Every 3-4 weeks at work, we hold a day of Professional Development. Today's theme was Feel the Love. We had heart stickers, Valentine's Day foam stickers, and Valentine's candy, and we wore red or pink. We also played "love" music.
In order to reach every teacher on campus, we repeat our session each period. We start about 5 minutes into the period and try to finish a few minutes early.
Today, we began by having the teachers reflect on the activity they did since the
last one (using a behavioral strategy). We discussed the Kisses and (Cupid's) Misses. (This was our create way of discussing Glows and Grows.)
We then asked the teachers to write as
many ways to say or show praise with students. We kind of did
Scattegories. One person read their list. If anyone had the same
word/phrase, they marked it out. We went around a few times. The person
with the most left was the winner.
We then had half the teachers read an excerpt from Fundamental Five by Sean Cain, and half read an article my Principal found that I
retyped on positivity with students. To summarize their reading, they
wrote a tweet and then some shared out. A co-worker created this cute third of a page slip of paper with the Twitter symbol for the teachers to record their tweets.
We then did a Temperament Survey and let
the teachers discuss their findings.
We then explained that depending on their temperament, it may or may
not be easy to praise students.
Their homework is to use a list of 100+
statements to praise students and challenge themselves to say more and
more praises as the days pass. They are to journal about their process and outcomes. We asked then to continue working on their behavioral strategy from last time and to continue journaling about it too.
We will meet again in 3-4 weeks to discuss how they did.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
My school has implemented PBIS this year with the theme of SWAGG. We want our students to be Successful, Wise, Accountable, Giving, and Goal Oriented. The students have an ID card and lanyard. As long as they have it on them, they can receive various positive rewards. If they do not make a wise choice, it can be removed for no more than 24 hours. During that time, the student loses his/her privileges.
To help reinforce this each six weeks, a group of educators on my campus has created videos. Take a look at their amazing work . . .
SWAGG – So Keep Yours Maybe
Swaggalicious
(This is one of my favorites. I think the rapper is hilarious!)
Hey Ho Trailer
To help reinforce this each six weeks, a group of educators on my campus has created videos. Take a look at their amazing work . . .
SWAGG – So Keep Yours Maybe
Swaggalicious
(This is one of my favorites. I think the rapper is hilarious!)
Hey Ho Trailer
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Quotes
I love quotes! When working with teachers or groups of people, I try to find a quote that fits with our focus. I have also chosen quotes throughout my life as my mantra to help me get through each situation.
I love how Criminal Minds uses quotes in each episode. This last week, Dr. Spencer Reid said the closing quote: "Sometimes the hardest part isn't letting go but rather learning to start over" by Nicole Sobon.
This hit home with me. Everything I am going through, processing, feeling . . .
Do you use quotes? Do you have a favorite?
I love how Criminal Minds uses quotes in each episode. This last week, Dr. Spencer Reid said the closing quote: "Sometimes the hardest part isn't letting go but rather learning to start over" by Nicole Sobon.
This hit home with me. Everything I am going through, processing, feeling . . .
Do you use quotes? Do you have a favorite?
Bronze Award Project
Our January 25th meeting was all business. We don't like to do an "all business" meeting, but we had to have discussions that needed to lead to a decision and then planning for the Bronze Aware project/award. The girls had created a list of ideas a few months ago. Last night, we broke them into two groups. Each group was asked to narrow the choices down to their top three. Once both groups had three, we discussed them and then narrowed them down to one. Both groups chose two that were the same and then each had a different one. After discussing projects other local troops have done and some future projects, the girls decided to make bags/baskets for church shut-ins for four holidays between now and the end of May. They chose Valentine's Day, a Girl Scouts themed one to deliver on Girl Scout Sunday, Easter, and Spring. Once they had their concept and four holidays, they brainstormed a list of items to give elderly church members for each theme. J and I bought the items for the Valentine's gifts based on their lists and a few things we know about the church members. The girls will spend the February 1st meeting putting things together.
Caring for the Elderly
Continuing to watch my mother care for my grandmother has been an eye-opening experience.
Today, like most Saturdays lately, Mom and I loaded Granny into the car to run errands, have lunch, and go to the store (i.e. Walmart). This not only gets Granny out of the house, but it allows Mom to get out and about with other people. You would think it would be a nice break, but the whole process of taking Granny anywhere is quite exhausting.
Each time we go to the store, Granny reminds me of a toddler shopping with his/her parents--looking at everything on the shelves, pointing to things she wants, asking over and over for items until she gets them or you leave, grabbing items from shelves when we roll her to close, and more. The worst is going down the bread aisle and passing all the Little Debbie sweets. She points and grabs all kinds of different sweets. She loves Donut Sticks, little donuts, and Honey Buns. The second worst is waiting in the check-out lane. She looks at all the candy, grabbing a few, and the various impulse items lining the waiting area.
