Dear Newbie Guest Post

Yesterday was such a super Sunday. 

First, I was invited by my friend Misty to guest post for this Time 2 Teach series that she's hosting. Basically she's gathering veteran teachers like me and asking for their advice as she officially launches into her first school year with a class of her own. What advice would you offer a rookie to our field? An offshoot that you could use with your students on the first day/week back? Have them write a letter telling you what they're hoping as part of your class family during their 2014-2015 school-year dash.


Click this picture of my school to read my letter to her.


Yay Misty ... great idea ... what a gift!

Another reason for my excitement yesterday was getting four copies of Carol McCloud's Bucket Filler Coloring Book in the mail from the expert Bucket Filler herself! I was able to give three of them away and I can't wait to use the fourth copy in my counseling this year. Carol is always so generous in sharing her resources with us and I am incredibly grateful to be in her circle of friends.



A third reason for yesterday's greatness was meeting up with my midwest blogging buddy Patty, who came to town to meet her new granddaughter.


Although she hardly looks retirement-ready, Patty just finished up 36 years of teaching second grade and has officially hung up her cape. But no worries, because she still has plans to blog, create her fantastic lessons for TpT, substitute when needed, and volunteer to help our superheroes soar.

And as if my bucket weren't already overflowing, a group of teacher-blogging friends have decided to do a book study on ... drum roll please ... What's Under Your Cape? ... in mid July ... like in two weeks! That sends my heart soaring because I cannot wait to hear what these master teachers have to say as they reflect on my words and then what they would do as they enrich my work and make it their own for their very own superheroes.

So mark your calendars for July 14th and get ready to study along. 
Or as this song would say, Cape Up!


And now I'm off for a jolt-o-java with Ginger, my mentor from
my very first counseling job at Pearland High in 1995.
Could I fly any higher?
What's got you soaring to new heights today?
  




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Serving Customers

Today I woke up thinking about customer service.


And for the record, I had some AmAzInG customer service on my ten day trek through three states. The pictures in the collage come from my CA stop, breakfast yesterday at The Mission (where they serve up Conscientious Cuisine - don't you love that?) in San Diego and a handcrafted set of salad spoons from Africa from Jill's peace walk that she generously gifted to me.

On the flip side, I had some not-so-stellar service, too, so I've decided to recount of a few of both types of encounters as I reflect and grow.

One of my flights was delayed due to weather and I didn't arrive to my destination until midnight. Too tired to even pursue the free hotel shuttle, I decided to hail a cab. Keep in mind that this is a huge decision for me because my frugal side typically chooses free every time. But I didn't have the time nor the patience for free. My plan was going along smoothly until we were almost out of the airport and the driver finally inquires as to where I'm going. It was immediately after I said Comfort Suites Airport please that his demeanor changed. They have a free shuttle, he tells me curtly. Yeah, I know, but I don't know their number and it's midnight and I'm tired ... that must have sounded like blah, blah, blah to him because he goes on to say that the man standing next to me was taking the Crown Plaza shuttle and that the CP is right across the street from my hotel. Well I decided on a cab instead of the shuttle, I tell him. Does he maybe need the address? That's when he starts going off about how he waited in line two hours ... since 10:00 pm as if I didn't know how to tell time ... to get first in line and that now it's going to take him another two hours (until 2 am?) to get back to the front. Really? He's mad ... at me ... for hiring him? I hear myself saying out loud that I'm sorry but I wasn't thinking about him, only about how tired I was 'cause it was midnight and I'd gotten up at 4 am and did I mention I was tired ... and then I find some empathy for his situation and ask where he usually takes people. He tells me that they usually want to go downtown but I do not not not want to go downtown and that's where my empathy stops. Except to hand him $30.00 instead of the $12 it was going to cost me. To shut him up. apologize, appease him. Next time I think I'll go with free.

Our time at breakfast yesterday was just the opposite. We were met with a smile and immediate positivity: Sit where you'd like - and no worries if you change your mind and switch tables - and let me know how I can help make you more comfortable. Now this is a guy who deserves my thirty bucks! I left there happy as a clam with an invitation to move to CA or come back as quickly as I could.

Think about the difference between those two experiences;
which one am I likely to want to replicate?

