Parents Strengthen Classroom Dynamics: Include Them (50)

I wish that every parent and teacher knew that as educators, parents are our best allies. They know their child better than anyone: their personality, struggles, quirks and beautiful nuances. They entrust their children to us daily, they believe we will do what is best for their child and when we don’t do this, they are our harshest critic. I personally, appreciate their feedback. Parents should hold teachers to a high standard. They should pay attention to their child’s education and learning atmosphere. Is it a community? Is it a safe haven? Do their children feel safe and eager to be in school?

Parents listen to teachers’ opinions, often following their lead, without doubt, because they understand that they have their child’s learning and growth at heart. They know a great teacher when they meet one. They ask other parents, who their children had as a teacher, because they want to be prepared for the upcoming year. Teachers and parents are collaborators, at least they should be. They each carry with them part of the treasure map. Together the two halves, lead us to the perfect semblance of discipline, guidance and love. When they communicate regularly, and believe in the value of each other’s input, parents and teachers create a world where learning is where it should be, at the center of classroom life. 

I wish parents knew that we value them, appreciate their input. I wish teachers knew that parents, even though at times are overbearing and aggressive, are just looking out for their child. If they did, students would unequivocally know, we are all on the same side. They have caring eyes on them at home and at school. That they can ask questions, ask for help and share with us their struggles and frustrations so we together, can better serve their needs. I wish as a student, my parents and teachers had this collaboration, maybe then my formative learning years would have been more fruitful. Parents are a teacher’s greatest ally. In the education of their child, a teacher is a parents’ greatest ally. But, only through purposeful, meaningful dialogue can true cooperation take place.

This year I have eight siblings of former students. Two former students from five years ago. Two from three years ago and four from 1-2 years ago. At open house I was reminded of their faces, I remembered them and this made the parents very happy. My current students do not want to be compared with their siblings, so I do not. They in turn, eventually say "When my brother was in your class, or my sister said when she had you, she loved this project." It's funny the circle of things. Parents remember us too. They remember when their child had us and how we impacted their lives and they are excited they have the opportunity for their children to have us again.

Parents and students alike look for consistency. They look for fairness. They look for unity. If we have this respect, kindness and mindfulness reign supreme and we will be remembered.

Short and Sweet (48)

A time frame, incessant and intermittent

Screams, that whisper
get things done

I ignore it

Altering instead to a lapse

of immediacy

I learned concepts

already known

I listened and spoke

waited and adjusted

Sunset brightly

closes the loop

shattering my slow-paced

slow-motion day

and now

It is family

loud and committal

joining forces

against waste

and enjoying every

moment

What Got You Here, Won't Get You There- Steps to Transmogrification (46)

Everything Will feel Like it's Falling Apart

When the ground, disintegrates under your feet, it takes a second or two to realize it. There is a calm before the plummet. Every plunge is unique: mental or spiritual, yet they both are the result of wisdom. Sometimes they lead to huge life changes, others simple shifts in outlook. But, every now and then, we need to tumble so we can climb.

I found myself in a loop. An endless curve around, between responsibility and recognition. Tired in the morning, unfulfilled. Exhausted at night, fragmentary and formless. I felt astray. I needed inspiration. I needed to find words that spoke to me, voices that encouraged and galvanized me. I needed an escape.

Reset, Retry, Reformation

I read a lot. Almost as much as I write. I am more of a non-fiction reader, but if there is an immersive novel, that catches my eye, I will definitely immerse. But, I tend to read books about creating moments, mindfulness and inner peace.

I turned fifty, five months ago and - suddenly- I started to see things differently. Not more clearly, I didn't have an epiphany, that my life needed to drastically change. I didn't have a bombshell of sapience, telling me to move to a foreign country and reinvent myself.

What I did have was a flash of inspiration. A sparkly, energetic roar of gumption. Pure unadulterated sagacity. The realization that I have come far in my fifty years on this planet. I have overcome adversity. Pushed ahead when my disability laid obstacles in my path. Stepped out of my once firm comfort zone, attended a party and met my husband. I had five beautiful children, all healthy and relatively happy. I have lived a life. But it is just beginning.

