Search for the Hidden Treasure

It's been 81 days since I asked our faculty to begin journaling their joy moments.  I know it takes commitment, time, effort to focus on the positive in your day to day activities, and sometimes we feel that we don't have any of that left to do one more thing. 

That's why I decided to start my mornings with my joy journal -- it's the first thing in my day, not the last. This allows me to reflect on yesterday and to prepare for today.

I've felt better since I've been doing this, but I didn't consider that it was evident on the outside.  Until this week when someone I haven't seen in a while commented. And then I knew for sure that this "joy thing" is working.  

Don't get me wrong, my days haven't been perfect.  Aggravation sets in sometimes. I get cranky. My to-do list is growing, not shrinking - nothing is getting crossed off.  But even in difficult situations, I've had a sense of peace that I hadn't previously had.  

I'm telling you this to say, if you haven't made joy journaling a daily habit, now's the time.  Start today!  

I thought this passage from Sarah Young was a perfect prompt to remind us to seek Joy everyday:  

"On some days Joy is generously strewn along your life-path, glistening in the sunlight.  On days like that, being content is as simple as breathing the next breath or taking the next step.  Other days are overcast and gloomy; you feel the strain of the journey, which seems endless.  Dull gray rocks greet your gaze and cause your feet to ache.  Yet Joy is still attainable.  Search for it as for hidden treasure."

In a Nutshell

When you conscientiously seek joy in the small moments of every day, you will develop a positive mindset and an inner peace that will shine through on the outside.  Search for the hidden treasure of joy in your life.  Journal it!

Advice from My Third Grade Review Partners

One thing's for sure: our students' are learning a lot about writing this year!  Not only are they becoming better writers themselves, but also they are pretty good peer review partners.

I dropped by a second grade class finishing their writer's workshop for the day and I was overcome with pride when they let out a collective "Awww" after their teacher told them time was up; they were in the flow!

Then I had an awesome experience with a group of third graders who told me not only what they liked about my story, but also exactly what I need to do to make it better.

This started weeks ago when I happened upon their class just as they were transitioning from drawing a picture of a place they wanted to write about to actually writing their stories.  I joined them, drew my picture, then wrote my story. I mentioned this experience in an earlier post.

I returned to their class a day or so later while they were learning about adding dialogue to their stories to make them more "in the moment."  I rewrote my story; it needed serious revision.

It's been several weeks, and I hadn't had an opportunity to share my story with them or to hear theirs. Today was the day.

Here's the revised version I read them:

The door slammed open and away he ran!
"Chance! Where are you going?" I shouted as I ran after him.
No answer. Down the hall, down the steps.  First, he; then, me.
"Chance! Stop! Come back."
Across the driveway.  Onto School Street.
He was running as fast as he could.  I was chasing him as fast as I could.
"Stop, now!" I yelled, but he didn't comply with my demand.
I kept running as fast as I could, and . . . I was catching up to him.  He must have been slowing down, running out of steam.
Finally: he stopped.  And I stopped when I caught him.
"What are you doing?" I demanded.
"Running away. I hate school. I don't want to be here any more," he sassed.
"Well, you can't run away from school.  You have to stay until your mom picks you up this afternoon," I replied.
Exhausted, we walked back to school, holding hands, or rather, I was holding his hand to prevent another escape.

Sweet children - they were quick to tell me what they liked.  Bravely, though, they also let me know that my story needs "some onomatopoeia in the part where he's running."

I think that's pretty good writer's advice.  Thank you, third grade! You bring me joy!

I'm off to the revision cycle.

In a Nutshell
Students are learning!  Our new writing program is building skillful writers. And, I'm learning, too.

Birds of a Feather

I was spellbound by the sight of hundreds of birds emerging from a chimney.  I captured the Morning Flight on video.  Just thought this was kinda cool!

Update

My colleague talked with Georgia DNR about these birds.  Apparently they are Chimney Swifts, en route to South America for winter.  We took more video this week.  I am amazed by the sheer number of birds and the way they gather in the evening.

We watched them circle up, then disperse several times before they went into their final tornadic spin and began filtering into the chimney.  

At last, all the bird circled up and began their final spin of the evening, with several at a time diving into the chimney until finally, all had called it a day.  Here is the final video.

This is video of them gathering and then dispersing.  It was almost as if they were counting their numbers, realizing every bird wasn't there yet, and then waiting for them arrive.

