Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Happiness Is ...
Get your happy on, because not only is it the official first day of spring, but it's also International Day of Happiness.
Our friends at the Joy Team are at it again, celebrating with 252 positively uplifting billboards across America. Have you seen one in your area yet?
Remember last year when we partnered to create this one?
Remember last year when we partnered to create this one?
That made me so happy.
So today, I'm thinking about happiness,
and what that looks like, sounds like, and feels like in my Corner.
Happiness is being a mom, a wife, a school counselor.
Happiness is spending time together with family.
Happiness is a check-in text or email from a friend.
Happiness is a smile given, received and returned.
Happiness is doing, receiving, or watching a kind act.
Happiness is having good friends to share my story.
Happiness is solving (and surviving!) a conflict.
Happiness is getting lost in a good movie or book.
Happiness is a finishing a big task, like calculating taxes.
Happiness is baking up some goodness to share.
Happiness is being thankful and showing gratitude.
Happiness is soaking up some Vitamin D outdoors.
Happiness is helping or mentoring someone.
Happiness is gardening, knitting, writing.
Happiness is being understood.
Happiness is passion.
Happiness is peace.
Happiness is grace.
Happiness is forgiving and being forgiven.
Happiness is feeling positively joyful.
And praying for that for our loved ones.
Clearly my cup runneth over.
ps. Today would have also been Mr. Rogers' 88th birthday.
We are all connected!
Here's to making it a cheerfully happy day.
ps. Today would have also been Mr. Rogers' 88th birthday.
We are all connected!
Here's to making it a cheerfully happy day.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Recovering, Reflecting, Returning
We've all had 'em, those days, the terrible, horrible ones when you wish you could have a do-over ... or, better yet ... that you'd have stayed under the covers and not come out in the first place, right?
So how do we recover, relax, reflect & return gracefully
so that we can, in turn, help our children learn to reboot?
That was the assignment that Free Spirit gave me;
click their adorable graphic below to read my suggestions.
Our friend, ventriloquist Dennis Lee, lived through one of those days two weeks ago and is now recovering from that life-threatening collision. We were blessed to visit him in the Rehab Center yesterday and deliver this big box full of handmade get-well wishes, admiration and love from the school families at Ferguson Elementary, Westwood Elementary, and Bales Intermediate.
And talk about your growth mindset and optimism; we caught him with that signature smile and effervescent personality sketching notes for next year's show.
Despite the trauma.
Despite the many broken bones.
Despite the long, rocky road to recovery in front of him.
Resilience doesn't get much more graceful than that.
He expressed his gratitude to those prayer warriors who have been covering him as he heals and he assured us that he can feel the power of every one of those prayers. Then, with an unwavering faith that will only serve to strengthen his testimony, he promised that he will be back on stage one day.
We are so proud of you, Dennis Lee.
Thank you for being a beacon of hope, inspiration and light.
We're behind you as you rest, restore, recover & return.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Wise At Heart
Today I'm delighted because I spent most of it outside, enjoying the incredible weather and doing some work pulling weeds from the flowerbeds and yard. As I reflected on all of the happenings of last week, my heart and mind kept coming back to this gem that showed up on my desk, from my friend Zoe.
Some days are like that, aren't they?
You're struggling with something that seems insurmountable and then
someone says or does just the right thing to help turn things around.
Sometimes it's a drawing or a note of affirmation.
Sometimes it's a phone call or a text.
Sometimes it's a book, like this one, from my friend Annie.
It's a beautiful collection of inspirational pictures and words
about hope and kindness, about life and love.
Take a look inside, at one of my favorite pages.
It's chunk full of important reminders for and from
young and old alike,
about how we all matter
and how we can all make a difference.
Sometimes I get worn out and need to remember.
And then ... it's spring break.
And we're given a precious gift ~ time ~
just like the perfectly-timed picture that Zoe drew for me
and the book that Annie hand-picked for me.
If you're on break, how will you use your time this week?
Here's to some springtime relaxation, restoration, and rejuvenation.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
We've Got Your Back
Today I'm inspired because we kicked off our Great Kindness Challenge 2016 a few days early by inviting this superhero from a neighboring junior high to engage our students in her backpack project to help Houston's homeless.
Her name is Reagan and she's super passionate about her cause.
But this crusader's cape, well, it looks more like a backpack.
And though she doesn't help others for accolades and awards, I would like to affirm her work by mentioning that she is a recipient of the
Charlotte Bacon Acts of Kindness Award.
And though she doesn't help others for accolades and awards, I would like to affirm her work by mentioning that she is a recipient of the
Charlotte Bacon Acts of Kindness Award.