I became an educator and after eighteen years, have transformed, transcended and tweaked my thought process. I have expanded my knowledge base and created new strategies, to become a confident and innovative teacher. I have made great strides, to overcome my doubts and fears, so deeply ingrained, by the bullies of my past. I have accepted my faults and have been working tirelessly, to wear down their edges so that they fit into the puzzle, that is me.

I have accepted my short-comings not as hindrances, but as gremlins, that yes can't be fed after dark. They are permanent fixtures and motivators of action and growth. They get feisty and hungry, so I let them snack, in the wee hours of the morning, so as to keep them satiated throughout the day. They are fierce, playful and destructive- thus sometimes the descent it a sharp one.

It Wont Be Easy, But it Will Come

What am I afraid of? Rejection? I have become accustomed to exclusion and repudiation- so why am I so afraid, to reach out and try to network? To ask people for help. This is something I have had to do a lot of soul searching, to try and answer- and to be honest- I am still not 100% sure.

Success seems so unlikely, so out of reach. I can feel the dirt, slowly sliding. I thought the plummet was supposed to be unexpected. But with this, time seems to be slowing down, so I can feel the rumble and see the erosion at work. I keep stepping backwards to avoid the plunge.

There are so many ways to fail. My gremlins remind me of this, incessantly. They snicker and roll their eyes. Their taunting is so prevalent, I actually forget sometimes that I have a guild of protectors and advocates too.

The mindful, positive, supportive thoughts that carry me through the turbulence. My fairy godmothers, they have whispy wings and a whimsical sense of self. The two sides battle it out pretty regularly- arrows fly over head and magical spells swirl in the air, as much as treaties are forged.

You can't fortify the ground. It is fickle. There are too many outside forces that lay siege to its borders. It is trampled on and dug into. It is marched across and left alone to lie fallow. We are mere travelers and when we arrive, we never know what state it will be in. We have to come prepared, yet we never truly know what to expect.

We must cross it though. Wear thick boots and carry a shovel.

Be Ready to Level Up

I am reading a great book Level Up Your Life by Steve Kamb. It is simply put, a book about creating adventures and quests to try new things at your own pace. To create your story. It does not have to be all at once- or huge. It can be incremental and rewarding.

You just need to commit and make a list, choose a guild, build a persona, build your avatar. Set forth on your journey. Do not try to be something you are not, just amplify your skill set and armory, so you can conquer the beasts of complacency and disenchantment.

So this set me out on my quest. But, being me, I needed more inspiration. More self-reflection.

More books- I am immersed in four at the moment. I need a lot of input. A quirk to some but to me- a blessing because some of my best insight and inspiration has come from the numerous books I am bathing myself in on a weekly basis.

The last input so I can level up, I need to write about it. When I write a blog it seems to put things in perspective for me. It takes the jumble of various outlooks and opinions and aligns it. The only way we can level up and earn the credits or points is to play the game.

Leveling up can take a long time, as a generalist. Or, if you are a specialist- it can be faster. But, either way, it is achieved through experience, endurance and a lot of energy. Now that I have exited the loop- I have more energy.

I see the playing field, clearly now. I have the console on, the controller in hand and entered the arena- on my terms. I am collecting artifacts, banking points and earning experience. Advancing to the next level up may take awhile.

But, if I am going to level up, I need specific goals, to perform certain tasks and to solve lots of puzzles.

I am geared up and ready to go. Module open.....let the game begin.

Will I see you there?

In Development (44)

There is a term they use in the film business- in development. It does not mean it is being made, but rather, the rights have been purchased to make it and a writer is on board. When we hear the word development, it makes us think, whatever it is, it's in the works, it is being structured and built. I know when I use it, in the general sense, that is what I mean. I use it to embody the notion that I am in progress of creating it.