My final reflection on this Sunday to savor is quite possibly etched in my heart and mind because it was a last-minute errand with my Dad, just before we bid adieu for another six months or so. We had three stops which I'll liken unto the Goldilocks' encounter with the Bears' three chairs. The first stop found my dad frustrated with Papa Bear. He was gruff and told us flat out that what we wanted needed him to do would be a "pain in the a--." Really? Who talks like that? Dad had actually given up on the guy, but I got out of the truck, attempted to make a few connections, and we left there feeling that that chair wouldn't do. At all. 

The third stop was neither good nor bad. We got a lukewarm reception from a congenial but not overly-welcoming rep behind the counter. He was helpful but not at all joyful. He smiled but not necessarily sincerely. Maybe he's an introvert, so I don't want to judge. I took a picture of their mission statement which I'd love to post here, but it's on my flip phone and I don't have any way to share it. I'm guessing that chair would suffice in the absence of any other chairs. 

Our middle stop - I'll call the guy Lonnie 'cause that's his name - is one I'll likely remember for a very long time. It was clear that my dad already has a connection with Lonnie, because our visit began with him obnoxiously and without much pause ringing the doorbell like fifty-five times. A cracker in his hand, Lonnie rushes to the counter with a gregarious smile and two words: Holy Man! My first words to him - though it seemed instantly like I'd known him forever - were, "Did you just call my Dad Holy?" to which he replied without batting an eye, "Better than holy sh--, right?" Instant laughter. Immediate and unadulterated. Night and day from our two previous stops. Lonnie said yes to what we wanted needed and we knew it'd be ready when we returned in 15 minutes before we even had to ask if it'd be ready when we returned. It told him that next time he should demand that Dad bring him some cheese from the farm to go along with that cracker, to which he quickly responded, "I like cheese!"

Just like Baby Bear's chair in the Goldilocks saga, Lonnie's approach to customer service - and I suspect to life in general - is just right. So when we got back there to find that the project we left him was ready to go, I asked him what his secret is. 
And he said this:
1. I spend time in the great outdoors with my daughter every chance I get.
2. I take a multi-vitamin every day.
3. I read the obituaries and I know that we don't get a lot of time.
 But every day we do get a choice. I choose happy.

That's it. In a nutshell.
Lonnie is serving customers 
and doing so with happiness in his heart.

Hey Dad, take a block of cheese along next time you head Lonnie's way!






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With Appreciation

Today I'm thankful.







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Doused With Dopamine

If I were any happier, I'd have to be twins ... or triplets ...


Words will likely fail to convey the amazing natural high that I've been on during my time on the road with my character campaign.
First stop: The Show-Me State. That's where I met Tracy, a counseling colleague who was kind enough to pick me up from the airport before we'd ever even met in real life. We connected instantly and, when my flight was delayed, her family adopted me for their family dinnertime at this delicious pizza place. If her hospitality in anyway parallels what the people of Missouri are all about, then I can't get back there soon enough! My only regret is that I didn't get the character cam out to capture those moments, but they're precious moments etched in my heart and soul.

Then it was on to Wisconsin that night, so that I could present another workshop, this time in my home state. Thirteen family members {including my mom, dad, and sister!} joined that group of character educators for my workshop. 


After some much-needed summer savoring and family time, 
I headed to San Diego to stay here for a few days:


La Casa De Paz ... its name says it all.  Pure decadence!
I am enjoying connecting in a new place with some new friends.


Maybe you recognize Lisa from Growing Firsties (bottom R) or Shawna from The Picture Book Teachers Edition (bottom L).
Kim from Joy in Sixth was there, too, but she insisted
on playing paparazzi, 'cause service to others is how she rolls.
I also met Jill (top right), one of the co-founders of Kids For Peace, and found out about {and signed up for} the 
Won't you join us?


This afternoon I'll be meeting Sylvia from Learning With Mrs. Parker after school. Can life get any better?

My happiness hormones are engaged in rapid fire.
What {or who} is dispensing dopamine in your Corner today?





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Where Do You Plug In?

While that might sound like an internet connectivity question,
it's actually more of a morning musing as I sit staring out across a corn field with fog so dense that I can't see the farm just a stone's throw away.

Where do you plug in? 
You, yourself, mind, body, soul.

This week I've been plugging in to family
and it feels like home even though I haven't lived on the family farm in thirty-five years. It seems it's not so much where we are, but whom we're there with. 


And yet, it doesn't hurt to find those special little places that either spark a memory or leave you feeling so comfortable and content that you simply must stop there every time you're passing through.

