The Power of Quiet~ Changing Perspectives and Opening Minds
I have learned many things from being a parent. Some things I expected to learn, like how to make the best macaroni and cheese or how to do laundry, read a book and cook dinner all at once. These are the things parents expect to learn in the throws of parenthood, these are the easy parts. Fortunately, parenting runs deeper, parenting teaches us about sacrifices, differences and perspectives. Our daughters are perfect replicas of my husband and me. My perspective (or lack there of) on the power of quiet became evident one day when my daughters and I were shopping and I saw some cozy bean bag chairs. I bought the ONE chair and I created that cozy spot for ONE in our classroom and guess what? In my quest to understand and appreciate the power of this alone time and the power of quiet I started to listen more carefully to those around me and that's when I found the resource that changed my perspective on the power of quiet. Transforming My Teaching~ Mary Lee's post- Last Week's Ted Talk
What Students Really Need to Hear | affectiveliving
It’s 4 a.m. I’ve struggled for the last hour to go to sleep. But, I can’t. This is what students really need to hear: First, you need to know right now that I care about you. Here’s the thing: I lose sleep because of you. Before I tell you why, you should understand the truth about school. The main event is learning how to deal with the harshness of life when it gets difficult — how to overcome problems as simple as a forgotten locker combination, to obnoxious peers, to gossip, to people doubting you, to asking for help in the face of self-doubt, to pushing yourself to concentrate when a million other thoughts and temptations are fingertips away. It is your resilience in conquering the main event — adversity — that truly prepares you for life after school. But, you shouldn’t be worried about the fact that you will face great adversities. Some of you quit by skipping class on your free education. As long as you are in my life, I am not going to let quitting be easy for you. – C.
12 Funny Videos About Teaching and Learning | Dr. Travis Burns, Ed.D.
The following videos are great resources for school administrators to use during faculty/staff development meetings to promote laughter or encourage reflection on school practices related to teaching and learning. I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I do! Follow on Twitter @Dr_TravisBurns 1. The Importance of Objectivity in Grading Practices 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Like this: Like Loading...
Thank God I wasn’t college material
I remember when I first learned that I was destined to be a failure. I think it was ninth grade, or maybe tenth, and I was sitting in afterschool detention. I’d been sentenced to hard time for being late to class, even though I had a valid excuse. See, I was only late because I hated school with a burning passion. It had been ten years of public school up to that point and it wasn’t getting better. So there I was in detention. I told her that I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be or what I wanted to do with my life, but maybe I could be a writer. That’s when she dropped the bombshell: “Well, that sounds like an amazing goal, Matt. Dagger. I have to go to college to do the one thing I’m kind of halfway good at doing? And I have to get a DEGREE in CREATIVITY? I guess not. I was distraught. I don’t think I ever mentioned my writing goal to anyone again. That was about 13 years ago. This is my story. Something has to change. Total student debt has gone up by 275 percent in the last decade.
And Then I Met A Teacher
He met a teacher, and it changed everything. Jim Wengo was fresh out of high school when he started working at the local butcher shop. But his high school agriculture teacher, John Krivokapish, had other plans for him. When he heard of an area college work study program for those who could score well on a civil service exam, Mr. Krivokapish walked into the butcher store and told Jim’s boss he needed to borrow him for a couple of hours. Removing the blood stained apron, Jim followed his teacher to the local college where he took an exam on the spot. He kept working as a butcher while he finished his degree. Dennis Queen had a difficult relationship with his father. After a four year tour of duty, Dennis returned home. These are both true stories told to me by men who have personally inspired me by their examples. Four years ago, we started a program at my school called Mentor 180. She met a teacher and a mentor, and it changed everything.
Why Some Kids Try Harder and Some Kids Give Up | Tracy Cutchlow
My toddler struggled to buckle the straps on her high chair. "Almost," she muttered as she tried again and again. "Almost," I agreed, trying not to hover. The way I praised her effort took a little effort on my part. Stanford researcher Carol Dweck has been studying motivation and perseverance since the 1960s. Those with a fixed mindset, who believe their successes are a result of their innate talent or smartsThose with a growth mindset, who believe their successes are a result of their hard work Fixed mindset: 'If you have to work hard, you don't have ability.' Kids with a fixed mindset believe that you are stuck with however much intelligence you're born with. Growth mindset: 'The more you challenge yourself, the smarter you become.' What creates these beliefs in our kids? The research In one study, Dweck gathered up fifth graders, randomly divided them in two groups, and had them work on problems from an IQ test. "Wow, that's a really good score. "Wow, that's a really good score.
Your Words Matter.
I had a teacher who once told me I would most likely be a college dropout. Her words mattered. When I told my wife I wanted to write a book and she said without blinking an eye, “Do it.” I told my daughter the other day how proud I was of her for writing a full sentence! My words mattered. And when I hear back from the teachers and parents that read this blog, I know my words matter. “Learning how to use language effectively will be the most valuable skill you will have to use for the rest of your life.” Woah. Want to get a job? Want to get married? Want to sell something? What Are We Teaching Our Children About Their Words? The problem I see across the board in schools and in the workplace, is that most people rarely think about the power their words have to make a positive impact. DON’T use your words to bully another person (important). or DON’T use contractions (not that important). And we often “de-value” our word power through writing tasks that are meaningless or menial.
"I Teach For Seven Straight Hours In Stilletos And Never Stop Smiling"—What Stock Photos Tell Us About Teaching
How 936 Pennies Will Forever Change How You Parent - From Famine to Foodie
Can We Please Just Make it to “Amen”?! A couple of weeks back we dedicated our son to the Lord at church. As we stood before our church family and God, and vowed to raise him, by God’s grace and help, to know, love, and serve the Lord; he yelled at the top of his tiny lungs “Down! Down! I held tightly to the frantic child, discretely stuffing animal crackers into his mouth as our pastor eloquently went about introducing the other families and children. Just as our pastor instructed the church family to bow their heads in prayer over these little ones, my dear precious son lost any scrap of patience he had left and yelled–loudly–through the entire prayer. Our church family has a good sense of humor. The Burdening Weight of 936 Copper Pennies At these child dedications, gifts are always given to each family. This time, however, we were in our new church. Into my hand was placed a mason jar full of pennies. “In these jars is a penny for every week you will raise this child.” I know they will.
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