In a Nutshell

God's handiwork is amazing.  The instinctual traits of these creatures is incredible.  Yes, watching this bird activity brought me joy.

Hurricane Force Grumbling: Impeding Joy

When things don't go your way, when things are not done to your liking, it's easy to turn to complaining.  And one complaint leads to the next.

This negative mindset functions much like a tropical depression that gathers energy from warm water, circulating counter-clockwise, gaining speed and tightening into hurricane force.

A complaint here or there may not seem problematic, but gather all those complaints together in a "warm water environment" where other folks are drawn in with their complaints, and pretty soon, the tropical depression of complaints circulates counter to good intention, gaining momentum, building to destructive hurricane force.

Regrettably, this negative cycle happens all too often in our work environments.

I was reminded this morning of the destructiveness of this thought pattern in this excerpt from Sarah Young's Jesus Calling:

"There is one thing, however, that displeases Me: your tendency to complain.  You may talk to Me as much as you like about the difficulty of the path we are following.  I understand better than anyone else the stresses and strains that have afflicted you.  You can ventilate safely to Me, because talking with Me tempers your thoughts and helps you see things from My perspective.

 Complaining to others is another matter altogether.  It opens the door to deadly sins such as self-pity and rage.  Whenever you are tempted to grumble, come to Me and talk it out."

Too often our complaining hinders our ability to experience joy, to be grateful. It's a mindset issue; is your glass half full or half empty? Are you choosing pessimism or optimism?

Complaining focuses our energy on the negative: what's wrong, what we don't like, what aggravates us, what someone else needs to do.

Instead, let's focus our energy on the positive: what's right, what we appreciate, what makes us happy, what we can do to improve a situation.

Complaints are lodged for someone else to make the repairs, to fix the problem, to right the wrong. Legitimate concerns, on the other hand, are followed by or accompanied with potential solutions; this places us in a positive position.

The next time you find your cranky self in complaint mode, try flipping your mindset.

For example, instead of complaining about having to prepare meals, I can choose to find joy in serving my husband and children.  (Yes, I wrote that in my joy journal yesterday! I found joy in the mundane, in something I really don't like doing - cooking & cleaning.  Joy is in the mindset.)

• Instead of complaining about having too many academically deficient students in your class, be grateful that you have the opportunity and the skills to make a life-changing difference for these kids.  
• Instead of complaining about lack of administrative support, be grateful that you've been empowered to handle your discipline and have open communication with parents. 
•  Instead of complaining that you have to cover a colleague's class, be grateful you are available to do so.

In a Nutshell
Complaining impedes joy.  The negative mindset that accompanies complaining leads to hurricane force destruction.  Choose optimism instead.  Look for the good in every situation, and you will find joy as you experience gratitude.

photo source: http://www.livescience.com/56397-photos-hurricane-matthew-how-storm-evolved.html

Roots

The widespread arms of a stately oak offer shade to the whitewashed clapboard church where our ancestors once worshiped. Like the oak whose roots grow deep, our family roots are here, at least five generations deep.

On the first Sunday in October we gather at Mt. Enon Cemetery for Homecoming. At half past noon the dinner bell clangs,  the crowd circles, and the food is blessed. We catch up with relatives and friends over a covered dish luncheon and a glass of sweet iced tea ladled from a #2 washtub. The annual business meeting of the Association follows.

Mt. Enon Homecoming has been a tradition for as far back as I can remember.  In college, I drove 300 miles home for this event all four years. As a newlywed living in north Georgia, I came home for Mt. Enon.  One year we drove into the wee hours of the morning from North Carolina where we had attended a Saturday evening wedding. 

It's just that important to us.

For us, it is a sacred place, a place of peace, of final rest. Our mother is buried in our family plot at Mt. Enon.  Our grandparents, great aunts & uncles, cousins ... our ancestors - ones we knew and ones we never knew - are interred at Mt. Enon.  In time, we, too, will be laid to rest here.

I am grateful for my roots. Not everyone is as fortunate as we are to have deep roots, to have a place that will always be home. 

I am grateful, too, that I have roots in Him and that my roots continue to grow deeper in Him.

Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7

Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.  Ephesians 3:17b 

In a Nutshell
I am thankful for my roots. 
What special traditions does your family have?

Shadows Dancing on the Eaves

Lounging dockside in this glorious first fall weekend weather, I am humbled by God's goodness.

I have so much to be thankful for, yet I take so much for granted, rarely realizing how drastically our situation, like that of others, could change in a single moment.

