This video made me think about ways we could help students improve their own mental outlook by practicing gratitude.  Watch it and let's see if some ideas begin to sprout.

I am thankful for the opportunity to spend my days with each and every one of you at Venture.  This work is a challenging blessing and I am thankful to be part of something that matters.  It's a journey directed toward a destination that can never be reached and completely embodies the notion of finding joy in the journey.  What are you thankful for that makes your heart happy?

PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR CLASSROOM INVENTORY!!!  Thank you!

Grades:  Please make sure that when students are missing assignments that it calculates as a zero.  We go back and forth about this every year trying to find the perfect solution (apparently, there isn't one) but if we don't calculate zeros, students think they have pretty good grades.   For example, I was speaking to a young man yesterday who assured me he had A's despite his 9 absences.  Indeed, an A was calculated for two of his grades even though he'd only turned in less than half the assignments.  

When parents and students see the gradebooks they should either have a sense of urgency (generated by a low grade) or a sense of joy (generated by an authentic high grade).  Worst case scenario is they have a sense of joy generated by a false high grade.  Explaining to parents that an A is actually an F (or incomplete) is among my least favorite conversations. Please check your gradebooks before going home on Friday to make sure that student grades accurately reflect their learning.

Bus/Parking lot duty: Mazhan and Posey

Monday 10/31:  PD- Certified Staff: agenda

Tuesday  11/1: Kaiser out

Wednesday 11/2: Kaiser out

Thursday 11/3: Extended learning    

Friday 11/4: 4th Wellness

Bus/Parking lot duty: Penske and Gonzalez

Monday 11/7:  PD- Certified Staff: Agenda

Tuesday  11/8: 

Wednesday 11/9:

Thursday 11/10: Extended learning    

Friday 11/11: Staff Work Day; Suicide Prevention 11:00

Bus/Parking lot duty: Gaynor and Higgs

Monday 11/14:  Non Work day

Tuesday  11/15: 

Wednesday 11/16:

Thursday 11/17: No Extended Learning: Thanksgiving Dinner  

Friday 11/18:

Bus/Parking lot duty: No One!

Monday 11/21:  Enjoy your day!

Tuesday  11/22: Enjoy your day!

Wednesday 11/23: Enjoy your day!

Thursday 11/24: Thanksgiving

Friday 11/25: Enjoy your day!

 

Calm

How are you doing?  With your instructional planning, with your students, with your own personal lives?  For me, mid-October often marks a shift in my energy and I feel a bit frantic about how little is getting crossed off my to-do list.  With so much pulling at our time and energy, how do we stay calm when teenage attitude enters the equation?  

Maintaining a mindful presence is challenging when everything is going well, finding a calm space when things are hectic and behaviors border on outrageous can feel impossible.  And yet our best outcomes are waiting for us in our fully intact, calm brains.  Here are some of my tricks for keeping my prefrontal cortex in control, my limbic system untriggered, and my responses solution-focused.

• Imagine myself as a tree: solid, unmoving, roots going deep into the ground, impervious to shifting winds.
• Think of myself as clinically managing a clinical situation as opposed to having a personal interaction and thinking of it as personally about me.  
• Give myself a few minutes to process.  They can wait in another room.  The conversation that must happen will be on my time, not theirs.
• Think about the loudness of my voice and get quieter.  
• Think about firefighters, paramedics and police officers.  They get calm and quiet as a situation escalates, they don't yell and frantic.  I like to imagine myself being as professional and controlled as they are.
• Drink water.  Funny how easy it is to forget that.
• Sleep.  Another easy thing to forget
• Exercise.  Outside.  In nature. Also easy to not do.

In the interest of keeping it real, I have some other. less Zen-like mantras and habits that help me keep my calm.  What do you do?  It helps to have a plan in place before things feel frustrating.

TBRI:  This video is worth the 15 minutes.  But if you don't have 15 minutes, the last 8 minutes are especially valuable.

Video Link

Bus/Parking lot duty: Cooley and Smith

Monday 10/17:  Non Work Day

Tuesday  10/18: Kaiser out

Wednesday 10/19: Kaiser out

Thursday 10/20: Kaiser out Extended learning    

Friday 10/21: 3rd Wellness

Bus/Parking lot duty: Baker and Doering

Monday 10/24:  Non Work Day

Tuesday  10/25: 

Wednesday 10/26: Kaiser out@am

Thursday 10/27: Extended learning    

Friday 10/28: Picture Make up day, Halloween BBQ and Field day

Bus/Parking lot duty: Mazhan and Posey

Monday 10/31:  PD- Certified Staff: agenda

Tuesday  11/1: 

Wednesday 11/2:

Thursday 11/3: Extended learning    

Friday 11/4: 4th Wellness

 

Bus/Parking lot duty: Hook and Fehling

Monday 10/10:  PD Day - Certified Staff: Agenda

Tuesday  10/11: 

Wednesday 10/12: PSAT day School for 9, 10, 11 No school for 12th

Thursday 10/13: Extended learning    

Friday 10/14: 2nd Wellness

Bus/Parking lot duty: Cooley and Smith

Monday 10/17:  Non Work Day

Tuesday  10/18: Kaiser out

Wednesday 10/19: Kaiser out

Thursday 10/20: Kaiser out Extended learning    

Friday 10/21: 3rd Wellness

Bus/Parking lot duty: Cooley and Smith

Monday 10/24:  Non Work Day

Tuesday  10/25: 

Wednesday 10/26:

Thursday 10/27: Extended learning    

Friday 10/28: Picture Make up day, Halloween BBQ and Field day