Coaching

#DBCBookBlogs: Boredom Busters

/ Alicia Ray / Leave a comment

Worksheet… we can all picture one, right?

A place for your name, date, and class period along the top. A topic written in bold letters followed by a line or two of directions. Space on the page to show work. I typically think of math. I taught math. I used worksheets. I hated it. The monotony of worksheets was sucking the fun right out of my class. In fact, we one-upped the standard worksheet by spending who-knows-how-much money on purchasing worksheets bound together in a consumable workbook for every student every year. Ugh.

I asked my daughters what they think about when I say the word worksheet. My 11 year old’s response was “It’s a sheet with a WHOLE lot of problems on it. Or in reading it has a passage with questions. Basically they’re not very fun.” My seven year old says, “Boring. It’s lots of work. They can help me learn, but it’s very boring (complete with an eye roll).”

For the record, no one saved any of the “awesome” worksheets I did in school.

Katie Powell wrote a book that addresses these very concerns of students and teachers alike! Her ideas in Boredom Busters will certainly turn the average worksheet into a memorable & meaningful experience for everyone involved!

BoredomBusters

Katie has written such a unique book in that it has a great message that will get you excited to be a teacher, and it’s also practical. Readers can literally pick up this book today and implement the ideas tomorrow. The paper airplane on the cover showcases the first, and easiest, of her Worksheet Busters – simply allow students to fold their worksheet into a paper airplane, give them a good toss across the room, pick up the one closest to them, and complete a problem.

“Fun is a tool we leverage. It’s effective. But it’s not the end goal.”
-Katie Powell, Boredom Busters

These Busters are not just fluff. She says to “consider what would happen if you surprised those [hard to manage] very students with novelty”. She continues with “we have to plan for what comes after the curiosity”. Katie talks about Depth of Knowledge (DOK) and higher order thinking skills embedded within Worksheet, Lecture, and Homework Busters.

I have already shared several of the Busters with the teachers I serve and have them wanting to implement as soon as possible. We’re especially excited to implement the Busters using painter’s plastic. The Bulls-Eye, Curling, and Monopoly Games have me so excited! As soon as students are back on campus, I plan to get those teachers on my calendar in the media center! In the meantime, I’ll be buying some plastic sheeting and getting the materials ready!

 

Like many schools, we will begin the school year with students learning remotely and then bringing back small groups of students using social distancing after a couple months. With that hanging in the back of my mind the entire time I was reading Boredom Busters, I found myself wishing again and again that I had found the time to read this book last year when things were “normal”. No worries though! After a quick peek at Katie’s website I was relieved to see that she has already created a list of socially distant and/or virtual Busters in a recent blog! Check that out here! Thank you, Katie!

Definitely be sure to check out this 84th book in the Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc line! Katie Powell’s Boredom Busters is absolutely a book you’ll use again and again. And BONUS: Katie walks you through her process when she creates a Buster, so you can create your own! While you wait for your book to come in, check out these epic YouTube videos featuring the author and THIS video that makes me smile every time because our friend and fellow DBC author Adam Welcome shares his thoughts on Boredom Busters and the next book in the line-up… if you’ve been following #DBCBookBlogs, you may find that you know that author. HA!

#DBCBookBlogs: TeamMakers

/ Alicia Ray / 1 Comment

When is the last time you worked with others as a team to achieve a goal? How far back to you have to think? Are you lucky enough to be part of a terrific team right now?

I love the focus of the 81st book in the Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc line! TeamMakers: Positively Impacting the Lives of Children through District-Wide Dreaming, Collaborating, and Change is written by Laura Robb and Evan Robb. There is a clear emphasis on creating sustainable change as a district. I’m blown away by the way Laura & Evan take on this topic, which has the potential to create scapegoats for educators on every level. They address each level head on – central office administration, building administration, and teachers – and share how each of us as a role to play in the betterment of our schools for students.

TeamMakers

Some of the quotes that really resonated with me are:

“…in many classrooms technology is simply an ornament. How students learn hasn’t changed.”

“…when staff and administrators share with students dreams and personal stories about their teaching and learning lives, students feel safe to share theirs. Sharing dreams and stories builds positive relationships.”

“…risk-taking can initially raise fear and uncertainty but ultimately produce enthusiasm and courage.”

“…no one role is more valuable than another.” -Marc Ferris, EdD

I also truly enjoyed Chapter 8: Mentors and Coaches! The interludes from current educators at various levels was enlightening and terrific examples how it looks when true teamwork is happening everywhere in a district. There is so much to take away from this book, and it presents the perfect literature to create a district-wide book study! The whole idea is that we can’t make it happen unless we are willing to put in the work and create a team that has one another’s backs. We must all share a vision and a mission to move education forward in a system.

