't find the balance this year.  I cried more tears, questioned my actions and myself, and asked "why?" more times this year than I have any other year.  

So...I would say it is fair to say I am ready to close the book.

But I try to be a reflective person.  Was it all bad?  Was there nothing good that happened?  

You know what?  It wasn't all bad.  There were lots of good things that happened.  And those bad things that happened?  In the moment, I didn't think I could walk away with anything positive from those situations.  But I did learn many things.

While my heart drives personal situations, my heart budges into professional situations too many times.  In the moment I would think of that as a weakness.  It makes tough situations at school tougher.  It makes hearing bad things about myself and our school tougher.  But I learned that putting my heart into my professional life makes me a better educator.  I have a better pulse on the emotions people feel.  I allow people to see my human nature.  I end up seeing beyond black and white in situations and understanding some of our students are living in tough situations.  My heart allows me to see that some of our students are here to learn and some of our students are here to be loved.  Education is not located anywhere on Maslow's pyramid for them.  What can we do for them to make their time with us the best it can be?  What can we do to help them see school as something valuable?

I learned that trying new things is great...even if they fail.  Those new things teach you perseverance.  Those new things teach to see things from a different perspective.  When they fail, they teach you to get back up and try again.  If you want to succeed, you have to be willing to fail.  You have to take risks sometimes.  You have to think outside the box.  You have to be willing to throw it all out the window and start at square one again.

I learned we all have inside of us what it takes to be great.  It often requires a lot of work on our part to do so, but the light is there in all of us to better.  Whether it is doing something better in our classroom, something to better our health, or even something to better our neighbor...it is within all of us.  We have to be willing to ask for help sometimes to find this greatness.  Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.  It is a sign we understand we all have limits and our fellow man is there to help us in times of need.

I learned that no matter how bad the year seemed, we made a difference.  Everyday that we came here and did what our heart and head guided us to do, we made a difference.

I thank you for the journey we have taken this year.  My experiences with you have helped me to say that even though 2017-2018 was tough, the lessons I learned were plentiful and meaningful.  

The Dog Ate My Homework

Remember when missing homework was blamed on the dog?  The family dog took a his/hers good share of blame for being the reason homework wasn't returned to school.  While in the beginning it was creative, it slowly lost it shine when it became the thing EVERY kid said.

We are living in an age when technology drives so much.  It drives how we communicate, socialize, buy, and even drive.  I can start my car with my phone...from anywhere.  Technology has shaped our culture and has begun to shape students and their learning.

I don't believe there is a student sitting in our building at the moment who won't take a class on-line.  They will have high school or college classes that are presented in various formats but all that will call for some type of on-line submission.  It could be discussion boards, content on-line, or turning in assignments on-line.

With this new means, brings a WHOLE new set of excuses for why homework is not done.  I spent time on Wednesday and Thursday in the halls listening to some of these excuses.  

You know what?

I don't buy them.

I don't believe that you submitted it and then it went away.  I don't believe that you sent it but they never got it.  I don't believe that your computer was locked up all weekend.  I don't believe that you don't have access to Internet so you couldn't do research, but you could play FortNite all evening on a phone that is more powerful than the computer we had in this building when I went to school. 

I'll give points for creativity and for thinking fast on their feet.  But like the generation before them, I think students are covering a simple fact.  They just didn't do it.  Wouldn't it be grand if a student said, "You know why I don't have it done?  I didn't do it.  I stayed up all night and watched season 4 of "The Office".  That was way more interesting than this."?

Here is a blog about some great excuses students have presented for not getting their homework done in the age of technology.

Happy Friday!

https://www.weareteachers.com/funny-homework-excuses/

March Madness

It is March Madness time.  The time when the country focuses on brackets.  64 teams pitted against each other in a format where anything can happen.  Horizontal lines with the name of school written on it, connected by a small vertical line to another horizontal line with the name of a school.  Each school is given a number and that number determines the horizontal line your name is placed on.  All of these are connected to each other.  The number of lines gets smaller and smaller as we go out until there is only one name left.

Brackets were busting all over the land this weekend.  Projected winners were losing to schools no one had heard of.  The defending champions lost to a school that isn't considered a basketball school.  The overall number one seed lost to an 16 seed.  And we are talking about a school NO ONE knew.  UMBC Retrievers beat the University of Virginia Cavaliers. UMBC were more than underdogs.  They had lost a game this season by 44 points.  They won their conference and a bid to the Big Dance with a buzzer beater to a team they had lost to 23 times in a row.  But they went out to their first game of the tourney and beat the number one seed by 20 points.

Wow.

How many people when filling out their bracket gave UMBC a second look?  A 16 seed had never beaten a number one seed before, much less the OVERALL number one seed.  I am sure everyone wrote Virginia on that horizontal line.  Even the experts who probably didn't know anything about UMBC wrote them off.  When everyone around them was saying "No way!", this little basketball team was saying, "What is the way?  How can we beat these guys?  How can we prove everyone wrong?"  

When the chips seem down and you feel like the 16 seed, remember this:  there is always good to do. There is always a chance things will go right.  There is a chance that something exciting and wondrous can come from what may look like an overwhelming task.  There is a chance that your efforts could make you the next sweetheart of the education world.

There is no task too great for you.

Go for the win.

Bust that bracket.

Here is a little more on UMBC:  http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22829177/ncaa-tournament-umbc-brief-unforgettable-moment-spotlight-comes-end

Doing Good

Teachers are known to be a profession of caring people.  We are asked to do a lot of different jobs and many of them require us to provide care and support.  We are often the first to volunteer to help.  

Wouldn't it be great if the whole world was like that?

What we see isn't anything like that.  The news shows us hurting one another.  We often see images of people walking away from helping their fellow man.  We see finger pointing, but not often a lot helpers on the news.

But when we do see people helping...it is glorious.  It reminds us of the good that is still out there.

Last week was the 50th anniversary of Fred Rogers' first "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" episode airing on PBS (and tomorrow is the 15th anniversary of his death).  Articles and snippets last week talked about the ground breaking things Mr. Rogers did on TV and how he touched so many children.  He was a giver.  He was a care taker.  He sprang into action when our country needed him.

(I wrote a blog a few years ago about Mr. Rogers...here is the link to that: https://theblackboardofeps.blogspot.com/2014/03/)

There are definitely days when we feel like we could use some of that good.  He taught us to be good...to do good...to spread good...

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-mr-rogers-rollins-tour-anniversary-scott-maxwell-20180220-story.html

This weekend I saw good in action.  While it is not a positive story with a happy outcome, I was witness to people who did not know each other, who had no connection to a family, do good.  You see...my little family and I went on a "staycation" this weekend.  Khloe had drawn a map of what she was going to do when we went to the pool, what time we were getting up, and where we were eating.  As we were enjoying our time together, we saw strangers spring into action to do good when needed.  I watched parents talk to their kids.  I watched families pray.  I watched people, including my husband, use training they had to try to do good.  I watched people come together.  It was heart breaking, yet beautiful all at the same time.

During this event and after, I used the words of Fred Rogers.  I said, "See all the helpers?  There are lots of helpers.  They are doing good."  

You are a community of helpers.  You are teachers, nose wipers, part time parents, entertainers, menders, tutors, mentors, referees, confidants.  All of these are overwhelming...but they allow us to do good in our schools.

You are doing good in our school.

In the above clip, I loved the statement Mr. Rogers makes about looking for the helpers lets you know that there is hope.  Seeing what I saw this weekend and what I see what you give to our kiddos,  I know that there is hope.