Showing posts with label team building. Show all posts
Saturday, August 29, 2015
The Power of the Circle
Today I'm energized because yesterday afternoon I got to visit my high school PALs for a few minutes. Those superheroes-in-training exude excitement about the chance to empower and supercharge those special someones under their care this year. I gave them each one of these capes to decorate as we anticipate and eagerly await their flight to our campus:
It's a visual representation, I told them, of who they are.
Our first impression of them and what they'll bring to us.
We can't wait to see their superpowers posted on our walls.
Speaking of superpowers, I found this tiny treasure on my morning walk ...
and it made me think about the power of circling up.
Part of the excitement about my new space is that we've got lots of room now,
to huddle up,
to sit and stand in a circle,
to sing, move and laugh together.
Knee to knee, shoulder to shoulder, sometimes hand in hand even,
with the person beside us.
Eye to eye with the friends in our group.
To utilized inner-outer circle pair and share time.
To engage in team-building time.
And to look at each other with a message that clearly conveys
"I see you. You matter!"
as we play to learn and connect to lead.
On my walk I also got to thinking about the circular nature
of collective responsibility {So much interconnectedness when I walk}.
In our #leadupchat Twitter talk this morning, Bob Abrams shared this food for thought nugget that was posted on a wall in the gym at a Chinese school, so I attached it to the picture I took this week of Joshua in his new FHS letterman jacket.
Such a powerful reflection question ...
How do I make my school proud?
... one which we could ask ourselves wherever we go.
How do I make myself proud?
My family proud?
My friends proud?
My community proud?
My Higher Power proud?
And why might it matter?
I guess it boils down to this:
What goes around comes around.
And therein lies the power of the circle.
 |
| Click to order yours from Really Good Stuff. |
It's a visual representation, I told them, of who they are.
Our first impression of them and what they'll bring to us.
We can't wait to see their superpowers posted on our walls.
Speaking of superpowers, I found this tiny treasure on my morning walk ...
and it made me think about the power of circling up.
Part of the excitement about my new space is that we've got lots of room now,
to huddle up,
to sit and stand in a circle,
to sing, move and laugh together.
Knee to knee, shoulder to shoulder, sometimes hand in hand even,
with the person beside us.
Eye to eye with the friends in our group.
To utilized inner-outer circle pair and share time.
To engage in team-building time.
And to look at each other with a message that clearly conveys
"I see you. You matter!"
as we play to learn and connect to lead.
On my walk I also got to thinking about the circular nature
of collective responsibility {So much interconnectedness when I walk}.
In our #leadupchat Twitter talk this morning, Bob Abrams shared this food for thought nugget that was posted on a wall in the gym at a Chinese school, so I attached it to the picture I took this week of Joshua in his new FHS letterman jacket.
Such a powerful reflection question ...
How do I make my school proud?
... one which we could ask ourselves wherever we go.
How do I make myself proud?
My family proud?
My friends proud?
My community proud?
My Higher Power proud?
And why might it matter?
I guess it boils down to this:
What goes around comes around.
And therein lies the power of the circle.
How do you use circle time to empower your super class family?
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Building Community
Happy August! Today I've got back-to-school on my heart and mind.
Check out this shot of Bales Intermediate, my new school.
Consider this Zig Ziglar reflection:
How do we connect with kids so that they know that they matter,
so that they feel loved? I started the day on an hour-long Twitter Chat {#sunchat} set aside specifically for as an intentional icebreaker idea swap.
Here's the first resource that grabbed my attention from the Four O'clock Faculty blog connecting Pixar ideals with student motivation.
How will you help your students become better people?
One of Rich's big points has to do with the power of the morning meeting. In fact, he says that it is the "most important part of a classroom." And I wholeheartedly agree. Here's my school family, a few years back, circling up to reconnect.
So how will you build community when you get back to school,
first with your faculty, and then in your classroom family?
What does your ideal community look like, sound like, feel like?
A small-group activity that Clifton Taulbert facilitated in Juarez asked us to choose one word to describe our ideal community, then share those words with our table-mates before weaving them into a 30-word vision statement.
Once you've created the vision, then the real work starts. Icebreakers help to relax and energize people before an activity, task, or cause. They serve to build trust and help break down barriers, so that our work together goes more smoothly.
A photo booth was also suggested, like the one set up in Mexico.
Look at how good it feels to be wanted!
Other icebreakers suggested in the Chat this morning include:
 |
| Click for original post and more details. Check out Ten Timely Tips. Make Autobiographical Trading Cards. Play Conversation Jenga. Take this compass personality inventory. Play the Name Chain Game. Non-Icebreaker B2S Things To Remember. Writing Prompts To Launch The School Year. One year we asked our teachers to design a school shirt, after which we had them model their designs.  Endless possibilities to connect abound when you're building community! Need more inspiration? Visit my Pinterest page for Classroom Connections & Team Builders. What's your favorite community builder? |
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
