#inspirED365 Chapter 3

                                                    
                     "It is not down in any map; true places never are."-Herman Melville

For several weeks I've been lost...lost in a mountain of kleenex, a pile of medicinal measuring cups, convoluted pathways of blankets and pillows and pajamas.  Temporarily comatose and binge-watching episodes of our favorite shows, I began to accept my condition.  But sitting in the mess of it for days made me realize that I had to find my way out.

 Illness lingers and it runs it's course and you emerge from it a little dazed, but ready to be in the sun, to breathe in the fresh air, to traverse the avenues before you. And sometimes...you emerge realizing that it's time to walk a new road.  You are ready for adventure, ready for new views, and new experiences.  My "lost" found me searching for my true north.  I attempted to plan it out under the cover of those strewn blankets.  So I searched road maps for all the routes available, then set the coordinates and dropped pins; I was here, and now I want to go there, and there, and over there.  I've never taken these roads before---and I don't really know the shortcuts (although the many infomercials I watched while I was lost tried to convince me they exist).  I began to strategize and make plans, and when I walked out into the open, I found that...just like the illness...this new journey had to run it's course, and take strange turns, and I'd be met with obstacles.  I was still "here", and "there" was going to take awhile to get to.  Was there even a map I could follow?  Probably not.  Knowing true north was how I would navigate.

And what do you do while you're navigating?  Stick to your true north.  Whatever steps you take, no matter how small, should reflect your direction.  Should you stray, and get off-course, remember that all you need to do is refocus, and work your way 'round to face north again.  Then walk, choose, speak, ask, pray, try, value, envision... & align yourself with others who are navigating their way to their own true north.  You'll get there.  So will I.

#InspirED365 Chapter 2

                                                           
January 8, 2017

I sat at the end of a long table looking at the faces that might change the next few years of my life; the famous "panel interview" for the hugely sought-after teaching position I desperately wanted.  The question was posed, "What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?"  The words popped out of my mouth before I fully knew what I was saying.  A long-desired activity, that I'd only minimally explored, bubbled to the surface as my answer.  It surprised me!  And it made me think about why I haven't taken the time to engage in it.  Would I really do it in 5 years' time?

After landing the position and recognizing the risk-taking, leap-of-faith tendencies I have, I decided to enroll in a class that first year.  I wasn't going to let the 5-year deadline come to a close without making good on my answer to that question!  Thus, I began a journey.  That journey has now had several detours, and 3 years later I'm circling around again because I feel like I didn't truly finish my challenge.

And it's scary.  It makes me feel vulnerable.  But I HAVE to keep going because, in the end, I want to be able to say, "I did it.", "I tried it.", "I explored that unknown place and I wouldn't change a thing about it...I'm so glad I did it!".

This is EXACTLY the kind of confidence that I want to build in students.  If I can't do it myself, how do I encourage them to do it?  Moving forward, with fear, and walking out the other side with more wisdom, more courage, more exhilaration, and an ability to see yourself and your life through a different lens...ALL WORTH IT.

What about you?  What scares you and draws you in at the same time?  What have you wanted to do that you haven't tried, yet?  Five years from now, will you be able to look back and say "I DID IT"?

                                        

Cheers! Congrats! And Much Love to You!

#InspirED365 - Chapter 1

January 2, 2016
Today is the day before we go back to school.  I'm contemplating the many days and weeks ahead as I venture into a new year.  The intentions and resolutions, the new habits, the known & the unknown events that will shape 2017.  Being both an optimist and a pessimist (a realist??) this beginning gives me the opportunity to view the next 365 days through many lenses.  The pessimist and the optimist work together to move me forward.  Each day, each hour, each minute requires purposeful decision-making to either conjure up the positive or give-in to the negative.  Both eventually push me in particular directions and I am called to action.  However, they can also work against one another, keeping me paralyzed for longer than I like.  So, one of the New Year's Resolutions I've always wanted to pursue is "One Word for One Year".  You can apply this liberally or narrowly.  One word that encompasses all of your life, or different "one-words" for the multifaceted life you have: one for work, one for health, one for family, etc.  This one word is the banner you fly, the mission you uphold, the scale by which you measure your thoughts and choices.  In order to pursue this word and transform your life, your thoughts and actions must support this word.

I need this word!  I have been at a crossroads for several years now.  Professionally, I see myself effecting change outside of the classroom.  Personally, I have goals that get put on the back-burner month after month.  The list I have to check-off is too long.  But what if I lived life, getting up daily and making choices, going to work and interacting with students and colleagues, connecting with my PLN, "doing life" with my family... that all led back to one word?  Rather than conjuring up activities to fit the word, what if the word was applied to my activities, instead? When I open the refrigerator to grab that snack, or before hitting the snooze button in the morning, I ask myself, "Is this supporting _{one word} ?".  When I receive unwanted news, or work to accomplish, I ask "How might _{one word}   influence my reaction to this?".  When faced with opportunities to network with others, or partner in ways that might change the trajectory of my career I ask "How does this fit with _{one word} ?".  Imagine the different choices that might be made based on the answer to these questions!

