on the beginning of another school year

A letter to my friends:

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”
~~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Dear Teachers-Peeps,
Tomorrow you head back into the battle - never enough resources, never enough hands, never enough TIME. You begin each day with the desire to be inspirational, informative, and innovative - and then that first bell rings and you are surrounded by a host of small, medium and big problems, all needing a snap decision. And over two thousand times an hour - hour after hour, day after day, you're going to make those decisions and hope the end result is an improvement.

You're going to be pummeled again by the press, and parents with unreasonable demands, and politicians who have not clue one about what you do or how you do it. You are going to have your time wasted with yet another "initiative" as schools, burdened under hopeless and unreal expectations, try desperately to throw another "fix" against the wall and hope something, please God, will STICK. And you WILL resist the urge of reminding people that schools only reflect society - until society 'passes', the schools will continue to 'fail'.

So, may I take a moment to remind you that you ARE what is right about education. You CHOSE to make a difference. You UNDERSTAND that what you're doing may not show its rewards until many years have passed. You work in enforced isolation, yet totally dependant on others - parents and society - to fulfill THEIR part of the equation, knowing full well that if the child fails, you will be the one to be blamed.

You are there because civilization needs a dedicated person to transmit the culture from one generation to the next. You do it despite the lack of recognition, the lack of monetary gain, the simple lack of respect, the unfair demands on your time, your energy, and your own resources. You do it because that is what you ARE: The teacher.

To my young beginning teacher-peeps: You are about to embark on a journey that requires great courage. You will discover what really tired means. Be good to yourselves. Know when to call it quits at the end of the day. Don't beat yourself up when you can't win every battle for a student. That first class is always just a little more "special" so ENJOY them. Allow yourself to make mistakes. Give yourself permission to fail. It's OK to tell a student, "I don't know". And then work with them to find the answer together. For many of those little faces in your class, you are the glue that holds their world together. Remember to give them a soft place to fall.

So, let me thank every one of you for your tenacity in not giving up the fight, your enthusiasm, your compassion, and your willingness to reach down and give every kid - whether they're in your class or not - a hand up. You don't hear it enough: THANK YOU!!!

Have a great beginning. And a great middle. And a great end to this coming school year.

xoxo The Dinosaur

workshop

Lesson Plan - Stand By Me

Copy onto chart pack or board before:

1) TIME increase to the right

Importance increase up

I ”Quadrant of Production” * Crises * Pressing problems * Deadline-driven projects, meetings, preparations	II ”Quadrant of Quality” * Preparation * Prevention * Values clarification * Planning * Relationship building * True re-creation * Empowerment
III ”Quadrant of Deception” * Interruptions, some phone calls * Some meetings, some reports * Some mail * Proximate, pressing matters * Popular activities	IV ”Quadrant of Waste” * Trivia, junk work * Junk mail * Some phone calls * Time Wasters * ”Escape” activities

2) Life Skills

Set goals

manange time

build support networks

assert responsibly

know how to relax

take care of phyical health

build energy

joy breaks/ balance

3. normal stress vs. abnormal vs. hyper-stressed charts (three)

3. Ben Franklin schedule

6) Coping strategies hierachy

utillze lifeskills

distractions

avoidance (earphones/provcrastination/sleep/illness

escapist (skip, run. Substance abuse)

depression

self-harm

7) Assertiveness leads to:

self confidence

equality among peers

better friendships

sense of control over crazy situations

sense that goals can be reached

sense of belonging to a group

sense of responsibility for self and others

less anxiety

8) SMART goals specific measurable accomplishment realistic time manageable

9) Cornell notes (do 3) LH and RH versions

10) three night rule (see end of notes)

11) Have you studied cartoon

Have you studied? Yes?

Show me what you DID

12) It is perfectly acceptable to not know everything.

Intro to you:

teacher

taught lifeskills after death of former student

embedded lessons

do workshops like this one or personal 1-1 coaching

1. How do you react to stress – what works/what doesn't


2. Do you know what stresses you


Do you know when you're stressed?


Stress charts (3)


coping strategies when you don't manage

using lifeskills to manage stress

Homework – one of the biggest stressors

take 60 seconds – fill out page 1







WHAT TO DO???




summary in packet: not going to read it – your homework

used it successfully for more than 20 years in teaching and conducting workshops




skills don't work in isolation – need to apply when needed so parents need to be able to jump in with suggestions


One: READ 7 Habits book:

be proactive instead of reactive

begin with the end in mind

plan / choices / learn from mistakes / seek help

prioritize (quadrant chart 1st version / second)

think win/win

understand / be understood -

communication is key (assertivenes chart)

synergize – learn to work in a team

energize – body / brain / heart / soul




Two: support your student (what does support mean / what does support look like) checklist at end of packet




Three: educate yourself

Some nitty-gritty techniques

goal setting – business first 10 minutes of the day

every day

SMART goals

use a schedule

backwards planning model

set up office and office time

expectation – no excuses

threats – think and plan accordingly – have “battle” plan in place before the war begins (Norman Schwarzkopf)

Jack Agati story

parental help with siblings //quiet time

turn off the noise!!!

weekly cleanout – schedule it

make it a game – Mary Poppins

In every job that must be done

There is an element of funYou find the fun and snap!