 That place for my sister Debra and me is Mud Creek Coffee 
in Stockbridge, Wisconsin, on our way home.

Click picture for photo source - linked with permission.
Come in and sit with us for a spell.


Source: Mud Creek Facebook Page (linked with permission)

Can't you just feel the love ...  and hear the laughter?
I dare ya to experience the salted caramel coffee I enjoyed.
To smell its deliciousness.  
To savor the taste.
To read Delighted that you're here
and know that they're not just words on a wall.
To revel in the rural hip ambiance.
And to leave happy.

After visiting with Julie, the gregarious and super sweet owner, I had a sense that, even if not related by blood, we're family in her establishment. We laughed together and celebrated her joy as she shared the story of her eight years behind the counter. She's done a beautiful job of creating that third place, where I suspect the regulars know your name if you're blessed to go there often enough. Her lunch crowd was so plentiful, in fact, that my coffee didn't come as quickly as maybe I would have preferred, but in the end, it was more than worth the wait! The pastries were divine, the soup top notch, and my jolt-o-java decadently superb.

If you're ever in Wisconsin and you've got some time on your hands and friends or family in the car, get yourself over to Mud Creek Coffee and plug in to 
something special. 

And now to my school-application questions:
Is your school someplace special?
Are your kids plugged in?
If so, how can you tell?
If not, what will you do to increase connectivity?






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Surprise!

Hello from Wayside, WI, where the balmy temps have the southerners 
doing a Tigger Dance and savoring our time in the great outdoors.


So I was making small talk with my Uncle Bill as we stood in line for dinner last night, day two of our three-day reunion. Having heard he'd be leading our Sunday worship service, I asked him what the topic of his sermon was going to be. His answer? Surprise.  Slightly frustrated by his need for secrecy {because what's the big deal really?} I said, "Fine, I'll wait until tomorrow to find out then."

This morning as he greeted us with a handshake, I told him slyly that I was ready to be surprised! He just chuckled to himself, probably imagining my surprise when I opened my bulletin to see that the title of his sermon was just that: Surprise!

So today's question is: What surprises you?
Do you prefer to give surprises ... or get them?
Or both? Or neither?

After our morning reflections, we took a cemetery walk.
The surprise about that for me was how quickly tears came.
Listening to the bagpipe playing Amazing Grace.
Looking at the small tombs of children who died too soon,
in infancy,
in childhood,
as teenagers,
as young adults.
I could hardly breathe at the thought of burying
one child, much less the four siblings whose tombs we saw.
And the tombs of soldiers who served to secure our 
freedom and hope.
And the tombs of our grandparents ... and their parents.

And then seeing my Aunt Norma's grave again,
like it was for the first time.
And pondering how perfect its stone's inscription for her is:

Feed My Lambs.


She spent 50 years of her life feeding little lambs.
Her lambs.
Her heavenly Father's lambs.



If you've never been on a cemetery walk, I highly recommend it.
You just might be surprised at how good it feels
to honor those who have gone before us
and who made us the people we are today, 
those whose lasting legacies we are left behind to live.





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Coffee & Connectivity

So life on the farm can have its challenges, like not very good WiFi connection. So I'm in a Starbucks enjoying some coffee and connectivity, and it has me thinking about life, before the internet. Was it a simpler time? How did we connect with one another? 
I've been spending a lot of time this week in reunion in real life instead of online.
I've made a lot of new friends, including my sister's cat Gus.


Understandably, it took Gus a while to warm up to me. We've never met, so why would he trust me? But, because Gus is an up cat, and I would be sleeping in the loft, I figured it'd only be a matter of time until we were fast friends.  Turns out I was right. He followed me up and I saw a softer, gentler side of this finicky feline. It was kind of a yes moment. We were up, together.  He started out on top of the covers with me and, before I fell fast asleep, he was snuggled in underneath. Life is like that. It usually just takes time and trust. 

So today's question is: Who are your up people? 
And how do you connect with them?





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A Jolt Of Joy


What a delightful day I spent in the Show-Me State,
where I enjoyed a jolt of character, love, and joy
at the CharacterPlus conference.



I made a few new friends and learned a lot of new things!
Here are some of the highlights from the two keynotes I attended:



1. It is impossible to teach a child whom you don't know.
2. We must FLIP destructive classroom behavior.
3. Your dreams must be bigger than your excuses.
4. Give kids permission to dream bigger.
5. Find ways to expand their world and their reach.
6. Make kids wish you could stay.
7. Find people with the IT factor.
8. Do something ... what will you do?
9. Mission statement: We will all choose to do the right thing.
10. Do the right thing because it's the right thing to do.