So many around us are sick and in pain; the bad news has poured in lately - students, colleagues, friends, and friends-of-friends.  My prayer list has grown longer nearly every day over the past couple of weeks.

As I flipped page after page through my Bible this weekend, I became more aware of my shortcomings.  God wants us to thank Him, to praise Him.  Do I do this enough?

My prayers seem to begin with "God, please do this and please do that . .  ."  After all, I firmly believe in His healing power and I pray for healing for these people.

But have I been expressing my gratitude to Him?  His Word reminds me that we no longer have to make sacrificial offerings of slaughter; instead, our sacrifice is in the form of thankfulness.

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.  Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.  Psalm 50: 14-15

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.  If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.  Psalm 50:23

Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.  Philippians 4:6  

Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.  Psalm 68:19

 You thrill me Lord, with all you have done for me!  I sing for joy because of what you have done.  Psalm 92:4

 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.  He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.  Psalm 103: 2-3

It's really nice when someone says "Thank you" for something I've done; it warms my heart, makes me smile inside.  It feels good to be appreciated. On the flip side, it's disappointing to work hard, to do for others time and again and never hear a word of thanks.  Makes you wonder if anyone even noticed you did something for them.

I suppose God can feel the same way.  He does for us over & over, yet our thanks and praise is haphazard.

As I continue on this joy journey, practicing my attitude of gratitude, I am grateful

• for a husband who's easy going, takes me camping to get away from home on the weekends, enjoys the quiet of our company
• for a daughter who's finding her calling in the work of patient care, whose medical knowledge far surpasses anything I could ever hope to know, whose kindness and compassion for others is evidenced in her work every day
• for a son whose sense of adventure, confidence in himself and willingness to work have taken him far from home
• for a family who shares so we could enjoy the beauty of the lake, the shade of a cozy dock and the quiet calm of the water this weekend
• for a job I look forward to every morning, that challenges me to continually grow
• for health, for annual doctor visits, for follow-ups with "no findings," for His healing
• for Spider Lilies that pop up once a year en masse
• for shadows that dance on the eaves
• for a gentle God-nudge reminding me to express my gratitude, to be thankful, to praise Him

In a Nutshell

Recognize God's goodness in every part of your life.  Thank Him and praise Him continually, for even shadows dancing on the eaves are a gift from Him.

For what are you thankful today?

Working through Revisions in Student Writing

Story lead 1: I tip-toed into the kitchen.  It was early Saturday morning. I had a secret plan.

Story lead 2: I wanted to do something special for my mama.  I cooked breakfast for her on Saturday morning.

Which story had you rather read?

.

Writing instruction is daunting.  How do we teach students to craft stories that are interesting for others to read?

Students need many examples and lots of opportunities to create if they are to become writers who produce captivating stories.  Today I'm sharing a process that you might find helpful to use with your students. 

Idea generation begins generally; these are often too large for a story.  However, there may be many stories embedded in those big ideas, just as the chart above shows.  For example, I want to write about my trip to the beach.  Listing several events that occurred during the beach trip leads to small moment ideas: catching a fish, building a sand castle, playing mini-golf.

The big idea story is a typical retelling of a weekend trip: we did this, then that, then something else. We want our students to go far beyond this type of storytelling, but it is a starting point.  When students write a story such as this, help them pull out the one sentence that should be the idea for the small moment story. In this case, the writer pulled out the idea of fishing and wrote a story.

There's a lot of set-up to this fishing story.  Does the reader need to plow through this to get to the heart of the tale?  There's also a lot of telling, not much showing; the description is definitely lacking. It is doubtful a reader will be captivated by this story.

What's different in this revision?  For one, the story begins in the middle of the action: "My line tightened."  Conflict is present.  Setting is implied.  An element of suspense lures the reader.  The dialogue between dad and son recreates the moment with the excitement and tension that were present.  The story ends with a surprising, perhaps humorous, point: "Somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico is a shark with my hook in its mouth."

Writers need to work through a process, a series of revisions, to move from idea to story to story-worth-sharing.  Studying examples of this process will help writers develop their storytelling and revision skills.  

Here is another example:

Draft 1 has some good storytelling elements:  dialogue, an element of suspense, conflict, setting, and a point.  Notice the differences in Draft 2.

Between Drafts 2 and 3, the writer fine-tunes several sentences, sharpening description.