The job's a game

LEARN TO REWARD YOURSELF – joy breaks

Finnish school model

15 min tasks

Studying – every night – habit 

three night rule

Night one:

cornell notes column 2 and summary

Night two:

talk it out / check back with columns one and two – highlight what you missed

Night three:

back of cornell notes – draw/chart - checkback

90% of what you've learned in 24 hours is lost

Study helps in packet p 13

20 exposures to a topic

Take notes

many methods - try them out and use the ones that work

Cornell notes flip and fold + summary at bottom

Learn time management techniques that work for you

demonstrate, don't force

Spock vs. garage sale (L v R)

the one inch square

suggestions for helping kids learn to get their homework done by themselves

p 18 ABC rule

p 19 suggestions

Your relationship and habits with homework will only change when YOU decide you want it to change:

p 20 poem Autobiography in 5 short chapters

p 17 reflection

pp 22-23 checklist for parents – is your student ready for High school and life

Reading homework:

ID main idea

utilize study techniques

predict

verify/prove

TAKE notes

  summarize

I'm flattered!

I got a shout out from Carlene in the Daily Doggie.  And my views of both the camera blog and the cooking blog jumped!

JAN 4 2016

I AM CERTAINLY GLAD THE CAMERA COMMUNITY HAS TAKEN IT ON THMESELVES TO TRY AND IMPROVE OUR EATING HABITS.. WHAT WITH PEOPLE CALLING IN OUR TAKE OUT ORDERS... AND NH TEACH COOKING ON MONDAY NIGHTS....  THINGS SHOULD BE LOOKING UP.   CHOCOLATES AND WHIPPED CREAM ARE  LOVELY-- BUT I DID GAIN 4 POUNDS  

NOW THAT IS A LIE... I GAINED 4 POUNDS SINCE WHEN?   IF YOU START IN HIGHSCHOOL, I HAVE GAINED ABOUT 30 POUNDS--  I WOULD LIKE TO THINK I WAS  TOO THIN THEN...

AND IF YOU BELIEVE THAT , I HAVE A BRIDGE IN NEW YORK TO SELL YOU....

********

NHTEACH COOKS  ON MONDAY NIGHT AND HERE ARE HER OWN GUIDELINES..

 goals for dinner each week:

• I will attempt to keep the meal 'balanced'
• I will keep the cost of four servings at $20- or less
• I will "keep it simple" as I am using someone else's kitchen, their tools, and trying to not step on a herd of "Dane-giraffes" while cooking
• I will time the meal so it is done as soon after MAIL CALL as possible
• I will incorporate Carlene's favorite foods when possible and tempt her into different ones without too much brow-beating
• I will avoid sliced tomatoes and asparagus at all costs (darn!)
• I will find ways to include lima beans (Carlene's favorite!)
• I will never include "green juice" in any meal
• I will "mix it up" - the goal is to get the staff away from Chinese take out and pizza!
• 
  

Happy New Year

...and the new year was only a few hours old when the first murder occurred in Chicago.

How rapidly is this country turning into the Nightmare that was "Escape from New York"?  Maybe we should just let all the people who want to shot each other have, oh, I don't know, Hawaii??  Then they could just spend their days killing each other off and the rest of us wouldn't have to dodge the bullets.

On another note, Texas is now an open carry anywhere anytime state.  Let the OK Corral games begin.

And on a third note, Congress still refuses to address the issues.

It must be time for another glass of champagne, right?

Will I Ever Get It?

December 6, 2015

Well, I've spent a couple of days cogitating....

...and what I STILL can't wrap my head around is one act by the two terrorists who murdered 14 and hospitalized another 17.

They took the time to plan this entire scenario out.
They stockpiled weapons, ammunition, and "assault clothing".
They built pipe bombs.
They came to a country deliberately to murder and cause mass mayhem
They trained to make that move and deliberately targeted people who they worked with and befriended them
They knew the room and building well enough to know to block the doors so people could not escape.
They knew escape routes for themselves.

And they dropped off a six-month-old baby and walked away from her, knowing they'd never see her again.

I GET the total mindf*ck that some religions have on people.
I GET that some people are so brainwashed into their religion they cannot possibly conceive that another human might think another way.
I GET that some people are willing to die for those beliefs, at any cost.
I GET that there are those who are still locked into the "crusades" mentality.
I GET that there are a host of people who are totally ignorant about religions and can only believe what they are told to believe. (Yeah, Jerry Falwell, Jr., I'm talking about you.  And Huckabee.  And Cruz.  And a whole passel of ignorant Texans who just need to go open another case of beer and go away.)
I GET that groups of people - nations- need to defend their shores and their people.

