Why Do You Do This?

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. Sorry it was late this week.

Why Do You Do This? —

We are close to being done. This 5-Point Friday has been something I have done for a while. I based it on a 5 Bullet Friday that Tim Ferris does every week. His is more about items and ideas he uses to help people be better, but I wanted to do something that forced me to learn something new every week. This email is more for me to write about my thoughts and share the articles, videos, and a few ideas and share them with you. I feel that I need to model the learning I want teachers and students to do. If I am a Learning Coach and I expect those around me to learn, I need to model that by learning and sharing my learning with those around me. It has forced me to read more, keep my eyes open for things that would help you as well as me, and hopefully somewhere in these emails there will be something you can use in your classroom or just cause you to reflect about teaching. Some Thursdays I have not wanted to write, but I felt I needed to whether anyone reads it or not. I learned that I needed to do this early on. 

Quote I’m pondering —

With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world.-- Dalai Lama

What’s Happening —

Mon. May 6 - TAT 4th-5th Grade 8:15 Mon. May 6 - Dibels 9-12 Mon. May 6 - Assembly 9:30 Mon. May 6 - Kinder Program Tues. May 7 - Dibels 9-12 Tues. May 7 - Bike Assembly 1:30 Tues. May 7 - Kinder Program Wed., May 8 - Bike to School 8-9 Wed., May 8 - Kinder Program Fri., May 10 - Last Day Take Home Library Fri. May 10 - Bus Ride Karaoke 1:30	Mon. May 13 - No Kinder Tues. May 14 - No Kinder Tues. May 14 - Strong Man Assembly 2:30 Wed., May 15 - No Kinder Thu., May 16 - No Kinder Thu., May 16 - Fifth Grade Program 1:30 Fri., May 17 - No Kinder May 23 - Last Day of School
May 6-10 - Lunch Workers: Din and 2 from Tuitavuki/Marchant	May 13-17- Lunch Workers: Cox and 2 from Bringhurst/Seegmiller

Favorite Article This Week —

2 Ways To Think This Not That

We are our own toughest critic. A few changes in the way we talk to ourselves will help us be less critical of ourselves. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you, teachers. You are all amazing. Thank you for choosing this path in life. For caring about children enough to want to help them be successful. Thank you for endless hours of planning, preparation, helping students, and making sure each child is receiving gate best education possible. Even though what you have to do is difficult at times, you make it fun. You have the power to change lives and you take it seriously. Thank you for taking the time to shape the minds of students and your colleagues. Thank you for being teachers. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

Finding the Why

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Finding the Why —

During the tech class we watched a Ted Talk by Simon Sinek about starting with Why to inspire others. So why do you teach? I know that you love teaching, I know that you love students and want to make their lives better. I know that you would do almost anything to help our students. So the question is how are we marketing our information to students so they are sold on our product. Our product is knowledge and problem-solving. Do we start with the why with students so they know why it is important for them to know the information we are giving to them? If you were the student, would you be sold on the information you are teaching? How do we get them hooked so they run into and not out of class each day? What is it that will make them want the information? It was a great thought provoking video for me.

Quote I’m pondering —

"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." —Thomas S. Monson

What I’m watching —

The Power of Yet

Thinking about what Alma is teaching us this year with the Growth Mindset, I thought of this fun little video.

Favorite Article This Week —

Differentiation Is Just Too Difficult: Myth-Busting

I read through this and thought about how hard I thought differentiation would be when I started looking at implementing it. This article has some great ideas to think about. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you second grade. Thank you for your work with Mindset implementation. Hearing some of the stories you tell about how it is being used in your classes is great for the students. I also want to thank you for handing out the first few Principal 200 club. It is also great that you have started looking at how you can start CSIP. Thank you second grade for all your hard work. We appreciate what you do. Thank you.

PS —

The thank you point is getting harder to show just one team because all the amazing work that is going on in our school. Just know that we see what is happening at school. Thank you

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.  Have a wonderful three day weekend.