PurposeFULL People Debuts

Happy May Day. 

Today I'm over-the-moon with gratitude and delight to help launch 

Character Strong's newest Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Character resource, their comprehensive K-5 Toolkit, PurposeFULL People.

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Kindness Catalysts

They say that imitation in the greatest compliment

and after seeing this mural on a wall in Canada, 

I'd have to agree.

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The Power Of Hope

I know, I know, it's Friday and that usually means PPBF at The Corner. 

But not today. Today, I've got a book of essays to share.

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PPBF: What If Everybody Said That?

Today I'm excited because on Wednesday I got to spend

the entire day (12 hours!) with one of my role models, Houston Kraft. 

We were awe-struck watching Houston interact with, inspire 

and influence our lucky sixth-and-ninth-grade FISD learners.

Regardless of how often I've heard my Character Strong teammate speak, 

he managed to bring me to tears. Three times.

{He humbly told me that that's not very hard to do.}

Of all the things that spoke to my soul, this adage still echoes.

Wait, what? More hunger for love and affirmation

than for bread? If that's true, why don't we do it more?

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Daring To Connect

Today I'm reflecting about my journey through education, my own as a student and then subsequently my decades as a teacher, mentor, counselor and friend. And while I don't take the idea or responsibility of being a friend lightly, I can honestly say that it wasn't always that way. Teachers in my school history didn't typically make friends with their students, so it wasn't modeled that I might make friends with mine. Education was much more transactional back then. We had mastered an academic content area and it became our job to deliver that knowledge to our students.

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Practicing Kindness

Happy September; today I'm excited because I'm back home after an incredible week-long Character Strong tour up in the Pacific Northwest. 

The glorious sunsets up there . . .

will take your breath away.

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Unleashing Passion

So today I'm excited because yesterday I woke up to this breathtaking view

 from the bedroom window in my new favorite Air BnB.

I'd kind of forgotten how incredibly beautiful Seattle is;

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What's On Your Plate?

What a week! Today I'm excited to share just a quick summary

of what's been going on in my corner of the world.

Isn't this the prettiest picture?

It was taken at our new-to-district employee luncheon,

while the crowd was arm-in-arm

singing the Cheers theme song as our launch.

Be still my heart ... talk about your caring connections.

I'm so grateful to my hero Michele Borba for the inspiration

and the permission to piggyback her idea and share it as I speak.

Here's how it went with the Friendswood Junior High leaders.

What a fun and engaging day that was, connecting with the faculty and staff at a school where all three of our children went in grades 6-8. We talked about being HOPE dealers and how to grow as a family during their Mustang Impact Time.

As a silly out-of-the-box activity during the Mindset piece, we drew a back-to-school picture on the plate atop our heads. Afterward, we wrote the one word that we want people to feel when they leave our presence on the plate for a "What's On Your Plate?" character wall display. 

Here's how that very activity looked the following day

with these delightfully passionate educators in Deer Park.

Both groups especially seemed to enjoy exchanging their 

one word in a riveting game of Give Me Your Hand(le); 

such a cool icebreaking activity that truly has the power 

to change the climate in the room.

Wanna practice handshakes and eye contact;

here are the instructions so you can give it a try.

 Afterward, one of them wrote me this sweet sticky note.

Such a thoughtful gesture.

I did manage to carve out some shopping time for the boys, who launched into another year in Aggieland today. Look at what our character camera spied on the wall at the local Kohl's Department Store.

Wouldn't that make a fantastic bulletin board in a school?

We also saw this brilliance at a school visit ... 

at Webb Elementary in Navasota, TX, this morning.

I went to visit Principal and author Todd Nesloney, to treat him to a Sonic drink, to thank him for his inspiration, and to ask for a tour of his school. I'm finding a lot of really creative ways to spend my time now that I'm not back at school.

My plate is overflowing with good things;

what's on your plate these days?

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Be The MAGIC

Today I'm excited because comment #7 of the ten comments 

was chosen as the winner of a copy of Be Where Your Feet Are.

I love giving stuff away.

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