Heat is ON

Here we are in the middle of October and still experiencing the heat.  Though we are not strangers to the temperature, we are all experiencing the same emotion about it…GIVE US A BREAK ALREADY!!!  Thank goodness for the rain on Thursday and if the reports are true, we should experience crazy weather like that the next few months.  Though hope is not a strategy, we can hope that the weather energy doesn’t bring with it crazy events on campus.  We can handle the high energy students in the classroom, it’s the unpredictatable we are never sure about.  As my father once told me, “Expect the unexpected”.  That is never more true than it is sitting behind my desk.   Have a splendid weekend…Go Pups! (cue: The Heat Is On – Glenn Frey)

Connectedness

Considering topics for the week, I decided to keep the theme of connectedness.  What are the ‘little things’ we can do to make a student feel more connected at school.  There has been quite a bit of research in the area of relationship building in schools.  Consistent in all the reading I have done, three simple things stand out:  1) Greet students at the door with a friendly ‘Hello, welcome to class’, 2) Listen, 3) Know their name and use it.  We have the opportunity to change lives and create allies or adversaries.  These ‘little things’ may just be the ingredient that begins the transformation.  Of course, a daily dose of these three ‘little things’ may not bring about the change that is desired, but I’ve never read a study that kindness hurts our chances.  Have a spectacular weekend…Go Pups! (cue: You’re a Friend of Mine – Clarence Clemons and Jackson Browne)

Connections

I have always been interested in the interaction between teacher and student.  The professional healthy connection that drives a student to perform for fear that they may just ‘let the teacher down’. That connection is the most powerful and the hardest to achieve.  Sometimes, great teaching is less about curriculum and more about our attitude toward students, our subject, and school.  According to several studies, there are nine essential characteristics that all great teachers display such as: 1) Respect of students, 2) Creating a sense of community and belonging in the classroom, 3) Be warm, accessible, enthusiastic, and caring, 4) Set high expectations, 5) Have a personal love of learning, 6) be a skilled leader, 7) Be able to ‘shift gears’, 8) Collaborate with colleagues, 9) Be professional in all areas.  Teaching is like playing a musical instrument.  It’s difficult to learn, fun when it’s going well, collaborative, and when you become really good, it becomes a natural part of you.  Just as learning the instrument, the rewards are great because you get to change a life. Have an awe-inspiring weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Hall of Fame – The Script)

Just Slow Down

Well, the Dog Bowl has arrived and the heat is still upon us.  Next week we will finally see the arrival of October and some relief from the heat.  By the looks of things in the stores, one would think the end of October was near and Halloween was tomorrow.  It seems retail stores have extended the holiday season so much that we will soon see the Christmas season begin.  Gone are the days when there wasn’t a mention of Christmas until after Thanksgiving.  Whether it be the digital age, retail pressing for profits, or just the pace of life, things are moving fast.  That is why it is all the more important for us to slow down.  Time is the best gift we can give a student or a child.  Take some time for yourself, spend some time with your family, and give some time to the student in need.  We will all be better for it. Have an marvelous weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Too Much Time On My Hands - Styx)

Rule of Thirds

What a week!  As we close this one out, let us take a collective sigh, whew!  Take some time to have perspective.  We come in contact with so many individuals during the passing of our day, and rarely learn the backstory.  Every one of us have to deal with things outside of school, and at times, it effects us here.  Students are the same way.  My rule of thirds is that we are sleeping for 1/3 of our day, at work for 1/3 and at leisure for 1/3.  At any time those thirds cross over, the outcome will not be desirable.  You shouldn’t take leisure or sleep at work, nor should work interrupt the other two.  The events of this week have reminded me at the very minimum, a day is just a day.  To borrow a line from ‘Annie’, “the sun will come out tomorrow.”  When it does, we will be thankful to have another day to get it right.  Have an extraordinary weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Roll With The Changes – REO Speedwagon)

Planting seeds...

The last heatwave is upon us as we look to the second half of the month.  Soon we will be experiencing more mild temperatures and the end of the first grading period signifying 1/6^thof the year.  I asked a student today what their expectation of school for the day would be.  The response was canned, packaged and equal what we expect of our students:  Be in class on time, be respectful, and give it your best effort.  I asked again and explained that I wanted his expectation of what he wanted.  His honest response opened a frank conversation about what school is all about.  Though our discussion may not change behavior, we at the very minimum we came to an understanding and reconciled our expectations.  Maybe in this case the seed planted may yield something positive.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Have an exceptional weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Nothin’ but a Good Time – Poison)

Teachable Moments

Well, September has arrived and with it we have the start of college football.  Whether you follow sports or not, it is difficult to be removed from the sport that captivates so much of society.  The storied programs and the rivalries they have with each other are time honored.  College football season is a time when we can keep college in on the minds of our students.  Whether they are rooting for a program as a fan, or not even understanding what all the fuss is about, it can be our moment to teach about the value of a college education.  Those ‘teachable moments’ can happen several times a day and we should all spend the time.  We never know what we will do or say that may positively impact a life, but we can begin making lists of what can negatively impact one.  The moment you spend may just be what that student needs that will positively impact them for the rest of their life.  Teachable moments…Have a great weekend…Go Pups! (cue: Friday I’m in Love – The Cure)