Recharging Your Soul

We all know the value of a vacation.  We work hard all year, and then plan, arrange and organize those special weeks we set aside for travel, distraction and relaxation.  My problem with vacations is that I put so much effort into maximizing them, that I often come home more tired than before I left.  Now, don’t get me wrong...I come home relaxed and rejuvenated, I just also come home wanting my routines back, ready for my own bed, and wanting some early nights to catch up on my sleep. 

Take my special birthday trip to Las Vegas last month, for example: 

Did we have fun?  Yes.                                                                                  

Did the right people join us?  Yes.

Did we pack in everything that we wanted to do and more?  Yes.

Was I tired for a week afterwards?  Yes.

Was it worth it?  Most definitely.

Could I do it again next month?  No way.

We have to plan these special weekends, with the right people and the right things to do.  Sometimes it’s with our whole family, and sometimes just the adults.  Sometimes it’s with friends, and sometimes not.  Sometimes it’s for a weekend, and sometimes it’s longer.  The point is to recognize the need for a recharge, and while it’s easy to do that when our “holidays” are mapped out for us a year in advance, what about those times when we are in between holidays, in between vacations, and we still need a recharge?

I plan little mini mind breaks for myself.  Sometimes, they involve a hobby that I find therapeutic:  fly fishing, tying flies for fly fishing, gardening, reading or running.  Sometimes, they are simple little “staycations” at the beach with my family, or a quiet afternoon by the pool.  And, sometimes, they are more formalized around some sort of professional growth, personal growth or in-service:  a conference, a workshop, a training session or other learning opportunity.  This weekend, I have signed up for a workshop as a little battery recharge to keep me going until Spring Break in a couple of weeks.  My local fly shop has brought in a celebrity, of sort, to run a fly tying class.  While I am a very advanced fly tyer in my own right, I am really looking forward to learning some new tricks of the trade from a respected master.  Perhaps next week, I will let you know how it all goes?

The thing is that we can get lost spending time trying to fix everyone else, when what we really need to remember that by ignoring ourselves, and breaking down, we are no good to anyone.  Even if that recharge comes from squirreling away for 30 minutes to yourself, it might be the most important thing that you do that day.  Good luck finding the things that you need to recharge yourself!

Brain Research and the Classroom--Keeping the Brain Engaged

I went to an excellent in-service last night on brain research and its implications on the classroom.  Here are some of my nuggets and their ramifications for learning.

Nugget:  Attention produces retention; therefore, more engagement leads to improved achievement.

Classroom implications:  We need to improve student engagement not only in every lesson, but also throughout each lesson.  I often use a sports analogy when talking to my teachers about this.  Think of the basketball coach that selects the best player to come up to the front and demonstrate game skills for the class, and then has the rest of the class line up and attempt the drill one at a time.  While he might be modeling exactly what they are trying to achieve and giving them one-on-one attention, only one person is engaged in practicing the activity at one time and the rest are watching (and disengaged).  Now, think of the coach that demonstrates the skill, and then pairs the players up to practice at all of the secondary hoops around the gym.  Now, everyone is involved and engaged.  Everyone is practicing, and the partner off the ball can be the one trying to help “coach” the skill.  In a classroom, teachers often rely too heavily on the high achievers for answers, ideas and input into class discussions.  This leaves everyone else to sit and listen and try to figure out what is going on.  How about pairing the kids up, modeling them some rules for pair sharing, and having them do the talking back and forth?  Instead of a few students having one very deep discussion, you will have all of the students having many smaller discussions—but all of the students will be engaged.

Nugget:  Episodic memory is the most brain-friendly memory.

Classroom implications:  Episodic memories have a clear beginning and end, and include a location.  These were the types of memories that early humans needed for survival (ex. Where does the predator hide?  Where did we find the food?).  A good modern-day example is our memories of 911.  Most of us remember exactly where we were when we heard the breaking news of 911;  however, how many of us remember the details of the day before or of the day after?  If we can create episodes in our classrooms that include surprises or unexpected events, emotion, unique arrangements and decorations, or even having the teacher teach the lesson from the back of the room, we can create episodes that will help cement that learning into a our students’ memories.  We want to create emotions to tag content for memory;  as emotions stimulate the hippocampus, anything followed by emotion will be remembered.

Nugget:  The brain remembers novel stimuli better than routine stimuli.

Classroom implications:  Try something new.  We are not talking about being a constant entertainer to the class, rather, trying to use a different approach to teach the same thing.  Project-based learning gives everyone the same blueprint, and then allows the flexibility for each student or student group to put their energy into something unique to them.  Instead of watching the Hollywood movie at the end of a novel study, have the students write a movie script for the book.  What key parts would they make sure to keep in their movie?  What parts would they drop out?  What parts would be the hardest to translate to the silver screen?

Nugget:  The brain remembers pictures more naturally than it does words.

Classroom implications:  Make the students add pictures to their notes.  Even if they are doodles in the margin, the students will have a visual image to connect to the content when they are reviewing their notes for your test.