It all began, she told a very still audience of 1000 students at our weekly Wednesday Warbles gathering, with a question:
Do you have a backpack?
She went on to explain that initially it was feelings of guilt about not being able to help the homeless person who asked that question that urged her fifth-grade self back then to ask her mom to take her to a store to buy some backpacks for them. When her mom told her to look for a more creative way to meet that need, Reagan only had to go to her room to find the first few backpacks that would kick off that initial collection of one hundred and twenty five backpacks three years ago. This year, her goal is to collect a thousand backpacks. She confidently told our students that it shouldn't be a problem to meet that lofty goal, because "I've got you." That's when she invited them to help her collect backpacks as a part of our Great Kindness Challenge next week. Kids helping kids; isn't that the best?
Check out her four-minute presentation here.
If you're in the Houston area and would like to donate to Reagan's We've Got Your Back project, you can bring your gently-used backpacks to Westwood or Bales any day next week.
Thank you, Reagan, for being a beacon of light
and making our world a kinder place to be!
Friday, August 14, 2015
Let's Build Mini Fortress - Minecraft Windows 10 BETA Edition
Here's an awesome Minecraft building template to try in Windows 10 edition.
Let's build a mini Minecraft fortress.
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| Mincraft fortress |
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Expectancy & Value
Today I find myself at once exhausted and energized after experiencing three days of passion and inspiration at our Technology Symposium, so here's our #futurenow15 in review.
Tuesday kicked off with a keynote by George Couros, an administrator and lead learner from Canada. We're cyberspace collaborators on Twitter, so the coolest thing was that he recognized me Jen and I headed to the front to welcome him before his talk. He grabbed Jen's phone and we took this group selfie:
His message? Let's stoke curiosity, not compliance.
George challenged us to remember why we became educators in the first place, to change the trajectory of a child's future. He encouraged us to remember that if we want to inspire meaningful change, we have to make a connection with their hearts before we can connect with their minds. And he emphasized that innovation is the big game changer in education.
He also fostered a growth mindset with the Be More Dog clip.
He also fostered a growth mindset with the Be More Dog clip.
After his session, Jen and I presented a TweetChat workshop;
click {here} for our slides.
After our Twitter orientation, we hosted a mock chat that you can find in the #futurenow15 feed if you're interested. The best part was the Scavenger Hunt we sent our Tweeps on to encourage them to use Twitter after they left our class. I Tweeted out some clues and the first one to reply with the correct answer won and got to go to that person's door to find and claim their gift card. Tweet!
Here's a sample clue:
Gift card found on Mrs. Reed's door.
click {here} for our slides.
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| Jen and her daughter made these cool shirts for us! |
Here's a sample clue:
Day 2 brought Erin Klein of Kleinspiration fame from Michigan to Friendswood to talk about learning spaces and writer's workshop.
She, too, talked about reaching our students before teaching them. Why we especially connected with Erin is that she's not just an expert, she's a practitioner, a second-grade teacher in the classroom, doing what we do. Priceless!
She, too, talked about reaching our students before teaching them. Why we especially connected with Erin is that she's not just an expert, she's a practitioner, a second-grade teacher in the classroom, doing what we do. Priceless!
Secondary teachers got to experience Amy Mayer while we in Erin's keynote. I enjoy a Google Docs breakout with Amy later that day.
Today we were treated to Dr. Curtis Chandler. The thing that endeared me to him was that he was on stage playing piano as we entered the auditorium. I knew instantly that I'd connect with what he had to say.
His first point was to connect with each of our students.
Even the prickly ones. Especially the prickly ones.
How are you preparing for this year's superheroes?
Today we were treated to Dr. Curtis Chandler. The thing that endeared me to him was that he was on stage playing piano as we entered the auditorium. I knew instantly that I'd connect with what he had to say.
His first point was to connect with each of our students.
Even the prickly ones. Especially the prickly ones.
Then he talked about Expectancy Value Theory that so very closely parallels what it says on our Character T: I Can. I Will.
I came straight home and made this slide.
It parallels this Effort Chart that a Twitter contact recently shared:
Then I ran some errands and took a nap.
Because I am all techered out for today.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Small Acts Big Change Guest Post
Today I'm delighted to introduce my guest blogger, a ten-year-old named Gracie, a real-life superhero who's making the world better, one kind act at a time.
Thank you, Gracie, for your leadership and inspiration.
Hi! My name is Gracie Dundee, and I am 10 years old. I have always wanted to make a difference in the world, and I started volunteering when I was 2 years old. In 2012, my sister and I started a nonprofit charity called Small Acts Big Change.
