Monday Motivator #2 2018-19

Listening to Children
Shari Frost
Contributor, Choice Literacy

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=3040 

"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply."
Stephen R. Covey

I was enjoying one of those magical moments of teaching, the kind of moment that all teachers live for. I was sitting at a table with some of my first graders and we were writing together. Occasionally, someone would read a line aloud and we’d admire how beautiful it was. Someone else would share an idea and we’d agree that it was brilliant. Or someone would ask a question and we’d generously share our wisdom with our fellow writer. The child who was sitting right next to me stopped, put her pencil down, looked up at me, and said, “Mrs. Frost, how do you make babies?”

I quickly examined my options. What should I say? What should I do? How could I explain it? Should I explain it? Should I suggest that she ask her mother when she gets home? Should I try to distract her, maybe send her off on an errand to sharpen pencils or get more markers? While I was grasping at straws for my next move, the child on the other side of her leaned over, looked at her paper, and said, “Change the /y/ to /i/ and add /-es/.” The child who asked the question thanked her classmate and continued writing. I let out a huge sigh of relief and tried to continue with my writing, too.

This incident occurred decades ago, and I have recounted it many times, always to the complete delight of my audience. Looking back on it, I now see it for what it truly was – a real teaching misstep. A child asked me a question. My first inclination was to give her an immediate answer. It is a rather antiquated view of teaching – the teacher as the all-knowing dispenser of knowledge.

The situation called for more listening, not answers from me. I could have said, “Hmm . . . say more about that,” instead of rushing off in pursuit of the answer. Listening is the most powerful tool in our teacher’s toolbox. Unfortunately, it is often pushed aside for its noisier, more demanding counterpart. Even in situations where the prospect of providing an answer doesn't induce discomfort, we often charge full steam ahead.

I just wonder, how many times have I rattled off answers, instead of allowing children to find their own answers? I wonder how many of “my answers” were quickly forgotten because they came so quickly. How many opportunities were lost for a child to discover something for herself?

Monday Motivator #1 2018-19

https://www.today.com/video/teacher-inspires-students-to-push-through-in-daily-motivational-routine-810259523833?v=railb

Monday Motivators are just a quick tip, story or video to help start your week!

Hope you've had a wonderful start to the school year!

Monday Motivator #37 2017-18

HOW TO FINISH THE SCHOOL YEAR STRONG

https://teach4theheart.com/how-to-finish-the-school-year-strong/

Dear Teacher,

I know you’re tired. You’re stressed. You’re about to stab a pencil in your eye if you have to grade one more paper.

Your to-do list is a mile long. And summer is so close you can taste it.

But in the midst of all the chaos and anticipation, I want to encourage you to do one thing:

Remember why you’re here.

You want to make a difference.

You want to help kids.

So pause a moment, look around, and really see your students.

Peek over your monstrous stack of papers to see the girl who’s lower lip is trembling in fear over the upcoming test.

Let go of your frustration long enough to notice the panic in the eye of the teen who just got busted for cheating – even though he’s desperately trying to hide it with his shrugged shoulders and bravado.

In a few short weeks (maybe even days) when you’re lying by the pool soaking up the sun, what will you remember?

Will you have simply survived – finished your to-do list and washed your hands of the place?

Or will you have taken every opportunity to impact the lives of your students?

Because here’s the truth. This time, right now at the end of the year. This time can be the most valuable.

You know these kids. You’ve invested in their lives. You’ve built relationships.

And while they may be driving you up a wall, you are likely more able to speak into their lives now than you ever were before.

I promise the summer will be here soon. But until then, don’t phone it in. Don’t coast. Don’t go through the motions.

You only have a few more days to impact your students. Don’t waste that time. Don’t give up yet. These last few days can make all the difference!

HOW TO FINISH THE SCHOOL YEAR STRONG

1. Don’t coast; instead, be more intentional. Don’t allow yourself to go on autopilot. Instead, choose to be intentional about making these last days count. Set one or two end-of-the-year goals and make it a priority to do all you can to influence your students during these last few days. 
     
2. Keep first things first. When you’re overwhelmed and there are a million things to do, remember to keep first things first. Focus on what really matters and realize that the rest will get done eventually. (You might also want to try the intentional procrastinating to-do list system.) 
     
3. Draw on relationships you’ve built. You’ve spent a whole year building relationships with your students and their parents, and as a result, you likely have more influence now than you ever did before. You may never get another chance to inspire them, believe in them, guide them, or counsel them. So take advantage of every opportunity you get to speak the truth and impact their lives. 
     
4. Strategically prioritize what to teach. If you’ve got way more material to cover than you have time to teach, don’t just keep plodding along. Instead, sit down and decide what is most important for them to learn. Then focus on that. 
     
5. Don’t plan to finish teaching too early. For those of you who are right on track and are about to finish your curriculum, I have a word of caution for you – don’t finish too early. One of my first years I finished my math curriculum a week early, planning review games for the last week. The problem was that once I told the kids we were done with the book, they turned into crazy people. Well, not really, but it was definitely much harder to keep them focused. Since then, I’ve scheduled the final test closer to the last day of school. 
     