In the third draft, the revisions are in place.  How does this story compare with the story idea (the real first draft) and Draft 1?  Is this a more captivating story?  What elements of good storytelling are present?

In a Nutshell

We want student writers to revise their work from "I did this, then that" stories to captivating audiences with in-the-moment experiences.  Provide examples. Model with examples. Create shared examples.

What models are you sharing with your students?

Kindling Curiosity: Knowledge through INquiry Driven Learning Experiences

To ask questions that interest me.
To explore freely within a supportive structure.
To dig deep into existing research.
To develop my own experiments.
To do something meaningful with what I learn.

I wish I had had an opportunity like this growing up.

Our high school students have this unprecedented opportunity: a inquiry driven project based learning experience in which they select a specific topic of their own choosing related to an overarching school wide theme.

We know what Thomas Friedman said is true: "Nobody works harder at learning than a curious kid." In offering students the time and place to pursue an interest in depth, we know they will hone some of the necessary school skills of complex reading, research, writing, speaking & listening.

Through this learning experience we've dubbed Kindle, we are convinced they will practice and apply skills for critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, communicating, and collaborating. They will exercise their creativity, initiative, productivity, and their ability to direct their own learning.  These are essential skills for life in the 21st century workforce; we are building a solid foundation.

Students are asking challenging questions about real problems.  They are digging deep into the available research, asking additional questions to move their ideas forward.  They will take what they've learned and use it for good, whether to improve their own lives, their community or a larger audience.

This work is daunting, not just for students, but also for teachers.  Facilitating student work may sound easy, but it's not.  Teachers probe with questions that help students clarify their ideas and seek appropriate resources and expertise.  Teachers channel student interests toward realistic accomplishments, narrowing and enlarging ideas as needed.

Freedom -- to select a topic, a format, a product -- is daunting, as well. Students - and teachers, too - are unaccustomed to such freedom to direct their own learning.  Where do I start? What do I do? This moves us out of our comfort zone.

Such an undertaking will not be without challenges and frustration.  It will not be easy to steer every student toward a successful, interesting learning path. It will not be easy to have 100% of students fully engaged all the time.  It will not be easy to produce projects of value.

But then, nothing worth doing is easy.  That's why Kindle is so important.

Students need this opportunity.  They need teachers who are committed to a different way of teaching and learning. They need teachers who will support their efforts, teachers who will ask difficult questions, teachers who will encourage them when they're ready to quit, teachers who will celebrate their small successes along the way, teachers who, despite their own frustration, are willing to give it another shot, to stick with it, to persevere in the face of adversity.

After all, this, too, is part of the learning we hope to accomplish through Kindle.

In a Nutshell
Inquiry and project centered learning provide students with an avenue to gain essential skills. Working through frustration - persevering - is essential to

any learning activity, for teachers and for students.

What are your go-to strategies for helping students overcome difficulties in the learning process?

Consciously Cultivating Gratitude

I started listing my "joy moments" and things I'm grateful for in a colorful notebook during the summer.  Nothing huge - just little things that, when I reflect on them, make my heart smile.

More than once, I've reread my entries and experienced those heart-smiles all over again.

"Joy" scripture jumps off the pages of my Bible these days.  "Joy" quotes monopolize my Pinterest feed.  These reminders nudge me toward conscious choices. Every day I have a choice: I can choose joy.

Joy leads me to gratitude.  I have so much to be thankful for.

Because of my Amazon addiction, which is fueled by my research frenzy, three books on gratitude arrived in my mailbox this week.  Can you believe some Ph.D. has spent his career researching gratitude?  It's true.  Empirical research.  Proof.

This paragraph from Robert Emmons' Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier particularly hits home with me; it's a personal call to action:

...gratitude is more than a feeling.  It requires a willingness to recognize (a) that one has been the beneficiary of someone's kindness, (b) that the benefactor has intentionally provided a benefit, often incurring some personal cost, and (c) that the benefit has value in the eyes of the beneficiary.  Gratitude implies humility - a recognition that we could not be who we are or where we are in life without the contributions of others. (p.5)

Emmons alerts us to these points in the first chapter of his book:

• "a person who experiences gratitude is able to cope more effectively with everyday stress"
• "gratitude requires contemplation and reflection"
• "While gratitude is pleasant, it is not easy. We have to work at it.  It must be consciously cultivated."
• "gratitude is morally and intellectually demanding"

I was already on the joy journey. Emmons' research feeds my intellect as well as my emotion, further solidifying my resolve to find joy and to express my gratitude each day.  I choose to consciously cultivate a spirit of joy and a grateful heart.  Will you also consciously cultivate joy and gratitude in your own life?

