Boosterthon is Coming!

The Boosterthon Fun Run is a great fundraiser for our Willow Parent Group, and a fantastic character and team building experience for our students.  On Tuesday morning we will meet in the auditorium to watch a Zoom meeting with the details for our upcoming event, to be held on Friday, November 19th.

For those of you that haven't done Boosterthon before, here are some classroom tips to run a smooth Boosterthon program:

1. Set the classroom rewards (hat day, pj day, extra recess, etc.) for the different amounts of classroom pledges.

2. Watch the kick off video.

3. Watch the daily videos (3-5 minutes).

4. Send those 3 emails we discussed (kick off day, mid way through and the night before the run).

5. Pass out prizes that will delivered each morning.

Come with any questions at Tuesday’s meeting, or talk to Lindi or Sue!

See you Tuesday morning -

Sue

Self Care - Just Breathe...

Just Breathe

The Power of Deep Breathing

This is the time of year when things start to pile up.  The to do lists get long, the pile on your desk is never ending, and you're tired.  And when all of that creates a sense of being overwhelmed, we are not at our best.  What can we do to help ourselves?  Here is something very simple, and very effective.

Mindful breathing - paying attention to your breath and learning how to manipulate it - is one of the most beneficial ways to reduce everyday stress levels, and improve your health.  Mindful, deep breathing can  help relax you, as well as sharpen your ability to concentrate.  Breathing is the way we bring oxygen to the brain. When you are anxious, afraid, or stressed, your muscles become tight and your breathing gets shallow - which limits the amount of oxygen your body gets.  5-10 minutes of deep breathing (belly breaths) activates our relaxation system, and many internal reactions happen - such as mental focus, reduction of stress, increased joy, and inner enthusiasm.  It's as simple as taking a mindful breath - just inhale and exhale.  

Training your mind to focus on one thing - your breathing - without bouncing from one thought to the next - is a great way to manage stress, calm your mind, and improve your overall well being!  

As always, please let me know how I can best support you.  And have a great week!

Sue

WebMD breathing techniques (website)

4-7-8 breathing (website)

Deep Breathing Exercises (video, American Lung Association)

15 MInute Deep Breathing Exercise (video)

Goal Setting

Growth is measured along the way

Ownership of progress

Awareness builds focus and engagement

Learning increases with check ins/feedback on goal

As certified staff work to set their own goals/SLOs this month, this is a good time to consider having students do some type of goal setting as well.  According to a 2019 article in Phi Delta Kappan, goal setting gets students involved in reviewing and understanding their assessment results, setting reasonable goals for improvement, and continuously building their learning with frequent check ins on those goals. 

Goals will look very different from student to student.  They can be academic or behavioral, from increasing math facts to reducing tardies. Robert Marzano's (2009) review of research finds that goal setting can produce student learning gains of between 18-41 percentile points.  Effective goal-setting pratices help students focus on specific outcomes, encourage them to seek academic challenges, and make clear the connection between immediate tasks and future accomplishment.  Goal setting provides opportunities to build competence, gives students control of their learning, builds interest, and alters their perceptions of their own abilities. 

Tips for student goal setting:

Start early.  Start with classwide goals for younger students, and then move on to setting simple individual goals.  Talk about the process - why we make goals, how it guides learning, and how proud you feel when you hit the goal.

Do it often.  Schedule check ins, no longer than 4-6 weeks in frequency.  Questions like What do you notice about your work from the beginning until now? and How do you feel like you grew? encourage student self-reflection.

Make it visual: Utilize multiple forms of data, including graphics and other visual representation.  As a class, these may include anchor charts referencing classroom goals, or graphs showinng progress toward goals or targets.  On an individual level, these can be data notebooks, plans/graphs and other goal setting worksheets.

Creating personal relevance. Identify what a student is struggling with, and invite a conversation around What could we do to fix that?  Not only do these conversations build relationships, but they also help students see that they have some control over their success.

Student choice. Teachers help break larger goals into smaller skill areas, suggesting goals based on skills students are missing and outlining the steps needed to get to the goal - but ultimately, leaving selection of the goal to the student.  With younger students, where self-reflection isn't as developed, provide 2-3 choices.

So as you are thinking about your own goals, think about what this might look like in your classroom.  Start small - choose one area (it can be the same for everyone), and/or a goal for the whole classroom (rather than individual) - both the goal and the conversation about the process are important for students to participate in.  Setting goals with students informs teacher practice, engages and motivates students during the learning process, and creates a partnership between the teacher, student, and family.  Through goal setting, students become owners of their learning.

Attitude of Gratitude

Thrive Tip for the Week: Gratitude

Being grateful is one of the simplest things to do, and according to Forbes (2014), has scientifically proven benefits on your quality of life.  Gratitude may be one of the most overlooked tools that we all have access to every day.  It doesn't cost any moeny, doesn't take much time, and has enormous benefits!

1.  Physical Health

Research has found that grateful people experience fewer aches and pains, and report feeling healthier than other people.  

2. Psychological Health

Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, ranging from envy and resentment to frustration and regret.  Research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.

3. Empathy

Grateful peole are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, experience more sensitivity and empathy toward other people - and have a decreased desire to seek revenge.

4. Mental Strength

Research has shown gratitude not only reduces stress, but may also play a major role in overcoming trauma.  A 2006 study found that Vietnam War veterans with higher levels of gratitude experienced lower rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Similarly, a 2003 study found that gratitude was a major contributor to resilience following the terrorist attacks on September 11.  Recognizing all you have to be thankful for - even during the worst times of your life - fosters resilience.

We all have the ability and opportunity to cultivate gratitude - but it takes intentionality!  Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness, helping people to feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.  Give it a try this week!

 

Embracing JOY

 

During our district Welcome Back, our keynote speaker, Dean Shareski, spoke to us about finding JOY.  He compared teaching over the past year as a rollercoaster ride - but also asked us to take time to smile, laugh, think and act.  He reminded us to ask ourselves, "Where's the JOY?"

In his book, Why Joy Matters, Dean shared "The pressure and business of learning seems to be sucking the joy out of our schools.  While there is much that needs to be done in our institution and curriculum to address this problem, there is much that can be done in classrooms and by teachers to bring JOY back into our classrooms."  What a powerful quote!  We, collectively, touch every Willow River student everyday.  From how you greet each student each morning, interact in the hallways, check in at lunch and recess, and support them in the classroom, brings joy and fun to our students.

Joy is defined as an emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.  Obtaining and sustaining joy can be challenging.  We will experience speed bumps, distractors, and maybe even a road block - so the challenge then becomes how to recognize it for what it is, a little bump in the road, and reground yourself in embracing a culture of joy!

This JOY can be found in and outside of school.  In the words of Dean, it's about the art of noticing! We build opportunities for JOY within our days, with our students, as well as find opportunities for refreshing this JOY during our evenings and weekends.  Noticing the beauty around us, whether it's our students, colleagues, family, friends, or nature - this focus on the JOY around us refreshes and resets out mindset.

As you prepare for conferences, find ways to share what you've noticed... the JOY you find in teaching, in your students, and in the Willow community!

Some more links from Dean Shareski, about JOY!

• Whatever Happened to Joy in Education? - a TedTalk with Dean Shareski
• Creating Hope and Joy for Learners - a conversation wih Dean Shareski
• Embrace a Culture of Joy - Episode #42 podcast by Dean Shareski
• Embracing a Culture of Joy - book by Dean SHareski (Amazon)