I am so blessed to work in a school system where this idea of TeamMakers is a reality. There is always room for improvement, but my school system is frequently leading the way and as a whole, we function as a pretty impressive team.

Implementation

Valuing the work of every individual in a system is vital to a team achieving its goals.

My oldest daughter plays softball, and she has played right field in every season. After playing softball for many years myself, I knew what playing “right field” meant – or so I thought I did. I jokingly said something to one of her coaches about Bailey playing right field because she was still learning and had a l.o.n.g. way to go in coordination, speed, processing the play of the game, etc. He (rightfully) put me in my place by telling me she’s in right field because we can count on her to always back up the play on first base. She’s in right field because she’s got a decent arm on her. She’s in right field because when a ball gets by her, she’ll go chase it down. Every position on the softball field is important because every position has their own role to making sure the team achieves success.

My implementation is to make sure that every person I come in contact with feels valued. Sometimes our custodians, nutrition workers, nurses, front office staff, assistants, etc feel as though they aren’t as important as the classroom teachers. In education, the focus, unfortunately, is on test scores – so unless someone is a classroom teacher in a tested subject area, it can be easy to overlook their importance to the team. Every person in the building has a purpose and a value to the overall dream. I have no idea what this will look like, but I’m going to come up with some way to help others feel valued, and continue to feel valued throughout the year.

Check out the Sneak Peek video from the authors (link here)! You can also get a free preview by visiting this website (scroll to the bottom)!

Follow along with the conversation using #TeamMakers and be sure to pick up your copy of Laura & Evan‘s book! I believe you’ll enjoy it & it will help you look at each role with a new lens.

#DBCBookBlogs: Word Shift

/ Alicia Ray / 2 Comments

Our words matter. What we say forms our character and our reputation with others. The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is a lie. Words hurt. Words can also heal.

I was in a meeting yesterday as my principal reminded us that our students are listening to what we say, whether we think they are or not. She said that we need to choose our words wisely. I immediately reached into my bag and pulled out Word Shift by Joy Kirr and handed it to my assistant principal.

wordshift

Joy also wrote Shift This, the 26th book in the Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc line so I couldn’t wait to read Word Shift! With the feel of a dictionary, Joy shares words that need to be seriously reconsidered, many even eliminated, from our vocabulary. She gives us alternatives to use and her reasoning behind making these shifts in our word choice. Some of my favorites are:

Allow/Let/Permit –> Provide opportunities or Encourage

Give Up [Time] –> Invest

Have To –> Get to

Intervention . –> Next steps

Let It Go –> Soak it up

My –> Our

She also discusses practices that we need to reconsider such as behavior charts, homework, grading, assessments (that students can google the answer to), and again suggest alternatives for these practices.

Joy and I certainly see eye-to-eye on many of our philosophies and I was highlighting and writing “yaasss” beside many of these sections. Even if you grapple with some of these ideas, Joy lays it out in such a way that it makes sense how these practices or words could be harmful to our students.

For part of the implementation of Empower Our Girls by Lynmara Colon and Adam Welcome, I am focused on eliminating “guys” from my vocabulary as it is not inclusive of all students in my learning environment. I will continue this by intentionally saying “students” or “readers” when addressing a group of students. Joy gives us a list of labels that build up students and peers that I’m so excited to pull from when addressing others.

My implementation for Word Shift is to use the suggested phrases, sentences, and questions located at the end of the book purposefully this year. I love that Joy has us asking questions like, “What drives you,” “What is on your mind,” “What makes you unique,” “How can we make this more relevant to us,” etc.

My favorite quote from Joy’s second book:

“Many of these stressors are not something we can change. What we can change, however, is our focus… be in charge of our attitude.”

~Joy Kirr, Word Shift

This short book is packed with what makes Joy so awesome! Her positivity and genuine soul shines through the pages and I can’t help but imagine her class to be a place of acceptance, warmth, and love. What student wouldn’t be driven to learn that in environment? You can see a piece of Joy’s heart in a preview of the book here (scroll to the very bottom). Check out her sneak peek of the book below (or click here).

Finally, check out more of what Joy has to say by following her on Twitter at @JoyKirr and subscribing to her blog here. Check out the amazing resources in Joy’s LiveBinders here! Be sure to grab a copy of her book Word Shift, and go ahead and get a copy of Shift This while you’re at it! Both of these will move you to make intentional tweaks to your practice!