In a Nutshell
Have you found greater joy in each day since you've been journaling? Share your journey.

Balancing Teacher Talk

Have you ever felt that by your second or third class period your lesson was better? Typically, that's because you've practiced it, you've figured out what needs to be said and what doesn't.

I recently conducted a math class where I first observed the teacher teach the lesson, and afterwards, I taught the lesson to the next class.

The difference in the two lessons:  She knew far more about the content than I did, and provided more in-depth explanations upfront, leaving her students less class time to complete the exercises. I, on the other hand, knew only enough to deliver the essentials for that lesson, so my group started on the problems sooner, had time to check and discuss their work along the way, and finished the entire problem set.

Make no mistake, this experience is not to say that I taught the lesson better; if this were a language arts lesson, I would have been the one lingering with the explanation.

This experience illustrates a Direct Instruction premise on which our reading program is built and our school wide instructional philosophy was developed. The script minimizes and standardizes teacher talk to reduce confusion and keep the lesson tightly focused on the intended outcome.

Sometimes, we teachers talk too much.  Because we know our subject well, we may tend toward overkill on an explanation.  And when that happens, we impede learning.

In planning lessons, consider the amount of teacher talk needed: how much is too much, too little or just right?  Plan your explanations in advance; remove the temptation to "practice" on your first class; they deserve your best, too.

DI experts tell us:  "Students deserve precisely planned instruction.... Students ...  are disadvantaged by instruction that is not carefully planned and well implemented.... If we aspire to reach all the students and teach all the objectives, we must plan instruction very carefully."

Marchard-Martella, Slocum & Martella. (2004).  Introduction to Direct Instruction. New York: Pearson.

In a Nutshell
Too much teacher talk may hinder student learning.  Set a timer to limit explanations and challenge yourself to stick to the limit.  Weed the excess.

What ideas do you have or practices do you use to limit your teacher talk?

Doing the Work of a Writer

"Look what I wrote!" Zealous second graders clamored for me to read their story first.

"My story is about ...," a first grader in the water cooler line offered.

"My grandmother died this weekend and I wrote about that," a fifth grader shared.

Writing is taking a front row seat in our curriculum, and I am inspired by our students' excitement.

I, too, am fired up about writing again, and I'm learning along with our students and faculty.

I joined a third grade class for a lesson on developing a story about a place.  First, we drew that place. Then, we wrote a story, a small moment - a seed, about that place.  The next day we were reminded of dialogue and how speakers can make our writing come alive, to help our readers live in the moment.  We revised our stories to include dialogue.

Hey, pssst ... did you notice I transferred that learning to this new piece of writing?  

A fifth grade teacher asked me to teach one of the lessons from our new program. I was happy to oblige, but first I needed to study all of the previous lessons to know what students had been taught and what work they had already produced. This is not a pick-and-choose curriculum; it is spiral - every lesson builds on the previous one.

Fortunately, I was able to use the stories I had written a few days earlier to demonstrate the revision technique for the fifth grade lesson.  Without that, I couldn't have taught the lesson.

When I observed in eighth grade, the teacher was sharing her writer's notebook with students, illustrating techniques for the students to emulate. She, too, has been writing along with students, and often in advance, to work through the curriculum, to provide models for students, to experience the frustration and the triumph that comes with writing.

I look forward to seeing students' progress from first attempt to strategy experimentation to revision to published piece.

Will you, as the teacher, also put yourself into student mode to take the learning path from first to final draft?

In a Nutshell
We all must be learners.  We cannot become better writers or better writing teachers without doing the work of a writer.

source: https://twowritingteachers.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/mem-fox-quote.png 

Make Joy a Habit

It's been a month since that hot August morning when we met in the auditorium to kick off this school year.  Does your joy journal reflect a month of finding joy in each day, of expressing gratitude for what you have?

I know you've been busy.  I know you're still overwhelmed with the tasks of getting to know your new students, your new curriculum, your new role.  But I'm hoping that you've found joy in the ordinary, that you've recognized your gratitude for even the things that cause you stress.

Maybe you're thankful for 

• that student who seems to have parents who don't have time or interest in their child's schoolwork.  You have something to offer him: understanding, love, good teaching
• that colleague who can't get it together.  She needs your expertise.
• your extra-curricular responsibilities that keep you away from home late into the evening. You have a secondary platform for reaching students; your influence is huge.