I GET it.
I totally GET that there are young people in my country who are so loyal to the country they will strap on a weapon, go overseas, and fight to the death to defend the ideals of the country.

But.......

-to conceive and give birth to a child, knowing you will be sacrificing her childhood, her eventual mental health, and her life on the altar of your bigotry
-and to abandon that child in the name of whatever god it is that you are worshipping.....or was it the ravings of some lunatic they worshipped instead?

That I don't get.

We've all seen videos of mama dogs, and mama polar bears and mama elephants rushing to save their babies from imminent danger.  That's part of nature.  Dads do it, too.  But mamas have that "mama grizzly" gene that multiplies exponentially.  It's part of the package. I've witnessed it with the mother dogs I care for.  They're my best buddies on Saturday - they give birth on Sunday - and by Monday I am the boogie-man come to harm their babies!!  The growling and the bared teeth were real.  Mama Nature demands that mamas take care of their babies!! You carry the kid around for months, go through hell to give birth, and you are ATTACHED.  Adoptive parents go through their own special hell of trying to have a child - and when that baby is placed in their arms - they are ATTACHED.

What kind of monster do you have to be to hand over your child, pick up your automatic rifle, and walk out the door with one intention:  to go make people bleed?

This isn't warfare.

This is madness.

I don't get it.

If they couldn't obtain assault rifles, could they still plan an assault?

December 2, 2015

re: San Bernardino - LET"S BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING HERE:  Whether the people who stormed that office and murderd innocent people at work today were foreign, domestic, or from another goddamn planet, let's call them what they are: terrorists!  Their intent was to foment terror.  Do NOT try to "soften" it with teh words "domestic terrorism".  They are every bit as evil as the thugs who pose in front of a camera with a knife and slice off another human's head or cage and light them on fire.  They are not "mentally ill", "troubled", or "disenfranchised".  They are murdering scum and only deserve to be treated as such.  MY Constitution says the purpose of my government is to "Ensure domestic tranquility."  Well, there are at least 31 families tonight that are ot very tranquil.  They''re freakin' devastated!  Enough!! Enough!! U. S. congress and Presidnt Obama - for the love of God, ENOUGH!! Do something!!

When to Kill the Elf

To “Elf”, or Not to “elf” - THAT is the question.

I remember as a little kid, that Christmas was pure magic. My little family had next to nothing in material wealth, but my parents did the best they could on my dad's meager paycheck. We had an elf who “lived in the chimney” - my mom would go over and talk to it. (note: Invisible elves are easier to break up with than toy elves who sit all over the house.) So where did the magic come from? My insane parents – they tucked us into bed on Christmas Eve with stories of Santa Claus and Baby Jesus – right after we had hung a stocking – and then, after we drifted off to sleep, they began. The tree went up in the living room, candles in the window, sparkly tinsel and wreaths made from the trimmed branches of the tree. Toys that had to be built (insert tab A into slot B) were constructed. They were up ALL night. And when we woke up the next morning, it WAS magic!!! The decorations probably came from the Five and Dime, most of what was on the tree was homemade, boxes of tree tinsel cost a nickel each, but my mom hung EACH strand one at a time so it would look like rain cascading down the tree (No clumps of tinsel on HER trees!) What had been a plain old living room was suddenly Fairyland.

And that brings me round to the Elf. Kids look back on traditions as part of the stability of their childhood. I question if you start a tradition that is obviously going to have an end, then you need to also have a plan on how to end it. How do you tell the kids about Santa? When? How and when do you discuss “the elf”? When you end the elf, are you also ending the other fantasies? Is the little amount of time hiding the elf worth the repercussions of ending the magic too soon?

But I DO remember my mom talking about how much SHE missed her silly invisible elf – I know now it wasn't the elf – it was US and our innocent belief in the powers of said tattletale. And I remember missing the magic of the Holiday - even when I was a little older and helping decorate and doing charity work. We substituted new traditions, but there just wasn't “magic” - at least, not until the next generation of babies came along.

So – choose to not elf if you want – but please, not because you say you have too many other obligations (which reminds me that MY parents and grandparents had just as many – maybe the author of the article should have the kids help with the cookies and the nativity and make the paper chain themselves? She is right about picking and choosing activities, but sacrificing the elf that SHE brought into the house??? C'mon – you can move that little sucker around while you're brushing your teeth!) But after you have begun a long-standing tradition, be wary of suddenly just ending it – have a plan in place. It's a tough call on deciding when to draw the curtain on the magic show. Once you know how the lady doesn't get sawed in half, it's just a pretty, bendy, besequined lady folding herself up at one end and another person hiding in the foot of the box. No magic.