Today, she was all about getting three different sizes of storage bags, Pop Tarts, lipstick, and a small bag. To you, this may not seem like a big deal, but Mom does everything at the house, so she knows what is needed and what isn't. Granny pretty much sits in her chair or in bed. Other than the puzzle in the daily paper, she doesn't do anything. Not that we haven't tried! I just find it funny what she insists on getting and how childlike she is going about it.
Besides this, she is all about the sweets. If at all possible, she would eat sweets all day long. She eats far more syrup on her waffles or pancakes than a family of 6 could eat in one sitting. She eats Donut Sticks, snack cakes, candy, and anything else sweet that you could imagine, and that is all she wants. Poor, Mom. She has to fight the sweets all day and make sure Granny eats all the food groups and gets enough protein. It is quite a fight. Just like when parents try to get their young children to eat appropriately.
I have been concerned about my mom from the beginning. She isn't in the best health, but she insists on doing this. Granny has Dementia, so we are learning how to deal with that. I have noticed that my mom has started forgetting things. I'm not sure how serious it is just yet, but it does worry me.
Anyone else caring for the elderly? What have you noticed? What do you fight? How do you survive?
Today, like most Saturdays lately, Mom and I loaded Granny into the car to run errands, have lunch, and go to the store (i.e. Walmart). This not only gets Granny out of the house, but it allows Mom to get out and about with other people. You would think it would be a nice break, but the whole process of taking Granny anywhere is quite exhausting.
Each time we go to the store, Granny reminds me of a toddler shopping with his/her parents--looking at everything on the shelves, pointing to things she wants, asking over and over for items until she gets them or you leave, grabbing items from shelves when we roll her to close, and more. The worst is going down the bread aisle and passing all the Little Debbie sweets. She points and grabs all kinds of different sweets. She loves Donut Sticks, little donuts, and Honey Buns. The second worst is waiting in the check-out lane. She looks at all the candy, grabbing a few, and the various impulse items lining the waiting area.
Today, she was all about getting three different sizes of storage bags, Pop Tarts, lipstick, and a small bag. To you, this may not seem like a big deal, but Mom does everything at the house, so she knows what is needed and what isn't. Granny pretty much sits in her chair or in bed. Other than the puzzle in the daily paper, she doesn't do anything. Not that we haven't tried! I just find it funny what she insists on getting and how childlike she is going about it.
Besides this, she is all about the sweets. If at all possible, she would eat sweets all day long. She eats far more syrup on her waffles or pancakes than a family of 6 could eat in one sitting. She eats Donut Sticks, snack cakes, candy, and anything else sweet that you could imagine, and that is all she wants. Poor, Mom. She has to fight the sweets all day and make sure Granny eats all the food groups and gets enough protein. It is quite a fight. Just like when parents try to get their young children to eat appropriately.
I have been concerned about my mom from the beginning. She isn't in the best health, but she insists on doing this. Granny has Dementia, so we are learning how to deal with that. I have noticed that my mom has started forgetting things. I'm not sure how serious it is just yet, but it does worry me.
Anyone else caring for the elderly? What have you noticed? What do you fight? How do you survive?
Monday, January 21, 2013
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day/Weekend
How did you spend Martin Luther King, Jr. Day weekend?
Did you watch the Inauguration? I absolutely love hearing The Battle Hymn of the Republic!
Did you go somewhere fun with the family?
Did you try a new recipe?
Yesterday, I decluttered the corner hutch in the kitchen along with the microwave stand and a built in cabinet/hutch. I gave it a once over with the dust rag too. I attempted to straighten the desk area in the office/library/front room. I didn't get very far with that. I did a few other things no one will ever notice too.
Today, after my morning workout and taking care of a few errands, I decided to do a little more cleaning. While doing a little laundry, I decided to throw in the bathroom shower curtain and liner. I took the rod down to give it a good bleaching. It has rusted and left a yucky reddish, orangeish, black stripe down one side and a reddish, orangeish stripe down another. I got some of it off, but it is still noticeable. I'm not sure what else to do. Maybe paint it? I also cleaned the sink and fronts of the bottom kitchen cabinets and dishwasher. Microwave is fairly clean. I dusted my bedroom ceiling fan too. After throwing the last load in the dryer, I decided to take out the middle spinner thing from the washer. It was so gross underneath. I went to the following websites to see how to clean my top loading washing machine--
Ask Anna: How to Clean the Washing Machine and One Good Thing by Jillee: How to Clean Your {Top-Leader} Washing Machine. I wiped down the washer and dryer while waiting.
Well, after an hour and a half of water and vinegar, it ran through the whole cycle. It looked clean as I looked inside. However, I took the middle spinner off again, and it hadn't changed. I poured a little bleach directly on that gross, grey stuff. I decided to make sure it was all covered and soaking. I left it for about an hour. I filled it with hot water just to cover the gross area and then ran the rest of the cycle without the spinner thing on it. Well, when looking into the washer, it looks very clean. However, the process did nothing for the yucky grey stuff under the spinner.