Maybe you found joy

• in wiping away tears 
• in finishing a math lesson in one class period!
• in the note a former student sent you saying "thanks"

You will reap the benefits of choosing joy each day, of seeking and noticing the things that give you joy.  Your gratitude will grow and show.

In a Nutshell

Remember to find joy in each day.  Writing it down will help you develop a habit of seeking, of noticing, the little things that give you joy.  If you haven't yet committed to writing daily in your joy journal, make that commitment now.

There's truth in this borrowed phrase:

I'm not telling you it is going to be easy; I'm telling you it's going to be worth it.

Feel free to share your joy moments in the comments section below.

Grounded in Tradition

I'm really liking our school's new logo.

The iconic oak trees shading our playground hold so much history for this little town, and more recently, for our school.

The new logo speaks to me this way:

The oak tree represents our roots and the foundational aspects of character building and academics we strive to instill in our students.  The mighty oak in its antiquity represents wisdom, steadfast loyalty, and strength, all of which are character traits we endeavor to pass along to our students.

The trunk and limbs, represented through the two arms and hands outwardly stretched, embody the support we provide for our students as they develop their potential.

The leaves represent our students and staff as individuals of varied ages and sizes who, collectively, make up our BCCS family.

Grounded in tradition, a phrase from our Alma Mater, reminds us of where we came from.

Reaching for the future, a statement of hope.

What is unseen in the logo is just as important as what is seen.  Roots.

Roots grow deep into the ground to weather the worst of winds, to drink from within the soil, maintaining life.  Likewise, there is much unseen support at BCCS.  So much that happens that you and I don't see, from the board room where policies and finances are handled to the bathroom where little ones' tears are wiped away, from visionary planning to lesson planning: these are the roots that make BCCS strong.

I'm grateful for this mighty oak - our school - that was planted by a tiny seed - an idea - in our founders' imagination.  I'm grateful for the roots that have taken hold, for the trunk of unwavering support, for the diversity of leaves on our tree.

BCCS gives me joy.

In a Nutshell
To be a Blazer is to be rooted in a tradition of excellence, to grow strong in character and intellect, to contribute to the whole while simultaneously pursuing individual potential.

Attending to the Small Things

Great accomplishments are made possible by attending to the small things. It’s a compilation of many details that leads to success.  As the great Coach John Wooden said, “Big things are accomplished only through perfection of minor details.”  

Wooden’s championship successes in basketball began with him teaching his players – college players – how to put on their socks and shoes.  Talk about basics.  Attention to this level of seemingly minor details resulted in numerous championships.  Nothing fancy. Wooden’s philosophy was simple.  And it led to big wins. 

I think his philosophy is appropriate for our school, as well.  Attend to the details and the big picture – the goal – the mission – will be ultimately fulfilled.

This philosophy asserts that excellence is a by-product of commitment to doing all the small things well, of giving maximum performance 100% of the time, focusing on doing all the little things well consistently and conscientiously. Consistency, never slacking off, never letting down, is indispensable when working toward excellence. 

If you’re here, then it’s at least partly because you want to be the best, to be associated with excellence. Mediocre is not an option.

So, where do we find these little things at our school that add up to excellence, to the brand that our community recognizes as Baconton Community Charter School?

• The little things are found in our family atmosphere. We love each other and we love our students, and it shows. 

•  The little things are found in caring, compassionate teachers who get to know their students and their parents, who treat them as their own children, as family, offering both encouragement and correction with love in their voice.  Our character is not measured by how well we love the easy-to-love kids, but rather, by how well we love the hard-to-love ones.  Love for students sets us apart from other schools. 

• The little things are found in knowledgeable, competent teachers maximizing instructional minutes with engaging bell to bell instruction to ensure every child learns to his potential.  Consider the compound effect of the lost opportunity for learning every time a lesson runs short. Do the math: 5 minutes of free time at the end of the period times 5 days a week times 2 weeks equals a full 50 minute class period times 36 weeks equals 18 class periods. Can anyone afford to give up 18 class periods? 

• The little things are found in modeling respect for others through our words and actions, respect for property through keeping our campus and our classrooms clean and free of litter and our equipment in good repair, and holding our students and ourselves accountable. Consider the message we send when we walk past litter, when our classrooms are cluttered, when we allow students to draw on desks, or chew gum that lands on the sidewalks or under desktops.

