Learner. Human. Joyologist.
So, I'm simply asking us what it would look like to spend a little less time focused on what we are doing and what other people are doing and more time genuinely interested in being. Being together. Being present with others. Being interested in people and their stories and their childhoods. Being interested in our stories and childhoods too.
If you want to inspire meaningful learning for students, inspire meaningful learning for staff. Sincere classroom learning begins with a sincere and consistent effort to trust and inspire the educators who work hard every day to make a meaningful impact on students. When we take good care of adults and their learning in schools, it allows them to take great care of kids and their learning. - Legacy of Learning
In his book, Better Days, Neil Allen describes what he playfully calls our parasite or superego. You know, that voice that tells you things are not enough, not good enough, and therefore you are not enough and not good enough so why bother trying? He explains how essential it is that we view that voice as separate from ourselves, so we can become critical consumers of the messages we receive. One strategy for doing so is to give your superego a name. I was talking to my friends Kelly Croy and Joe Miller the other day on The Wired Educator podcast, and I asked them what they would name their superegos. Kelly playfully remarked that he didn't know but it would be a bad name, haha. I love that! Anne Lamott calls her parasite, "The Governess."
So, please give a little extra love this week. Please try to extend a little grace. There are little hearts and minds who are worried about what will happen while they are away from school. Sometimes attention seeking behavior is actually connection seeking behavior. And an escalated adult cannot deescalate a child.
And the only thing you control at the end of the day is you. So, you either change yourself or you change where you grow. These are our only options. But let's be thoughtful about who we build with in 2024.
We must learn to be our own champions in that way. We must learn to love ourselves through the process of learning and evolving. Not only because we deserve that but also because it's important to model that kind of self-love for others. I truly believe that this is a strategy for changing the world.
I wish every teacher could feel what that moment felt like to me. I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes from the book, Wonder, "I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives."
It's book launch day for Legacy of Learning: Teaching for Lasting Impact!
Secondary teachers don't often get to experience the scope of a students day. So, it's easy to make assumptions regarding how much our students are reading, writing, and moving. The teachers who participated in this experience said they felt like they needed more opportunities to get out of their seats to keep their energy levels and thinking levels up.
The sun was shining and the vibes were high on Friday after work. I pulled into a local gas station which also serves as a convenience store and ice cream shop. A woman ordered an ice cream and upon making it for her and handing it across the counter, the young lady who scooped the... Continue Reading →
MEGHAN LAWSON 