January 10, 2014

What's your song?

This morning, after 8 hours of restful sleep, I could hardly drag myself out of bed. Nothing was wrong. I wasn't worried about anything. Moving to the shower felt like walking through mud. 
For reasons unknown to me, a vision of Mr. Rodgers flashed into my head - so comforting with his sweater and sweet face and then he began to sing to me. "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...." Yeah, feeling it now.
As I showered I reflected on how much easier it is for me to exercise if I have some good rockin' music. I thought about the roll of music in my moods. I remembered a friend who use to drive around the parking lot until the song she was listening to on tape came to a 'high point' so that she could stop the car right there.
We can influence our mood in many ways - music is just one way. When we find ourselves squashed by the blues we resist and push away any of the suggestions that might help to move us forward. I challenge you to see, if selecting some of your favorite tunes that put a spring in your step, might be just what you need to be listening to in the morning. It was pretty evident to me this week that I wasn't alone in feeling a bit sluggish.
I wonder how it might impact Morning Meeting to spend some time singing? Time to learn some new songs? Have kids research some songs to learn? Dance a little?

What song's/artists put a spring in your step? Please share!

Calendar:

January 13 -17th:
Tuesday:
* RTI meeting 7:30 a.m.
* REA meeting 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday:
* All School Meeting
* followed by Spelling Bee
*Professional Development 1:30 Library - CITE Standard 2

Friday:
No Students
*District PLC day

January 20 - 24th:
Monday:
No School

Tuesday:
*NO RTI meeting

Wednesday:
* Choir Performance 9:15 a.m.- 10:15 a.m.
* Professional Development 1:30 Library - CITE Standard 3

Friday:
*Choir Musical Evening

Analyzing how we do things well

Together we analyzed how it is that we've become so 

effective at culture school-wide. Here's what we discovered:

We...

* have created rituals that we all participate in.

* have shared language to talk about our culture.

* do it as a staff. We model it in everything we do.

* train new teachers first thing.

* are very intentional about creating culture.

* are consistent.

* have a firm expectation and the expectation doesn't change.

* have professional development to learn those practices that create culture.

* have a shared value and philosophy about the kind of culture we created.

* recognize the relevancy of learning to create culture and maintain it.

* do all of this school-wide.

Great stuff! Keep thinking how we can use this list to become stronger and more effective collectively on Outcomes, Assessment and Instruction.

 Continue to grapple with this! We are on to something really good here!

Some Deeper Clarity...

Today at my administrator's meeting I got some clarity on some things I've wondered about...
The 4C's are broken out separately from the 21st Century skills because the 4C's are part of the district end statements and there is an expectation that we are always using the 4C's in our outcomes, all the time. (Not necessarily all 4 at a time). The 21st Century Skills should be included when they are a natural, integrated fit. 
Hmmm...okay, that makes sense to me now.

I also did some checking on how we are suppose to assess the 21st Century Skills. Presently, there are some rubric's being created that will soon be available for us to use, much like the rubric's that were created for the 4C's. That will be helpful! At least with the rubric's coming, we'll all have a clearer understanding of the expectations and thus, a clearer understanding of how to include them as outcomes.

In addition, presented today (though it wasn't their focus but I thought it was really good) were some indicators to use in determining whether your outcomes are World Class. Think of them as filters you might run your outcomes through.

World Class Outcomes are:
* Global
* Transferrable
* Sustainable
* Authentic
* written with higher level Blooms
(most of these look familiar from the mantra I'm always spouting - they are the same really, just condensed.)

Remember - the content (Colorado State Standards) are the vehicle to do the higher level thinking.


Not from the meeting but me attempting to help push us closer to more clarity around this shift in OUR thinking as we approach teaching:

What about learning progressions and the fact that a first grader needs to learn to write? How do you make learning how words work (skill) into a World Class Outcome? (This could also be more than skill and spread into problem solving, which is a 21st Century skill!)
Learning to write so that we can communicate our thoughts and ideas is the World Class Outcome. We make sure kids know that this the target...then we teach them to write - all the while talking about how writing is one way to communicate our thoughts and ideas so we need to learn how to do it! (Kind of make sense?)

Think big- wide; think purpose... and then zoom in to the learning progression of your students...zoom back out to purpose....zoom in....


Whew...after all that it's time for another music break to put a smile in my heart...
How about a little Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer ...we're half way there. (How appropriate)

I don't want to preach - but I do want everyone to pick something from the list below because winter is in full force. As the days get shorter and nights get colder, even the best of us can get a little down. Luckily, there's a lot you can do to both prevent the blues from coming on and get yourself back to normal if you're already here.
Drink 1 to 2 liters of fresh water. Do this every day.

Get out of the house: go for a walk, go to a restaurant, go out with friends even if you don't feel like it.


Join a sport: there are many sports teams you can join out of school. You can start in such places such as the YMCA.

Join a gym or workout at home: getting into shape or pumping iron can really boost your confidence level.

If you just don't feel like doing anything, listen to music, something that inspires you and gives you motivation.


Make sure you eat properly: When you're depressed, you're likely not eating right (either too much or too little). Change your diet and eat more vegetables and fruits, remember you are what you eat.

Join a club: If you are in high school, join a community service club, helping others gives you a sense of accomplishment and happiness

If you are not the sporty type or helping type: Practice something and become really good at it, such as music or art. Playing music can sometimes really let your emotions out to the world, and make sure you play with friends too. Also, sometimes video game stores host tournaments on card games and Nintendo games, just join and compete in order to test your skills with other people who share your interests.

Say a few prayers if you are religious, they will help you feel more connected with yourself.

If you are not religious try reading modern self-help books that provides modern meditation practices that you can do.

Go dancing

Get Social Support
Don’t underestimate the power of friends, family, mentors, co-workers, and neighbors. Who can you turn to when you’re down and need a pick-me-up? Keep a mental list of these special people and don’t be afraid to ask for help or encouragement when you need it. Something as simple as a phone call, a chat over coffee, or a nice email or letter can brighten your mood. 


 Catch some Zzzz’s
People naturally want to sleep a little bit more during the winter. But with all we have going on, sometimes sleep is the first thing to go. With a little time management, and some self-discipline, you can meet your shut-eye needs. Aim for 7-8 hours each night, and try to keep your bedtime and waking time consistent. That way, your sleeping patterns can normalize and you’ll have more energy. Try not to oversleep—those 12-hour snoozes on the weekend can actually make you MORE tired. Don’t forget naps! A short (10-30 minute) afternoon nap may be all you need to re-energize midday.

Learn Something
"The best thing for being sad...is to learn something," said T.H. White in The Once and Future King. This has nothing to do with academic drudgery and everything to do with the fact that mastering a technique, sharpening a skill, doing something you didn't know how to do before, proves anything is possible. 

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Have a great weekend!

Deborah