• The little things are found in customer service.  Our students and our parents are our customers.  Without them, we have no business.  Our responsibility is to serve them, and each other, cheerfully.  Consider the difference in how you feel when you leave Chic-Fil-A and the cashier says cheerfully “See you again tomorrow” versus how you feel when your server doesn’t refill your drink before you empty it and your food takes nearly an hour to arrive.

•  The little things are found in expecting 100% performance from ourselves each day.  Giving our all.  Being on time and prepared.  Our lesson plans are a to-do list; they keep us on track, making forward progress through our curriculum and ensuring students have the opportunity to learn. Revision is natural, but we can’t revise what we don’t have to start with.  It is cliché, but oh so true:  We are only as strong as our weakest link; if any among us gives less than 100%, we will not achieve the excellence our mission drives us toward. We must be accountable to each other.

Art Linkletter once said, “Do a little more than you’re paid to. Give a little more than you have to.  Try a little harder than you want to.  Aim a little higher than you think possible.”  That’s our challenge: our opportunity to contribute our full measure to our students as individuals and to our school as a collective organization.

In a Nutshell

Our brand is differentiated by the little things.  How are you/me/we attending to the little things?  

Uncovering Our School's Mission

Here’s our school mission – what it is that we claim to do as a school:

Providing a safe, nurturing environment for a diverse community of learners to develop academic potential and ethical character leading to productive citizenship in the 21st century

• Through our charter, we have collectively contracted with Mitchell County and with the State of Georgia to carry out this mission. 
• Through our registration process and family contract, we’ve collectively committed to our parents and students to carry out this mission.  
• When we each signed a contract to work at BCCS, we committed ourselves individually to carry out this mission.  

Each of us must understand and own our mission.   

I revisit this frequently and ask myself, am I fulfilling this mission?  What do I need to do better?

It is our mission – we are tasked with – providing.  That doesn’t just happen.  By definition, provide means to make available; to furnish; to supply or equip.  We have to put it out there for our students to receive.

Safe: physical and emotional safety are necessary for learning to occur. Psychology tells us this – kids can’t learn when they have unmet needs for safety.  We can create safety by how we treat students in our classrooms, on our playgrounds, in our lunchroom, on our athletic fields.

Nurture – to feed & protect; to support and encourage. Our words and actions, our attitudes, build up others or tear them down.  Our mission is to nurture – to build up.  Even when someone needs to be corrected, our mission compels us to do this in a nurturing way.

Environment –the social & cultural forces, influences & conditions that shape the life of a person or a population;  

Providing a safe, nurturing environment: we are tasked with ensuring our students and our staff are surrounded with supportive, encouraging conditions characterized by both physical and emotional safety. For many of our students, a day at school is the best eight hours of their day.  For some of us, school may be an escape from less-than-desirable conditions at home.  We can control our school environment through how we choose to respond; remember, we set the tone in our own classrooms.

Diverse – although the State may define diversity in terms of color, we know our diversity takes many forms.  We have students and staff from all walks of life – different economic circumstances, different cultural traditions, different religious practices, different family makeup, different educational backgrounds, and more. 

Community references the common denominator we share – our school; we’re all in this together!

A diverse community requires that we open our hearts and minds to understand where children and parents are coming from; they may not have grown up like we did; they may not accept responsibilities as eagerly or as responsibly as we expect; their differences, though, should not create a barrier to benefitting fully from being a part of the community.  

It is our mission – our responsibility – to bring each one into this shared community, to teach them how to participate fully, to gain all that is available to them.  They want it – that’s why they’re here; they just may not know how to get it.

Learners – we all are learners, not just our students, but we, too, must be continually in learning mode.  I invite you to embrace learning with a growth mindset for yourself, as well as for your students.  We will be on a significant learning path this year as we learn our new curriculum and new pedagogy with our Eureka Math, Lucy Calkins writing, inquiry based learning, and for some of you, new courses or grade levels, entirely.  

But that’s not all we must learn.  You’ll have a new set of students and new set of parents, new challenges along the way.  What you’ve always done before may not be the most effective for the outcome needed, so I encourage you to seek out, to learn.  To become the most effective teachers, we must be learners first.

To develop: to bring out the capabilities or possibility of; to bring to a more advanced or effective state.  This is movement forward – from one level to the next, often through incremental steps, toward effectiveness or mastery

Academic – that’s the measure of a school – the content we teach

Potential – that which is possible or capable of becoming

Develop academic potential – our mission requires that we move students toward their best academic performance, leading them to becoming all that they can be – their potential.  This is different for every person, but we must not allow ourselves to become comfortable with mediocre, with less than what we and our students are capable of.