They key, they say, is to "get it in writing".  How do I support the word and make it a daily part of my life?  How do I not let that word get lost and fade into the chaos?  Journaling, blogging, vlogging, sharing the journey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram...all ways to get it in writing, get it out in front, keep it alive.  Literally making a banner (I seriously have a ton of them from an Amazon order that went awry!), posting sticky notes in the bathroom- the car -the kitchen, adding a banner to your desktop or your phone, engraving a bracelet with the {one word} and wearing it every day.

Ultimately, it is about reflecting on that word, your actions, your thoughts and feelings, your daily/weekly/sometimes hourly choices...reflecting, assessing, renewing, and celebrating your perseverance.  You lose sight of the word, and the forward-moving work you want to accomplish, when you stop- or quit- this reflection piece.  Making mistakes is part of the process, but making mistakes is not the end.... though, this is a topic for another chapter!

So, what's MY one word?  What's YOUR one word?  It may pop into your head immediately, or it may take some reflection and deep thought to come to the word that encompasses what you are striving for in your life.  Some resources I've found below might help us come to that one word, and help us keep, protect, and rock it!

Cheers! Congrats! and Much Love to you!

Ready, set....GO!

http://www.elizabethrider.com/word-of-the-year/
http://oneword365.com/
http://myoneword.org/
http://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2016/12/little-happier-one-word-theme-new-year/
http://www.myintent.org/

What's Your Vision?

A mission statement for education is the justification of the existence of schools in general.  Long ago it was decided that states would provide it’s citizens with accessible education.  A country where children and young adults were educated seemed to provide a better society for all.  Basic skills were needed for an ever-changing world.  Jobs outside the family farm, outside the small self-contained town, outside the factory, were emerging-- and there needed to be people to fill the positions.  Education has long been established as a necessary part of a fully functioning society.

Over the last 30 years, maybe, the question as to HOW that education is provided has been questioned.  Some have opted for private schools, parochial schools, homeschooling, charter schools, etc.  But the fact that education is important  and enriching hasn’t changed.  How students are educated has been challenged, and new ideas abound.

The public school system originated from the idea that a fully functioning society is an educated society.  With new ideas and technology and access to information…the face of education has begun to change.  So, public education tries to keep up with the changes.  People have more options than ever when seeking to be educated.  Most citizens choose to have their children educated in public schools, but more options are invented and proposed all the time.

The question, then, is not “What is our mission statement?”…we’ve established already that educating children is the purpose of public education.  With all of the options out there, what does public education have to offer that exceeds the benefits of the other options?  Maybe a myriad of things.  What are they?  How do we access them?  Is it all based on money…how much is budgeted to us?  What can be done that provides the same benefits in less time?  With less money?  The questions are endless.  Most of those questions need to be pondered by each district and school board that exists.

This is the big picture.

When we finally reach one school in one district, the question we may want to ask, instead, is “What is the vision for our school?  Our students?  Our teachers and staff?”.  When we walk on campus each day, what do we want to provide, create, support, and expect?  What do we expect from ourselves?  One another? Our administrator?  What do we expect from the parents of the students, and the students themselves?  Once those questions are answered, there’s one more:  HOW will we accomplish these things…these visions…this “mission statement”?  It’s great to have a statement of what you think or believe, but a statement without actions to support it is useless.  There are lots of philosophies, lots of mantras from the world of cognitive therapy, too (“take it one day at a time”, “two negatives don’t make a positive”, “happiness is a choice”…), but if all you have are the words, and no skills to actually put into practice to support those words….all you have are the words.

If a plant is producing objectionable fruit…drooping….drying out….or developing growths that severely affect it’s purpose,  you don’t put it in a shiny, colorful pot, drag it to a different corner of the room, stick a bow on it and call it good.  You find the “root” of the problem, so to speak, and you investigate ways to bring the plant back to optimal health.

So, how might you contribute to the vision where you are?  Is there an action plan that can guide your school?  You might try Design Thinking and the Design Process.  If you find yourself in an environment that is toxic, negative, and not nurturing growth for the students or the staff, it’s time to create a new path.

For more information on Using the Design Process for Problem-Solving:

http://bit.ly/1qx7And

Interaction with Mentor Text for Close Reading

Interaction with Mentor Text for Close Reading

(Just one girl's opinion...)

Authentic

Standardized

How might we inspire students to look at text through a variety of lenses?  

 

Close Reading provides students with a deeper interaction with fiction and non-fiction text.  Students can analyze content, learn conventions of language, and explore writing strategies.  Is a standardized method the way to achieve this depth?  Can close reading strategies be infused with a broader discussion of a text, or through a student's authentic response to mentor text? Allowing students to interact with words in unique and creative ways, personalized by what stands out to them, authentically reflecting their thoughts, has a powerful effect on their development of analysis...AND their lifelong pursuit of learning.