 Ignited by John O'Leary

1. It's often the invisible stuff that burns you.
2. What more can you do?
3. The winds of change always come.
4. If it's just about you, you save yourself when danger comes.
5. If there's someone else involved, you jolt love.
6. It only takes one.
7. There are two great motivators: fear and love.
8. What you know is what you do.
9. Let your yes be heard.
10. It can be anybody who helps you rise above.

None of it earth-shattering, all of it ground-breaking
because every time we capture a heart,
we are making our world a better place.
That takes me to new heights.
And it's better than any jolt 'o java any day!






3

A Friendship Homerun

I guess it's natural, that I'd forget from year to year how much I enjoy
 the long, lazy days of summer. 
The leisure. 
The savoring.
Staying up late.
Sleeping in.
Breathtaking sunsets.


 When I was younger, I used to tease my roommate about vacation stress, because she wasn't a teacher and didn't get the gift of those days. And, truth be told, I'm usually rarin' to get back to school as we turn the calendar from July to August, but for right now, in this moment, I'm reveling in some serious relaxation and rejuvenation. {If you'll excuse me, the microwave just beeped, signaling that the milk for my candy-bar-in-a-cup is ready ... be right back!}

Anyway, today an update. First, you must check out this touching review from my friend Tammy in Idaho. It's funny, that word friend, because I haven't actually met Tammy in real life ... yet. But I know from her dedication to and passion for children that she's my kind of people! Thank you, Tammy, for your beautiful words.


I promise that my posts will not always be about the book, but, for now, I'm delighted to share my readers with the bloggers who've been kind enough 
to share their reflections.

And now, a story about a cyberspace collaborator whom I haven't met yet, either, but will tomorrow. Yesterday started out frustrating, actually, because I got a note from MO that my transportation had fallen through and I would be on my own to get from the airport to the Conference Center. Well, not that that's a huge problem, because I'm told it's only about 10 miles down the road. What's the big deal, right? Just hail a taxi, for heaven's sake. But I kind of cruised into operation fix-it mode and went through my mental roladex to see if I knew anyone, anyone at all, that could help me in St. Louis. Then I remembered that I'd invited a counselor to come to my session. Would it be way too bold or forward to send her a message and ask for a ride? Desperate times call for desperate measures, so yep, I sent her a PM. On Facebook. That's how we met. But friends, it's counseling and character that connect us. She wrote back to say that it'd be her pleasure to pick me up and that, if the flight is on time, we'd even be there  for that 9 am keynote in the morning with time to spare. Just how far will superheroes fly to help out a friend? So thank you, Tracy. Why did the song Meet Me In St. Louis just pop into my head?


So after St. Louis, I head to WI to speak at my home state's Character Conference. I appreciate them because they're allowing a few of my family and friends in as guests to my workshop. Can't wait, because my mom, sister, Aunt Eileen, a cousin or two and Lisa from Growing Firsties will be in the audience cheering me on. Then it's off for extra innings the family farm before heading to San Diego for the Character Matters conference in sunny southern CA. Againm conference personnel have allowed me to invite a few guests {Thank you Paty and Ed!}, so I'm meeting up with Jill from Kids for Peace, Shawna from The Picture Book Teacher's Edition, and Kim from Joy In Sixth! How about that lineup? 

Here comes another singalong ... 
Take me out to the ball game; Take me out to the crowds.
See you at the ball park.




1

Character Ed's Resource Round-Up

There's this friend named Ed, and he's a real character.
Today, in no particular order, some of Character Ed's 
super finds of the summer.

Misty over at Think, Wonder & Teach read my book, What's Under Your Cape?, (twice) and wrote a beautiful reflection. Just use her wonder-full button to go there and read what this newbie teacher has to say.
Misty, your sixth-grade SUPERHEROES are going to fly!



Jen over at PH Greene uses this six-pillar graphic as her email signature and it got me to thinking ... what if you posted this in a classroom to chart behavior ... in a catch 'em being kids with character sort of way. Click the graphic to see the chart my friend Dr. Fuller shared and then adapt away. 
Or use hers, 'cause it's super, too.




