January 22, 2016

If It's On The Calendar, It Happens

I've been reading 'Better Than Before - Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives' by Gretchen Rubin. I was listening to one of her Podcasts from her book and was intrigued. Next step - cue that book up from the library! I like this kind of book - I can read a chapter here and there and in no particular sequence.

Lately, I've been monitoring my goals both personally and professionally (there's another chapter about monitoring which is really good!) and have a surprising number of areas that have been sorely neglected.  Some of them are such great ideas...why can't I move them into action? This book has really helped me identify the barriers that have prevented these ideas from becoming actions. Just naming some of these simple strategies has raised my awareness and has me really thinking!

The strategies in this book are so familiar that we take doing them for granted - but they're invaluable.
 One of those is the strategy of scheduling. One reason I think we have been so successful with our school-wide rituals is that we schedule them. We drum the first day of each week. We start each day with Morning Meeting. We end each day with Closing Circle. How easy these would get away from us if we were not intentionally carving out time in daily and weekly schedules to ensure they happen!

Are there some other things you value that 'slip away' from you? Do you wish you did a teambuilding exercise every couple of weeks with your Crew? Do you desire to observe another teacher? Do you need some planning time? Do you need some help from a colleague? Do you need to finish documenting a Learning Expedition or document the revision you want to hang on to for the future? Do you want to increase your progress monitoring of students? Do you want a routinely scheduled sample of student writing? Do you want to increase your parent communication? I wonder how putting this down on your calendar, building it into your routine, might make it happen?

Calendar:

January 21 - 25th:

Monday:
5th Grade Winter Voyage
Deborah out of the building

Tuesday:
* RTI 7:30 a.m.
Deborah out of the building

Wednesday:
The Beat
PD: 1:30 Library
     *Kim presents her learning on Financial Literacy
     *Instructional protocol study

Thursday:
5th grade Day of Rest
Student Work Dialogue with Tammy and Austin - rotate during plan times


February 1 - 5th:

Tuesday:
RTI meeting 7:30 a.m.

Wednesday:
PD 1:30 Library
     *Diana features guest from Follett sharing 'Lightbox' (tool for teachers)
     *Instructional protocols study

Thursday:
Deborah out of the building - admin mtg.

Friday:
Vision and Hearing Screening

Have a wonderful weekend!

Deborah

Friday, January 8, 2016

Hummingbirds

Over the break I indulged - okay I binged -in watching a series of videos via Oprah's Super Soul Sunday series. There was one in particular that I just can't stop thinking about -Elizabeth Gilbert: Flight of the HummingbirdThe Curiosity Driven Life

I couldn't figure out how to embed the video, so provided you with a link if you'd like to watch it yourself. It's definitely worth a viewing!

What really spoke to me in this presentation was that Elizabeth Gilbert challenged my thinking. She challenged a belief that I have held forever- follow your passion. A listener contacted Elizabeth Gilbert and shared that after hearing Elizabeth speak about the importance of following our passion, that she felt like an utter failure. This listener had been in search of her passion all her life and still hadn't found it. This response made Elizabeth pause and reconsider. And I can't stop thinking about it.

For some of us, our passion comes to us so easily. But maybe it's not the same for everyone? Maybe what really matters is that we are curious and we explore our curiosities? 

Elizabeth went on to describe that there are likely two types of people - those that are consumed by their passions like a 'jackhammer' - drilling and pounding away with intensity. And others, others are more like hummingbirds. Curious about this and then that. Flitting from one thing for a time and then on to something else. Is one a better way than another? 

That got me thinking about people in my life. My oldest daughter, Morgan, had me for her model - a mother always intense and jackhammering away. So off she went to find her passion to do the same - after all, this was key - as I had trained her - in living a fulfilling and happy life. I watched her go from one thing to another, enjoying them for awhile and then the interest faded. Hmmm. What was she doing wrong? What was I doing wrong that I couldn't help her find her passion? I watched her over many years chasing everything that made her curious, tasting different experiences and moving on.

This presentation literally stopped me. I stopped the video, listened again and again. Of my gosh...she's a hummingbird! This is exactly right for her! I wonder, does she - like Elizabeth's viewer, also feel like she's failing?

My thoughts then drifted to our students. We talk all the time about designing units of study around things that our students are passionate about. I know there have been times we've done this and then been baffled that the study dies out. How can that be if this is their passion? We have students who don't seem to have a particular passion and we don't know what to do about that. Have we ever considered designing units for our hummingbirds?

Then my thoughts went to some research I studied awhile back (my thoughts do lots of jumping!). This research stated that elementary students are much more wired for the hummingbird approach. That the 'deep dives' often don't retain the attention and curiosity of our students. Wait! Forever we've been told that a mile deep is so much better than a mile wide! This is saying the opposite! 

So, now I'm left just wondering. I thrive on having different perspectives push my thinking. I think all of it is right. I think it's okay when the interest wains to just be done and move on. I think it's okay to go deeply into a study and I think it's okay to approach some studies like a hummingbird.

Ask me what I think in a week. I might be thinking differently.

What do you think?

Calendar:

January 11 - 15:

Tuesday, Jan. 12th:

RTI 7:30 a.m

Wednesday, Jan. 13th:

The Beat

1:30 PD: Leadership Team Meeting/Collaborative Planning

Thursday, Jan. 14th:

Deborah out of the building for PK12 admin. meeting

Friday, Jan. 15th: 

No Students - Professional Development Day 

(agenda coming after Leadership Team Meeting)

January 18 - 22:

Monday, Jan. 18th: No School

Tuesday, Jan. 19th:

RTI 7:30 a.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 20th:

Cup Stacking Tournament 9 - 10 a.m.

PD: To be announced

Thursday, Jan. 21st:

Deborah out of the building elementary admin meeting

Have a great weekend!

Deborah

I saw this on Facebook and got a good chuckle from it...