But, I like this interpretation- not necessarily under construction and the blue prints might not even have been drawn yet- but the idea is gestating. There is an incubation period for me, before I write. Before I create a lesson. I have to mull things over before I commit. The idea has to ripen and mature. If I jump in too early, I lose the momentum. There are necessary steps to follow before I get the pie. Even more if I want it a' la mode.

There is always inertia at the beginning that I have to overcome.

Once the idea maturates, thoughts often come rapidly, jumbled. I have to sort. Lots of sorting. But man, when there is a gem, it shines bright, sparkly, almost blinding. It resonates so loudly, I lose sight of everything else. Then, I am in development. Sometimes I go days, no glittering jewel, months, no round, gold, glistening prize. Just pyrite and zirconium. They aren't the real thing, in other words.

The only way I can find the treasure map- is to go back to the development stage. For me, when I try to get away from the personal- my words fall flat. When I try to create something, that does not echo my true self, it enters fuzzy and out of focus. It just doesn't, as my grandmother used to say, "sing and if it doesn't sing, its not your song to dance to." I use this saying in a lot of my life choices. I hold up different blouses, "if they don't sing." I put them both back. If a classroom activity, doesn't "sing loud for all to hear," I trash it and come up with something that does.

I am the same with blogs- I will delete the entire blog if it feels tone deaf. I have tossed out whole blogs/stories, for that reason. I know if I don't, I will spend hours trying to salvage them. If I feel in my gut, they have no melody, then no matter the rework, they just won't 'sing'. So I hit delete. I save phrases and words but let the rest go. Then a few weeks later I will pull those out and give it another go.

I am in development, always. I rarely settle until I am amidst the action. I tweak on my feet, mid lesson. I just can't let finality come- it alludes me all the time. That does not mean I don't finish stuff. I do all the time- I am obsessed with closure. I just can't seem to start a conversation with finality- it ignores me when I wave my hands. So, I tend to keep moving, ever closer to the elusive, it's done.

There is always inertia near the end that I have to overcome.

You Know the Moment When..... (41)

You know the moment when..... your brain freezes and you forget what you were going to say. It happens to me sometimes. I'm getting old.

You know the moment when..... you are just so frustrated you vent, out loud- for me it's cussing. I am pretty good about doing this when I am alone though, in 18 years of teaching I have never cussed in front of a student.

You know the moment when..... a student has just pushed your buttons and you snap, usually by raising your voice to redirect, rather than mindfully addressing them individually- I did this today.

You know the moment when..... you, raised your voice at a student, then afterwards, later in the class you had a private conversation. I apologized today- letting them know it wasn't mindful of me to raise my voice- she replied "I am sorry Mrs. CJ, I wasn't mindful either, cause I caused you to get angry" ...sigh

You know the moment when..... you have to take a step back and reflect. When the day is long and every class just pushes your buttons (Monday's).

You know the moment when..... you realize its only Monday

You know the moment when..... teaching becomes a chore- its temporary, I bounce back quickly, but it surfaces. I hate that feeling.

You know the moment when..... you take the time to reflect, really think about things and you come to terms with...nothing's perfect, no day is flawless, accept- take responsibility and move on.

You know the moment when..... after a long day, you want to unwind but you remember you haven't posted your blog for the 41st day in a row- #EduBlogYear. I got out of bed and am writing this now, 9:00 pm on Monday night.

You know the moment..... after you write a post and feel relieved, you did it. I just had that moment.

Now, with a migraine approaching....so is the moment I rest, lights out with an episode of Numbers. My comfort show.

Your Energy Introduces You Before You Say A Word (39)

Let's be honest, we don't always have a good day. We are not always in an upbeat mood. We have lulls in our day, where we are just plain old tired and irritable. We get cantankerous. Unfortunately, we as educators, are not provided time to take a break and change our mood.

We have to keep teaching, trying to stay cheerful, even when we want to rip someones eyes out. It could be home life, traffic on the road, even that we just don't feel our best- but we have to keep going, keep moving forward, no matter our comfort level.