6. Communicate with parents. Don’t just turn in your final grades and walk out the door. Take the time to have one last communication with the parents of kids who have struggled in your class. Give them suggestions of things they can do over the summer to help prepare their student for the next year. Even if you don’t think they’ll heed your advice, taking a few moments to send them a final email shows them how much you care about their student. 
     
7. Try to leave things as organized as possible. Notice I said try. Yes, there’s a bazillion things to do, but the more organized you can leave things now, the smoother things will go next fall. So take a few moments to jot down notes for yourself of what worked and what didn’t. And maybe even to tackle those disastrous desk drawers. (Do I dare even mention the closet?) 
     
8. Decide to enjoy these last days. Simple but profound. Instead of counting every moment till you’re done, choose to enjoy these last days you have with this group of students. Soon school will be over and you’ll be relaxing. But this opportunity – your time with these students – will be done. So choose to enjoy these days while you have them and to view them as a gift. This one mental decision will impact everything else you do.

So teacher, this is your chance. This is your moment.

Take a breath, pray for strength, and make each day count.

And if you can somehow manage to wrap up the year without thrusting a pencil in your eye, that’d be even better.

Monday Motivator #36 2017-18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB3xM93rXbY&feature=youtu.be

To all the moms out there, hope you had a fabulous, Mother's Day weekend!

Monday Motivator #35 2017-18

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Thank you for ALL you do each and every day for our students and continue to inspire and support them all throughout May as we close out the school year!

Join Our 2018 #ThankATeacher Campaign!

http://www.nea.org/grants/teacherday.html

Teachers give us so much. A boost of confidence when we really need one. Extra help when we’re having trouble. A welcoming presence when everything else seems out of control. And though we know we can’t ever thank them enough, we can take a moment during National Teacher Appreciation Week to share our appreciation for the special educators in our lives.

Join NEA and the National PTA in saying “Thank You” during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7-11:

Thank A Teacher on Social Media

• Simply make a video or take a photo of yourself thanking a teacher who has made a difference in you or your child’s life, or just thank all teachers or supporting our nation’s students each and every day. (You can download this ThankATeacher template (go to the nea link above to access to use in your photo.)
• Upload your file here. We’ll be aggregating and sharing messages of appreciation throughout the week to let our members know how much they mean to us.
• Share your message of appreciation on your favorite social media platform using the hashtag #ThankATeacher

Monday Motivator #34 2017-18

The Gift of Turbulence 

How Times of Trouble Remind Us to Be Grateful

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” -M. Eckhart

It happened less than 30 minutes into the flight.

Our plane hit an invisible bump and we quickly plummeted downward. A loud crash, then the decline violently gave way to a climb back up. More bumps rocked the plane side-to-side, each more violent than the one preceding it. As luggage compartments popped open and items fell out, the captain’s voice frantically urged the flight attendants to take their seats immediately.

The gentleman to my right said loud enough for everyone around us to hear, “I wish they’d told us this would be our last flight. I probably wouldn’t have boarded it!” It was spoken in humor. But there was a bit of truth in it, too.

Moments later the ordeal ended. It was less than 30 seconds of violent shaking. No one was injured, things calmed, the turbulence ended, overhead containers were shut, the flight continued.

I looked at my watch. It was 6:57am.

Having flown more than 1,000 times, in the midst of the shaking, as bags were falling and fellow passengers were anxiously gasping, I tried to look steely-tough, unfazed, unafraid.

In reality, I was terrified.

Yes, I was scared of the plane crashing. Scared of leaving my wife and kids too soon. Scared of leaving this earth with things undone, mission not yet accomplished.

But oddly, the most intense fear I had was the painful reality of how much I’d taken for granted.

As we returned to smoother air, I thought through all the things I’d already experienced that morning that were worthy of being counted as gifts. I quickly typed them down:

• My alarm sounded at 4:40, just as I had set it the night before, beckoning me from bed.
• My legs (although tired) and body (although achy) guided me to the bathroom.
• While brushing my teeth, a second alarm sounded. It was my wife’s phone. Without me even asking, she’d set it to ensure I was up and would make my flight.
• With a simple twist of a knob, clean, hot water jetted out of my shower faucet.
• After showering, I slipped into soft, clean clothes and a freshly pressed suit.
• Tiptoeing toward Beth, I bent down and gently kissed her forehead.
• Running a bit behind, I moved quickly through each bedroom checking on my sleeping kids; kissing each of their foreheads.
• After racing down the steps, I stepped over our typically playful golden retriever. She was excited enough to wag her tail as I approached, but not quite motivated enough to actually stand to say hello. (I didn’t blame her … it was early!)
• Grabbing my keys and briefcase, I walked outside, and got a peek at the star-filled sky.
• At the push of a button my car engine revved to life, the garage door lifted, and the car throttled forward.
• With no issues getting to the airport, I was greeted by a TSA officer (using my first name!); then moments later greeted by a Starbucks barista the same way. (Yes, you might travel too much when you’re on first-name-basis with the airport staff!)
• The plane boarded on time; pushed back on time; and took off on time.
• 
  