But academics, as we know, is not the sum total of our mission.  BCCS was founded on the premise of developing good citizens, which necessitates a strong ethical character, as well.  We are charged with helping students develop ethical character – instilling our Blazer Spirit values in every student and every employee.    

We’ve distilled these traits into our acronym BCCS BLAZER SPIRIT: Baconton – our community, Citizenship, Civility, Sportsmanship, Blazer – one who leads the way, Loyalty, Accountability, Zest, Esprit de Corp, Respect, Self Discipline, Perseverance, Integrity, Resilience, Initiative, and Teamwork.

That is, developing academic potential and ethical character leading to … productive citizenship

We want our students to become producers, to be able to work, to hold jobs of their choosing, to support their families as they grow into adults, to be able to and to desire to give back to their community, participating in our democratic republic as an informed voter, possibly as an elected or appointed official, making life better for all, but above all, being able to take care of oneself financially & intellectually, and contributing to society in a meaningful way.  Productive Citizenship

In the 21^st century.  Our society is changing, and what was good enough years ago, simply isn’t anymore.  Our students must be prepared for this fast evolving world we live in, able to learn and adapt quickly, to be able to place themselves on the cutting edge.  

This new generation of workers will need to develop skillsets as innovators, creators of new ideas, problem solvers, decision makers, effective communicators, collaborators, to be able to research and inquire, to be media literate, technologically savvy, flexible & adaptable, self-directed. 

This is a huge task: our mission.  But it’s just the beginning, the statement of what we will do. This mission demands great accomplishment, excellence.   

In a Nutshell
How do you live this mission?  What aspects of your daily activities put this mission into action?

Your Mission: Why are You Here?

Why are we here? More specifically, why are you here? Why am I here?              

The short answer is that all of us want something better in education, and Baconton has a reputation for being a good school.  The long answer is embedded in each of our experiences. 

Early one morning 16 years ago, as I was dressing for work that day, I felt a powerful call on my life.  It was so unmistakably the hand of God on my shoulder and His voice saying “Teach in Baconton; this is your mission field.”

Fast forward . . . and here I am today, still on this journey.

These years haven’t been easy.  I’ve personally made lots of mistakes, and there have been many times I have questioned whether it is time for me to move along elsewhere.  Yes, I have questioned God about this, and he has shown me undeniably that this is where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing.  I don’t take this lightly.  I’ve been given an assignment, and not only is it my paid job to do, but I believe that it is God’s calling on my life to be here.

Like me, many of you also have a testimony of sorts as to why and how you arrived on-scene at BCCS.  It is no accident that any of us is here.  We are 70+ people, each with differing talents, interests and experiences.  We have been brought together for a purpose.  We have a mission to fulfill.

In a Nutshell

What is your personal mission?  Why are you here?  How does your personal mission fit into the school's mission?

Choose an Attitude of Gratitude

And, we're off to a joyful start of a new school year!

We have so much to be thankful for, yet we sometimes get so busy in getting things done that we fail to take those few moments to reflect on what we have.  That's why I felt it so important to begin our first faculty gathering with a call to choose an attitude of gratitude.  

Build a habit of thankfulness. We cannot take our school for granted; we operate under a performance contract, one that is increasingly under greater scrutiny.  We must be thankful for our school, our facilities, our coworkers, our opportunity to exist here, and continually strive to exceed expectations.

Seek joy: be willing “to see even the small good things around you — to allow yourself to give them due notice and to allow these things to lift your spirit.” source

Take a moment every day to reflect on all that is good and right in our work environment and in your life.  See the good, ever how small it is.  Create solutions, rather than drowning in a sea of problems.  

Together we will change our outlook, we will enhance our school climate, we will find greater satisfaction in our jobs, and we will perform better when we honestly acknowledge the good things happening around us. 

We are going to have great year! 

It will not be without its challenges, but we can use these as opportunities for personal and professional growth, both individually and collectively.  

I am confident that with all 70 or so of our employees choosing daily to operate with a thankful heart, we can positively transform our school into greatness.

In a Nutshell

Every day, write down at least one thing that brings you joy that day or that you are thankful for that day.  Date your list.  And periodically, re-read it.  This is your Joy Journal.  Write in it daily.