Now . . . if someone would come sweep, vacuum, and clean the bathrooms. :-)
While we are in the midst of Girl Scout Cookies initial sales going door-to-door or selling at parents' work places, we are also getting organized for booth sales. I learned how to use the "Sign Up" tab on our Shutterfly site. What a great tool!
Did you watch the Inauguration? I absolutely love hearing The Battle Hymn of the Republic!
Did you go somewhere fun with the family?
Did you try a new recipe?
Yesterday, I decluttered the corner hutch in the kitchen along with the microwave stand and a built in cabinet/hutch. I gave it a once over with the dust rag too. I attempted to straighten the desk area in the office/library/front room. I didn't get very far with that. I did a few other things no one will ever notice too.
Today, after my morning workout and taking care of a few errands, I decided to do a little more cleaning. While doing a little laundry, I decided to throw in the bathroom shower curtain and liner. I took the rod down to give it a good bleaching. It has rusted and left a yucky reddish, orangeish, black stripe down one side and a reddish, orangeish stripe down another. I got some of it off, but it is still noticeable. I'm not sure what else to do. Maybe paint it? I also cleaned the sink and fronts of the bottom kitchen cabinets and dishwasher. Microwave is fairly clean. I dusted my bedroom ceiling fan too. After throwing the last load in the dryer, I decided to take out the middle spinner thing from the washer. It was so gross underneath. I went to the following websites to see how to clean my top loading washing machine--
Ask Anna: How to Clean the Washing Machine and One Good Thing by Jillee: How to Clean Your {Top-Leader} Washing Machine. I wiped down the washer and dryer while waiting.
Well, after an hour and a half of water and vinegar, it ran through the whole cycle. It looked clean as I looked inside. However, I took the middle spinner off again, and it hadn't changed. I poured a little bleach directly on that gross, grey stuff. I decided to make sure it was all covered and soaking. I left it for about an hour. I filled it with hot water just to cover the gross area and then ran the rest of the cycle without the spinner thing on it. Well, when looking into the washer, it looks very clean. However, the process did nothing for the yucky grey stuff under the spinner.
Now . . . if someone would come sweep, vacuum, and clean the bathrooms. :-)
While we are in the midst of Girl Scout Cookies initial sales going door-to-door or selling at parents' work places, we are also getting organized for booth sales. I learned how to use the "Sign Up" tab on our Shutterfly site. What a great tool!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Glen Rose and Ft. Worth, Texas
Looking for a great day trip in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex? Try Glen Rose and Ft. Worth, Texas!
The first weekend of 2013 was a beautiful one, and I had the great privilege of spending it with my niece and nephew.
On Saturday, we went to Glen Rose and enjoyed Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, where we fed animals as we drove through the park.
After a bite to eat, we headed to Dinosaur Valley State Park. It was a warm, sunny day on the first Saturday of January. We climbed down to the river to see the dinosaur tracks in Site #1. We then climbed back up to drive over to Site #2, where we climbed back down to the river and played around, crossing the river by stepping on the rocks, and coming back across. The kids took their shoes and socks off to enjoy the water. We have been to DVSP before, but the river was always higher and faster, which made it difficult to see the dinosaur tracks. We could see them this time, and we could cross the river without worry.
On Sunday, we drove to Ft. Worth to enjoy the Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History. The kids have been very interested in all things Titanic. FWMSH had an exhibit displaying artifacts salvaged from the bottom of the ocean, information about passengers while on the ship, and if they survived or not. As we entered the exhibit, we were each given a boarding pass with a name of a passenger and other interesting information. We knew a little about why our passengers were on the ship, what class they were, what rooms they were assigned, and little more, but we were not told whether or not they survived. By the end of the exhibit, we found out.
After completing the exhibit, we visited the rest of the museum.
It was a great weekend, and I absolutely loved seeing the kids.
The first weekend of 2013 was a beautiful one, and I had the great privilege of spending it with my niece and nephew.
On Saturday, we went to Glen Rose and enjoyed Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, where we fed animals as we drove through the park.
After a bite to eat, we headed to Dinosaur Valley State Park. It was a warm, sunny day on the first Saturday of January. We climbed down to the river to see the dinosaur tracks in Site #1. We then climbed back up to drive over to Site #2, where we climbed back down to the river and played around, crossing the river by stepping on the rocks, and coming back across. The kids took their shoes and socks off to enjoy the water. We have been to DVSP before, but the river was always higher and faster, which made it difficult to see the dinosaur tracks. We could see them this time, and we could cross the river without worry.
On Sunday, we drove to Ft. Worth to enjoy the Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History. The kids have been very interested in all things Titanic. FWMSH had an exhibit displaying artifacts salvaged from the bottom of the ocean, information about passengers while on the ship, and if they survived or not. As we entered the exhibit, we were each given a boarding pass with a name of a passenger and other interesting information. We knew a little about why our passengers were on the ship, what class they were, what rooms they were assigned, and little more, but we were not told whether or not they survived. By the end of the exhibit, we found out.
After completing the exhibit, we visited the rest of the museum.
It was a great weekend, and I absolutely loved seeing the kids.
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