Nugget:  Mnemonic devices help learners attach new content to previously memorized content.

Classroom implications:  Let’s refer back to number 4.  If we attach mnemonic devices to clear images, and then tag those images to new content, we can cement that content into our memory.

Nugget:  Your classroom is filled with very different kinds of learners.

Classroom implications:  You better have instructions and activities that appeal to a variety of learners.  For example, if you only focus on the fine details, those that more naturally see the big picture will be frustrated because they do not “know where this is going”.  They will be completing disconnected tasks instead of building the components that are leading to something bigger.  What about your visual learners?  Your interpersonal learners?  Your bodily kinesthetic learners?

Nugget:  Time pressures stress the brain and engage the amygdala.  This happens more in boys.

Classroom implications:  The amygdala release stress hormones that fire our most primitive part of the brain (our reptilian brain).  This is the part of the brain that controls our fight or flight impulses, and once engaged, the reptilian brain will downshift the rest of the brain.  That means that once the reptilian brain is engaged, the rest of our brain functions are pushed to the side until our reptilian brain feels that the “danger” is gone and can calm down.  If we are stressed about how much time is left on a test, we certainly will not have the higher functioning parts of our brain working towards the ‘A’ that our parents/coaches/university entrance requirements are looking for  (geez, more stress…).

Nugget:  The average teacher takes 1 minute to refocus a class following an activity, and does this 15 times a day.

Classroom implications:  15 minutes a day times 5 days equals 75 minutes a week.  Times that by 4 weeks a month and 10 months a year, and, well you get the picture.  It looks like some of these strategies to engage the brain—and keep the students engaged with you and your lesson--might actually save instructional time after all.  So...keep those brains active and engaged!

Imaginary Conversations

Do you ever find yourself having imaginary conversations?  You know the kind that you have in your head to prepare yourself for a real conversation that you are dreading.  The ones where you are so articulate in what you have to say, where you have a counter for everything that they say, and you can really stick it to them on every point.  The kind that get you so riled up inside because you can’t believe that they actually said what they did, and good for you for backing them down.

The kind that do not actually happen.

I was talking to a few students this week about the difference between perceptions and what really happened.  We talked about framing our days in a positive way to ensure that we have a good day, and then turned our attention towards those days where we were feeling down and out.  We agreed that if we started out our day really feeling bad, that the chances of us having a good day were very low.  Even worse, our chances of having something go wrong in our day go up.  Way up.

In one conversation, we talked about these imaginary conversations—the ones that haven’t happened yet—and what they do to our psyche.  The student listened, and then sat back, pensive as can be.  After a while, he looked up and said “wow”.  He really felt that the conflict that he was having had a lot to do with him coming into interactions ready to have a conflict.  We talked about how this type of thing rarely happens with those that we feel close to; we are always willing to let things—misquotes, silly behaviour, etc—slide with the people that we feel closest to.

I think that sometimes we spend so much energy feeling bad about something that happens, that we set ourselves up for failure by perseverating on the negative.  We spend too much energy on the “how” something was said instead of the “what” was actually said.  I always talk about predicting the day ahead of us by taking stock of our own mental state.  For example, if I come to school grumpy, tired and in conflict with someone in my life, I set myself up to misinterpret someone else’s actions and words.  If I am feeling sensitive, I need to prepare myself to step back when I feel picked on instead of rising up to confront it.  I find that by taking a closer look at myself and how I am reacting to any given day, gives me pause and more compassion towards someone else and what they might be going through in their day.  And, it’s that pause and compassion that have helped me to avoid those nasty imaginary conversations in the first place.

Science Fair is Everywhere

Wow, what an amazing display of learning.  It is Science Fair week at our school, and we have displays on everything from eleastic bands, to rotting fruit, from student-designed video games to beds of nails that support 16 pounds on top of a balloon, to what things are going on in the minds of dogs and cats.  Overall, the breadth of topics is almost overwhelming.  Most of all, it is a celebration of learning where the student is at the very centre of their own learning;  while they all used the same formula, every project and procedure was unique to the learner.

This is what learning is all about!

We've got laptops, now what?

For a small school, we have it pretty good.  We have a decent computer lab, and a full laptop cart.  We have 2 SmartBoards, 3 document cameras and a few projectors.  Things are moving along.

I think that getting used to these tools is the first step.  But then what?  Integrating the technology into the instruction takes these devices and turns them into collaborative learning tools.  Here is a list of free things that can really make a difference in a classroom.

My Favourite Collaborative Tools for your Classroom

·         Wordle – wordle lets us make word clouds (see image above).  Following a brainstorming session, type all of the words into Wordle and you will get a word cloud that prioritizes words repeated more by making them bigger.  Try it yourself:  http://www.wordle.net.

·         Wikis – a wiki is a website where users can add, modify or delete content from multiple places at once.  I have used wikis to build family reunion food lists, to create meeting agendas, as a platform for book club discussions, and for my own research (Wikipedia.org).  Try a building a free wiki yourself at http://www.wikispaces.com.