I am always writing about mindfulness strategies and they may seem silly, or exaggerated but I assure you they work. I spend a lot of time reading books about behavior, first impressions and 'reading' people and the one thing they all have in common is- we have to pay attention, listen and be patient. We misjudge all the time as humans, as we all know.

But, if we just spend a little more time thinking before we speak, we can make some huge changes in our lives. If we pay attention to our demeanor: facial expression, eye contact, body language and word choice- we can eliminate some of the opinions, that get made about us, before we even start to speak to someone.

We all have an energy. Just like we all have pheromones, a chemical smell we give off. We also give off an energy, it may be invisible, unscented and unnoticeable to some respect, BUT it is felt down to our core. We feel it others, sense it. We make choices to avoid those who may be giving off negative vibes, while migrating towards those who inspire us with their optimism and joyful attitude. We all have a presence- sometimes it is mindful, other times it isn't.

There is nothing I can say to change your mind. If you do not feel the importance of mindfulness, deep inside your bones, then nothing I say will mean anything. My students when I started our positivity-mindfulness strategies- looked at me sideways and literally snickered. They didn't believe me. They thought it was just another flavor of the week.

Yet, day by day, week by week, they started to listen. They started to believe in the process. They began to say more kind things, behave more neighborly in my class. At first it was cordial and felt rehearsed. But after a few weeks it became more natural and heart-felt. You could feel the change in attitude and disposition.

Our energy precedes us. It travels faster than we do. It connects with the energy of others, before we even reach them and if its cross or dismal- we may lose a connection. If it is erratic and crestfallen, others may avoid us and then we will feel isolated. We have to change our energy. The only way we can do that is to be self-aware and self-regulatory.

We have to do the proverbial thing "take a walk in someone else's shoes." Not to feel what they feel in this instance, but to see ourselves through their eyes- their emotions. When we do we might just be horrified at our behavior. But until we see ourselves as harbingers if energy- we won't be able to convert the negativity to positive verve. Believe in the process and you might just surprise yourself.

Ten Easy Ways to Create a Mindful Environment in your Classroom: Strategies that Work For Me Every Day (37)

Mindfulness is SEL, with some Personalization

Mindfulness encompasses self-awareness, kindness and positivity. How we can self-regulate, think inwardly and direct our behavior, even in the toughest of times. It's about feeding our positive wolf and not feeding our angry wolf. It is about responding not reacting. Making sure we believe in ourselves and that we look for ways to elevate and support those around us.

SEL, Social Emotional Learning, is an educational strategy where we help our students to manage their emotions, take perspective and empathize with other people. It is a tool where we can help students build respectful relationships and make better personal choices. Mindfulness strategies can be used to aid SEL strategies. The two merge quite beautifully in fact. For me they are one and the same.

I use mindfulness strategies to help my students meet their SEL goals. Every day, consistently, reflectively, we integrate mindfulness into our lessons, we use openers and closers, brain breaks, writing prompts and positive, purposeful speak. It is something we have done since the beginning of the year, but it can be easily introduced mid-year.

Anytime you feel your class needs a positivity boost, these strategies might help your class be more respectful and responsive to one another. My first year I introduced my S.T.O.M.P. strategies after Spring Break and every year since it has been the first day of school. (see my S.T.O.M.P. post from earlier in the year for more about my specific lessons on mindfulness:

https://practicalrebellion.blogspot.com/2019/10/hocus-pocus-its-time-to-focus-stomp-out.html 

10 Easy Ways to Create a Mindful Environment

1- Mindfulness Warm-up and Exit Ticket (Purposeful Talk)
A warm up example- Why are people rude? How can we make sure we are not rude in return? Then a quick 2-3 minute discussion about taking the time to listen and understand perspective.

An exit ticket example- At the dinner table tonight, ask your family, "What does mindfulness mean to you? Is our family mindful?"