Lori over at Teaching With Love and Laughter posted an AmAzInG character education reflection pack yesterday.
Let her button transport you to her page for more details.
Lori, keep sprinkling sunshine all over cyberspace!



Frank Sonneberg Online has a fabulous 
Friends Forever Freebie {here}.

Jackie over at Third Grade's A Charm has a 
heart map freebie that'll grab your heart {here}.
We did these in small group feelings class this spring
and the students really enjoyed bringing these to life.

You'll want to check out Edutopia's Perseverance Walk video.

And if you need a game that'll help elevate empathy,
here are Ellen Holderman's Top 13 picks.

My, my, Character Ed certainly has been a busy beaver.
I hope that he'll stop by again as he scouts out more
engaging character education resources that'll
help your superheroes soar!




6

The Painter's Canvas

Happy Father's Day to Dads everywhere!
Today in Sunday School we talked about where we get our identity and what we're chasing.
Our leader asked what we would do if that source were threatened.



So it got me to thinking about the gift that we're given,
 every day.
Whether it's a blank page, a piece of modeling clay, or a stark white canvas,
we get to write, mold, paint our stories.

Who and what influences our words, our colors, our shape?
How do we choose one over another?
And what happens when the sun sets on our day before we've finished what we'd hoped to get written?  Sculpted? Painted?

I don't have many of these answers. Only more questions.
How do we know that we matter?
Where does our value come from?
What exactly is it that's defining us?

It gives me incredible hope to know that, in the end,
I have a choice about what's on my canvas, every day.
I also get to choose who guides that, 
whom I choose to be influenced by, to mentor me.
And in whom and in what I believe.
Even when we find ourselves chasing something elusive.
It's not about being perfect, because it's actually when our pot is cracked that the light can shine through, 
outside to inside and inside to outside.
This I know: Every day, I can choose joy, even when the sun can't set soon enough and I eagerly await that clean slate and another chance to get it right, that do-over, tomorrow.

Have you ever asked yourself what you're chasing?
Thank you, Lynn, for a philosophical reflection today. 






1

PPBF: Maurice's Valises

Today's PPBF - the last until September - is actually a new series for which I've been helping write teacher activities, so you can imagine that it's a product I firmly enjoy and endorse!


Title: Maurice's Valises: Moral Tails in an Immoral World
Author: J.S. Friedman
Illustrator: Chris Beatrice
Publisher: Mouse Prints Press
Date: September 3, 2013
Suitable for ages: K-grade 4
Fiction
Themes: integrity, empathy, honesty, trust
Brief Synopsis: Travel with Maurice, the mouse, as his journeys take him through the fables. In the first of this book's series, Maurice, a master storyteller, recounts his story of The Rat Who Cried Skunk, a nice parallel to the Aesop's Fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, to help his offspring learn the value of telling the truth.

Opening pages: Since my office is being cleaned for the summer, I'm unable to get to my copy of the book so that I can share the opening pages.

Resources:  Visit the author's website {here}.
Activity ideas and an App for adults {here}.
Check out the book's Facebook page {here}.
Enjoy the illustrator's beautiful work {here}.
Download it or listen to a sample at iTunes {here}.
Using a double bubble graphic organizer, compare and contrast Aesop's The Boy Who Cried Wolf with the skunk tale in this story.

Why I like this book: I find it delightful revisiting the old fables coupled with this author's entertaining twists through the eyes of a Mouse. New vocabulary introduced and the moral scrolls both cleverly tie the present back to the past. The valise totally lends itself to a discussion about a Character Case, so my activity suggestions {available soon} revolve around what a student would put in his/her character case were they to travel the world like Maurice. I can see it being used as a wonderful springboard for cultural integration as well.

Check out this series; 
I think you'll enjoy this Mentor Mouse 
and his lessons learned.

**************************

Since Father's Day is just around the corner, 
I wanted to take this opportunity to share a recent father-child outing. Here's a seven-minute musical clip from a small polka band that John put together for the local German Restaurant.
Enjoy John Loessin on trombone,
My husband on tuba, 
our son, Jacob, on trumpet,
and our daughter, Kaitlyn, on clarinet.
Notice that in the last song, a K student from my school
tried his hand at directing, then came back with 
a dollar looking for "the money jar." It was tooooooo cute!




Then visit our friends at Happify to see the interesting facts 
that they shared on their Dad's Infographic.

I'm going off the grid for a little bit, so
here's to all the Dandy Dads out there; 
enJOY your special day on Sunday!





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