• A 150,000 pound, metallic cylinder, packed with 136 people crept down a taxiway, accelerated down a runway, gained speed, and launched into the air at hundreds of miles per hour (while most of us were either slept or were too consumed in something trivial to be stirred by it.)
• That one requires repeating: A 150,000 pound, metallic cylinder, packed with 136 people crept down a taxiway, accelerated down a runway, gained speed, and launched into the air at hundreds of miles per hour!
• Once airborne, the darkened sky gave way to a slight glimmer of light; black faded to gray, then to deep blues, purples and reds; then into a magnificent sunrise.
• I opened my laptop, took a big sip of coffee, and started working.

This all happened before the first bit of turbulence hit at 6:57am. And I had snoozed through most of it until the turbulence finally woke me up.

I hadn’t paused – not even momentarily – to say a prayer of thanksgiving for any of it.

I didn’t contemplate that throughout the night my heart beat more than 1,000 times by itself, in spite of my lack of effort or gratitude for it.

I hadn’t pondered the gift of a warm bed, my wife’s presence, or my children’s health.

I hadn’t paused to be in awe of the marvel of technology – or the grandeur of nature.

And I hadn’t slowed down to be roused by the promise of the morning, the hope within a new day, the chance to do better, the opportunity to make a difference, to savor, to reflect, to celebrate, to create, to experience.

To live.

http://johnolearyinspires.com/2018/03/the-gift-of-turbulence/?utm_source=Rising+Above+-+Master+List+-+2015&utm_campaign=92a4b6861f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_07_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_35d021a895-92a4b6861f-28916649

Monday Motivator #33 2017-18

The Big Fresh April 21, 2018 Big Dog

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view-print.php?id=2962 What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.                                                                                               Dwight D. Eisenhower I was on an early morning walk in an unfamiliar neighborhood. It was a lake community, and I was walking past a cottage admiring the whimsical nature of the weedy wildflower gardens and overgrown trellis. Movement caught my eye, and around the curve came a giant dog, nearly as large as a bear. When he picked up his pace and headed toward me, I decided I needed to be somewhere safer. I’ve heard my fair share of mean dog stories. Outside of the cottage sat a rusted white pickup truck. If the dog hadn't been galloping toward me, I may have considered the absurdity of jumping into the back of a stranger’s pickup truck. Instead, I hoisted myself into the truck bed as the dog bounded to the tailgate. The dog rested his chin on the raised tailgate. It occurred to me that he could have jumped into the back of the pickup with more ease than I had. Not wanting to scale the cab of a stranger’s pickup, I said the most logical thing that came to mind. “Go home!” The dog tilted his head and looked inquisitive. It seemed reasonable to tell him again: “Go home!” He took a few steps to the porch of the house and watched me. I considered how much writing I could get done in the back of a rusty pickup truck. He started barking at me, low and loud. The door opened and a man stepped onto the front porch. “What’s going on here?” he asked, taking a bite of his cereal. “Is that your dog?” I asked. “Yeah. Why are you in my truck?” “Is he nice?” “Of course.” He scooped more cereal into his mouth. “Do you need help out of my truck?” “No, I’m okay as long as your dog is nice. He came from across the street and intimidated me a little.” I climbed out of the truck. “I wasn’t sure if he was going to hurt me.” “Naw,” said the man, “he probably just wanted to say hello.” I rubbed the dog’s head. “I’m a dog person, but he really caught me off guard,” I said. The dog wagged his tail. I scratched his ears. We said goodbye. I thought about how my words and actions contradicted each other. Standing in the back of a rusty pickup truck with a friendly Newfoundland waiting for me to pet him didn’t emanate dog person. Even though I’ve never encountered a mean dog, I had jumped to the conclusion that this big dog was a mean one. I think this is how it seems for kids when they meet a new teacher, especially when they are the new kid at an odd time of year, transitioning into a strange new classroom. Maybe they’ve had a unpleasant experience in the past. Maybe they’ve heard mean teacher stories. No matter how friendly and kind teachers appear, there are still going to be some students who are apprehensive. There are going to be some students who, like me and the big dog,  want to hide until they can figure out if it’s going to be a safe place. It's easy to remember early in the year when all students are new to us, and we are new to them. It's much harder when we're surprised by a student new to our classroom late in the year when a community is already built. They may jump to conclusions about us, but that makes it more important than ever that we don't jump to conclusions about them. Ruth Ayres Contributor, Choice Literacy As the director of a professional development consortium of 30 schools, Ruth Ayres spends her days helping students find meaning in their stories, and encouraging teachers to reflect and refine the art of teaching. “I love documenting ordinary stories from everyday life,” Ruth says. You can keep up with her latest writing and work at Ruth Ayres Writes.