2-Mindfulness Journal and Visual Art
Every day students write or draw in their mindfulness journals. I usually ask them, "How are you feeling today? or How are you thinking today?" We often reflect back on the video we watched earlier in the year by reflecting on how our angry wolf and happy wolf are doing. They draw cartoons or comics, using wolves.

Here is a link to the video http://www.viewpure.com/vzKryaN44ss?start=0&end=0

3-Positive Spirit Board
On my graffiti wall students write positive and optimistic quotes. We discuss them throughout the week. Students explain why the quote 'spoke to them' and how it fits into our mindfulness routine.

4-Teacher Proximity- Consistent Positive Speech
I walk around a lot. Stay in the teacher zone and just listen. I listen for positive speak, which I give positive feedback for, by saying "thank you for using your positive word," or I redirect with mindfulness, "I am sure you are frustrated, however, could we maybe use more positive words to express our emotions?"

5-Choose Our Words Reminders (Brain Breaks)
During our brain break time- I generally do one of the steps of S.T.O.M.P. (explained in the link above) We might stand and quietly reflect, think about our actions, optimize our mindfulness by making eye contact and pair up with someone in the room to discuss something about mindfulness, we speak a mindful comment to our neighbors, or we write a quick write in our journals to remind ourselves to be present and focused in class.

6-Collaborative Work with Roles and Objectives/Peer Relationships
When we are actively learning, collaborating in pairs, teams, or larger groups, I make sure that each person gets a role card and that every member has a specific task to complete. This keeps them more focused and purposeful. The more specific instructions, as far as purpose, the better, it keeps them mindful, of their part in the lesson.

7-Competitive Activities to Reinforce Sportsmanship
Competition is good. I use timers to do card sorts, complete mini-labs and even kahoot! creates a sense of competitiveness. Some students will rise and shine others might slink to the shadows at first- but if we create safe places to fail they will get in there and give it their all. Allowing teams to play, lessens the anxiety and strengthens camaraderie.

8-Student-Teacher Relationships
Any educator will tell you this obvious fact- build relationships with students. Your demeanor, facial expressions, body language, tone, words and eye contact mean everything. It is not enough to be nice or kind. It is not enough to be firm and structured. Students like both actually. They prefer a structured classroom but at the helm they need a mindful, positive, interactive, respectful, PRESENT, teacher to steer the ship.

9-Negativity Check Shoe-Box
I have a shoe box in my room- with a hole on top. Students put slips of paper in it about anything negative they hear, or saw someone do. Sometimes they are anonymous- while, other students want me to know a person is unkind to them. I walk around a lot, but of course I miss things. They let me know if I have a trouble spot or need to reinforce any aspect of mindfulness in our next lesson.

10-Mindfulness Jar
Along side the negativity box, is a mindfulness jar. This one is clear and shiny. Inviting colorful notes. The purpose of this is for students to share mindful moments: they experienced a moment of kindness, they heard or saw someone else being mindful, they noticed me being mindful and kind. Anything optimistic and happy. This jar fills up pretty fast and I choose the best ones and add them to our positive spirit board.

These are a few synonyms for mindfulness: I ask students to add these to their vocabulary to expand our understanding and expression of what mindfulness means.

diligence
interest
enthusiasm
consideration
prudence
vigilance
concentration
caution
thought
circumspection
direction

Each of these words to me are visceral. They make me feel a totally different thing, yet they are all part of mindfulness. I explain to my students every day that mindfulness is learned. We are not born mindful. We have to practice it. We have to nurture it. We have to cultivate it daily. We are great at it some days and others not so much. We have to forgive ourselves, for the moments when we forget to be mindful and look for moments where we can be, so we can make up for them.

Mindfulness is an on going process with ups and downs and we have to keep both wolves in check. They both are our companions and if we have a classroom full of wolves, its inevitable we will have some clashes. We just need to stay vigilant, diligent and considerate- this will keep our angry wolf at bay more often and our happy wolf full and enthusiastic.