Happy New Year

2019    Turning the calendar over to a new year, for a lot of people, means starting over, setting goals, creating resolutions. Many are really motivated for the first few weeks. It is a fact that gym memberships sky rocket in January and then by the end of the month, most people go back to their old habits and feel defeated that they fell off the wagon.  They are a loser and will never make their goals.  Eleven months go by and they find themselves gearing up for a motivating new year again.

I don't really believe in New Year's resolutions. I am more of a goal setter. It's true, that if you write down your goals, you are more likely to achieve them. Even if you have set them aside for a while. Don't get me wrong, I love starting a new year and the energy it can bring with the newness. Just the same that I like starting each school year over in August.  It's refreshing and inviting.

Of course there is nothing special about starting in January.  You can start new goals any time of the year.  In fact, I like to re-evaluate in the summer and if need be, self correct a little bit or set some new goals.

I encourage you to set some goals for yourself. It can be for 2019, or for the month of January. Keep setting goals, make them realistic and attainable, but also think outside the box a little. Here are a few of mine for the year:

Complete a Marathon

Connect with a friend on a weekly basis

Read 2-3 books a month

Create more experiences/memories with my family instead of collecting more "things"

Cutting my social media browsing down by 1/3

The scariest goal on my list is a marathon.  This has been an ambition of mine for about 20 years.  For the half marathons that I have completed, after crossing the finish line, I can't imagine running that race all over again.  There is no way my body can will itself through another grueling 13 miles.  However, there is something exciting about putting a really lofty goal on your calendar.  Don't get me wrong, I am terrified to run 26.2 miles.  But I am also excited for a challenge that is probably as hard as anything I have ever done.  Thank goodness I have a great support system and some friends to encourage me along the way.

Today was an easy day.  I am at the start of my training for a half marathon in May.  The full will be in the fall.  It's the days 2 months from now, where I haven't gotten good sleep, my legs ache, the wind is blowing 25 mph and I am just not "feeling" like lacing up my shoes.  Those are going to be the hard days.

What about starting the new year at school.  One of the biggest mistakes that we make coming back is asking kids "how was your break?"  It's just a natural question.  However, there are some kiddos that had a rotten break and would much rather have been here, at school, than not.  Maybe there weren't any presents under the tree, or maybe not even a tree or decorations.  Perhaps the heat had been turned off or there were no family gatherings to go to.  I was once told that instead of saying "how was your break?"  You should just look at each child, smile, and tell them that you are glad they are here.

As you think about starting the second semester, or maybe just as you think about kids and life in general, I hope you take the time to watch this Ted Talk from Rita Pierson.  It is about 7 minutes, but it is worth your while.  Indeed every kid needs a champion, and I hope that you will be a champion for someone.

Every Kid Needs a Champion by Rita Pierson

WELCOME BACK!

It's August and here is what we know:

• it's hot
• summer is winding down
• school supplies and ads are everywhere
• high school students can be seen practicing everywhere
• and....school is starting

Summer is a great time relax and recharge.  Students and teachers both get to have a different routine for a while and it's wonderful.  

But now it's August and the first day of school is 2 days away.  It's time to get the kids back in the building.  After a few months, it's too quiet around here.

Our elementary Open House was tonight and it filled my heart to see so many smiles and get lots of hugs.  School is a happy place.  It's a place where kids come to feel loved, to learn, to create, to explore, to fail, to succeed, to make friends, to skin their knees and reach new heights.

A new year is beginning, and it is going to be awesome!  

The Latest Books in My Bag

Culturize by Jimmy Casas is the latest book that I am diving into. Word is getting out that I love to read based on 3 gift cards to Barnes and Noble over the holidays. Reading provides so much power. You have heard the phrase, "Knowledge is power." Fostering a love for literature in your home or your classroom turns out students who love reading. Reading and having a love for literature comes in so many different forms these days. It used to just be books you got from the library. In our modern world, literature is reading from our phones or tablets, magazines, websites, twitter feeds, FB stories, comic books or graphic novels, the newspaper, signs around the room or out in public...the list is endless.

There are several classrooms who have taken advantage of DEAR time this year and it is paying off big dividends. These classrooms are dedicated to setting aside a consistent time out of each day for silent reading. The teachers are participating too! There is always a new book on their desks with sticky notes in a different location so I know that they are reading. Students are just devouring books at a record pace and sharing with their friends. It truly is exciting to see. If you haven't taken advantage of DEAR time and been consistent with it, now is the time to start with the beginning of a new semester.

It doesn't matter if the students don't know how to read every word in a book, they are looking, exploring, guessing, or creating their own story in their head. They are learning to love books and getting excited about the day that they can read all of the words on the page.

The book Culturize is about what it takes to create a community of learners who embody the innately human traits our world desperately needs: kindness, honesty, and compassion. It talks about how to be an Awesomizer instead of an Awfulizer and how what we model is what we get.

My colleagues have said that it is quite possibly the best professional book they have read! I can't wait to see what is discovered between the pages!