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| Click to follow us on Pinterest |
Small Acts Big Change is all about kids helping kids change the world. Our goal is to teach kids how important it is to give back and show them that they can make a difference through kindness and service. We coordinate many projects each year that benefit animals, people and our environment, including 9 Small Acts of Kindness, the Neighborhood Grocery Bag Campaign, Operation 500 Books and The Write Stuff.
My dream is to help create a world where everyone is kind and good, a world where people want to work together to make life better for everyone. I want to grow Small Acts Big Change so that someday we have over 1 million kids working on kindness projects with us all over the world. I think we can make the world a wonderful place for ALL animals and people, and I know this change starts with kids. Each of us really can make a big difference through small acts of kindness and service.
Please don't let anyone ever stop you.
Doesn't our future look bright
with Peacemakers like Gracie lighting the way.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Monday Made It: Scrabble Tabs
Today I'm feeling crafty, so I'm linking up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics
and sharing two things on Monday Made It.
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| Click image to see what everyone else is making. |
Lately, I've had so much fun taking pictures and making them into inspirational minis. Last night I snapped this shot poolside.
My friend Jennifer Runde took this vacation picture and gave me
permission to use it as a slide in a workshop presentation.
You can create posters like these in Picmonkey or Powerpoint.
On Saturday I took a stab at making these Scrabble Tabs.
Here's a quick video tutorial.
John showed me how the edges of the tiles would serve as a tool to cut the magnet paper to the perfect size; we had the whole batch done in less than an hour.
Easy Breezy, Lemon Squeezy!
I took them to my classroom this morning, to try them out.
Here they are stuck on our Collaboration Station in Hero Headquarters.
I can't wait to play Scrabble. Or Boggle. Or Hangman.
We can also use the tiles to incentivize desired behaviors.
Students can earn letters for words like LEADERS;
move letters up to reinforce strong leadership choices.
When the whole word is in complete alignment,
it'll be time for a dance or some other fun.
Just for fun. Because fun is the ticket to engagement.
So that's what I've been up to, to beat the heat.
What have you created lately?
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Aaaargh You Up For A Kindness Party?
Today I'm excited because I've been re-reading Dave Burgess' treasure,
Teach Like A Pirate, and it beautifully dovetails with something adventuresome. creative, and daring that we're trying tonight on FB: A Kindness Party!
Consider it a hook, to engage our readers by sharing stories and strategies for making kindness an intentional, purposeful ritual in our homes, our school and our communities. And it's your chance to chat with some ordinary individuals who are doing extraordinarily kind things.
Door prizes include a copy of my book, What's Under Your Cape?, and two Carol McCloud titles, Have You Filled A Bucket Today? and Growing Up With A Bucket Full Of Happiness. Just click either graphic above at 8:00 pm {CST} and be transported to the fun.
We'll swap ideas like the Which Wich? #FlagYourBag campaign. If you decorate the back of your sandwich bag, they will recycle it by filling the bag with goodies to send to the troops. Isn't that AmAzInG? So, here's mine. It was a blast to color. All it took was a Penny of Time, and it creates such a citizenship win-win.
I'm just delighted that we're reading Pirate as a faculty because I connect personally and professionally with so many parts of Dave's pirate treasure, especially the engagement, passion, and movement pieces.
In fact, I used this quote from his book in mine.
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| Shelley makes the best graphics! |
Then I sent him a copy of my book, to thank him for his ins-pirate-ion, and he invited me to host a #tlap chat last September, on Labor Day. In case you missed it, here are the questions we discussed.
My friend Jen and I are planning to channel our inner pirates and host a practice chat in the second part of our Hashtags and PLNs and TweetChats, Oh My! workshop in our August Tech Symposium, so we're going to use these questions.
And last, a story from yesterday. I was driving the carpool when I saw a homeless man on the corner of 288 and Binz. At the red light, I gave him $5 to help him out a bit. After he thanked me, he introduced himself and told me that he'd be happy to help me if I were ever in the area and needed anything.
Isn't that thoughtful, his offer to lend a hand, to pay me back.
Because kindness matters,
even when things aren't going very well.
Maybe especially then.
See you tonight!
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
The Simpsons Pixel Art Building Ideas
Minecraft creative building templates of the Simpsons, awesome collection of pixel art building ideas.
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| Homer Simpson Pixel Art |
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| The Simpsons pixel art templates, Mo |
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| The Simpsons pixel art building ideas |
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| Homer J Simpson pixel art |
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| Pixel art of Homer Jay Simpson in Minecraft |
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| Marge Simpson pixel art |
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| The Simpsons Family pixel art |
If you fancy a real Minecraft pixel art challenge then try something like this
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| Hard Minecraft pixel art of Homer Simpson |
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| Hard Bart Simpson pixel art |
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| Minecraft Simpson Skin Pack |
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