·         Googledocs – is a free, web-based office suite and data storage service offered by Google that allows users to create and edit documents online in real time with other users.  Googledocs allows you to have two kids working on the same presentation, at the same time, from each of their individual home computers.  How’s that for collaboration?  https://docs.google.com.

·         Skype – allows you free audio and video calls over the Internet with other Skype users.  Last September, my daughter had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to New Zealand with her mom.  She has a pretty tech savvy teacher who agreed to work with me on connecting my daughter and New Zealand with her classroom back home.  At pre-arranged times during the trip, she would Skype the class and do a questions and answer period with them.  I had her use her iPod Touch for this, so when someone asked “Is it pretty in New Zealand?” she simply walked outside, flipped cameras and showed them.  Pretty neat, huh?  http://www.skype.com.

·         Content publishing tools (a.k.a. blogs) – Well, you are reading this, aren’t you?

Celebrating the Small

I had a conversation with a student today, and it was a challenging one.  And unfortunately, as events would have it, things conspired to ensure that it was a challenging one. 

But this time, I bucked the trend;  I was bound and determined to bring this conversation to a positive finish.  I even told the student that no matter which way the conversation went, that we would find a way to end it on a positive note.  I told the student that we would wrap up with a positive step forward.

In high school, someone told me that a kick in the butt was still a step forward.  They were right; however, I have found that it often takes a lot of thought and reflection (and help) to see that step—especially in a positive light.  It is about refining your moments instead of them define you.  Some people call this “flipping it”, taking something negative and flipping it into something good.  It’s a shift:  a very meaningful and planned shift in thinking, in acting and in being.

We did end on a positive note, albeit it a small one.  Getting upset was the easy way out;  it is too easy for a pair of people to get upset about something or about each other.  It is much more difficult—and much more rewarding—to work together to find a positive step to end on.  I chose to end with a positive step forward today because that gives us something better to start on the next time that we have a conversation.  It was definitely more work and took more energy, but we each left the conversation in a better place than we were during the events that led to it.  It can take a tonne of energy to find the small victories, but once you take the time to look you will be amazed at how often you do find them.

Sometimes, finding something small is the biggest thing that you can do.

Connecting with Kids

As I wade through  the pile of FSAs, DPA surveys, requests for performances at school, teacher evaluations, calls to return, funding requests, requests for funding, new students files and documents to be reviewed before adding into student files on my desk, it’s easy to feel up to my eyeballs in “stuff”.  I even have a lamentated picture of an alligator on my door that I can flip over for just such emergencies.  But, I digress...

It’s funny because as I sit here, cringing at a pile that is s l o w l y disappearing, feeling a bit empty and—I’ll say it—a little unfulfilled that my day hasn’t just jumped up and bit me the way I see a strong cup of Joe perk my wife into attention each morning.  And as I sit here, wondering if that is what is supposed to happen, I find myself smirking—in a reflective way—that the answers I am looking for aren’t just staring at me in the face, but they left my own mouth earlier today in a heart-to-heart with one of my students. 

“You are in charge of the kind of day that you will have”. 

It kind of echoes in my head.

“When you find yourself stuck in a rut, feeling negative and lost, you have the skills and ability to pull yourself up and make a difference for yourself.  I believe in you.”

I believe in me, too.

“You can be an agent of change for yourself”

That’s it!  I know what to do.

 “Put on your big boy pants, and get on with what is important...”

No, wait...that was Lisa’s voice.  Sorry.

I guess I have to take my own advice.  Now, I am not upset like my student, but I am starting to get into a rut today.  You know, the kind that you make with your boot in the snow when you drag the toe back and forth as you pretend to be giving your full attention to the person debriefing you about their day in  a way that just doesn’t seem aware enough about how you feel about how much you want to get skiing.  It’s just a little rut, and a swipe of the heel or a dusting of new powder will wash it all away.  The problem is not just the day dreaming, the wanting to do something else, to be in another moment.  The problem is that if you don’t perk yourself up, that if you don’t act as an agent of change for yourself, that this line in the snow will become a rut.

And, ruts become trip hazards.

The beauty of today is that I have 258 reasons to connect with.  258 eager little minds, all wanting to share something amazing from their day.  258 relationships that need stoking.

258 agents of change.

The connection to kids part of the job is, well, the most important part of the job.  Actually, it is the job.  Period.  Everything that we build here rests on the relationships that we have kindled, stoked and refuelled.  Everything.  The learning, our safety, our needs, our culture.  Everything.

So, I am out.  I am pushing aside this pile of "stuff" and heading to a some classrooms for some visits.  I will try to slide in and see what teachers are teaching and what students are learning.  I will see who is contributing to a great day, and who needs a little pick-me-up.  If it's anything like yesterday, I will hear about loose teeth, gingerbread men (and gingerbread cowboys), a mouse in a house, yesterday’s playdates and the excitement about the upcoming weekend.  I will have a laugh and try to share some laughs, and then when I come back to my office this afternoon, I will flip through that pile of “stuff” like it was nothing.

And I will go home feeling full.