Giving Kindness Its Why

It was right before our first Easter without my brother Mark

when this special delivery left me in a puddle of tears.

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After The Fall

Happy Wednesday; today I feel grateful that our friends

at Character.org used this selfie shot to advertise

this year's National Forum on Character Education.

I totally remember that this was a magical moment in time;

just look at the joy in our smiles.

Will you be going in October?

It'll mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Forum experience.

Two and a half decades of celebrating character.

A quarter of a century of showcasing promising practices.

A huge part of that journey down Character Road for me has been

learning that character building is so much more than just

naming and claiming your school's core values.

If it were, then it'd be one and done,

something our district did back in 1987, 

a product rather than a process.

Oh, that's a big piece, for sure, but it's more about how we

weave those values into the very DNA of our school's fabric 

and use them as a roadmap to help us get where we're going.

It's about reducing peer cruelty so children feel safe.

It's about creating a web (where everyone belongs!) of love

where everybody knows they matter,

where they're given a voice and choices,

where they are championed as learners and leaders.

Not just the kids; faculty, staff and stakeholders, too.

Everybody.

A place where shared leadership is a given,

where kindness matters isn't just a slogan on the wall,

where data helps drive decisions. 

It's about using mistakes and failure as opportunities for growth,

it's about picking one another up and when we fall,

it's about stepping in to each other's stories

and listening to really understand rather than just to respond.

It's about getting honest and addressing the elephants in the room.

It's about telling our truth,

lavishly giving grace,

apologizing to right wrongs,

and forgiving to heal when hurts happen.

Schools of character are a rare gift

that don't just happen by chance.

They happen as a result of intentional hard (and heart) work.

Every magical moment 

of every single day.

One of my greatest career joys was leading Westwood Elementary

to a State and then National School of Character distinction.

That's why I'm honored to be in that photograph

as an Ambassador for this year's Forum.

Today I'm also excited about our picture book pick of the week

 that beautifully encapsulates the school of character ideal. 

Meet Dan Santat's After The Fall.

It tells the story of Humpty Dumpty's return from his famous fall, how he persevered through his fear of heights, worked to reinvent himself, found out the hard way that life begins again only after you get back up, and emerged a better version of himself than he ever imagined possible.

After reading this treasure aloud, have fun making paper airplanes.

Encourage your students to write their YET goals on them.

You could even host a contest, to see which flies the farthest.

Then click {here} for more intriguing integration ideas.

Our chapter book pick for this week also showcases

how a using a growth mindset can pay huge dividends.

This colorful and comprehensive guidebook is chunk full of epic examples of women who have fought against fear and other overwhelming odds to achieve amazing things in the competitive world of athletics. These 101 women changed the face of their games and have put performance values like perseverance, resilience and grit in the spotlight center stage.

Know someone who needs a booster shot of inspiration? Share this awesome Sports Illustrated Kids newcomer with your children, encourage them to find an athlete they admire, and write down the character traits that make their story stand out. Invite them to use these hard-working women as a role model next time they're tempted to quit running the race because an obstacle gets in their way.

Click image for source.

Now that's a character ideal that'll get back up

 and score a goal toward success 

every time.

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Embracing Adversity

Tonight, I'm exhausted, emotionally spent. We went back to school as a staff to prepare to launch the 2017-2018 school year, take two. Students will return to us tomorrow after having endured the fury of Hurricane Harvey. I spent today making phone calls to listen to their stories. 
Scary stories. 
Sad stories. 
Sensational stories.
Stories of grit and grace. 
Stories of loss and starting over.
Stories of healing and hope. 

And I cried. 

Sometimes with a mom right there on the line. 

Others silently after we hung up.

Because this is what many of their homes look like now.
At least until the FEMA trucks get to town.

We started the morning together as a district in a convocation led by our new Superintendent, Thad Roher. That superhero was on a mission when the flood waters started to rise, to not only save his district, but to save his town. He drove a school bus to nursing homes and through neighborhoods in search of people who needed to be evacuated and taken to safety in our makeshift shelter. This morning he reminded us that this year's theme ~ Mustang Pride ... Unleashed ~ is more than just a mantra; it's a way of life. It's not just something fun that we had put on our blue shirts; it's who we are and what we do when flood waters threaten our very existence. Forget the capes; those of us wearing those mustang-blue shirts are called to come to the rescue. He normalized and validated our feelings. He challenged us to embrace adversity and to make it our friend. And he asked us to remember what our children have been through and to be the anchor that they need when they return to class tomorrow. 

If you want a peek into our town's Harvey experience, click {here}. 
Every view will bring in a little donation for our survivors.

Steve Hartman's On The Road coverage is brilliant;
Check it out here.

Harvey reminded me that there's a reason we're called humankind.

As we continue down our path to recovery,

people have reached out to see what we need

as we embrace adversity and move into our new normal.

Prayers for comfort and care,

for empathy and encouragement,

and warm wishes for lots and lots of Perseverance, Appreciation, Togetherness, Hope.

Wanna be inspired?
You must see this creative, therapeutic musical
 Les Harveyables made in a neighborhood down the road.
Now that's what I call embracing adversity!

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Taking Back To School By Storm

Today I'm excited because we had seven amazing back-to-school days before Hurricane Harvey stalled school for a spell and gave us today off.

Our staff did some team-building before the students showed up; check out this coverage of our Spot It! circle game that our character cam caught. 
Super fun to watch them laugh, connect, and reflect.

On Monday, we viewed the eclipse in our NASA-approved solar shades.

We spent the week reconnecting and getting to know one another better. 

I put one of these treats in each staff member's box ... 

 and got this bulletin board up inside of our learning space.

I received a beautiful note pad from my friend Tanya in Montana,

 so I used it to write these lunch invitations to our new students.

It's optional so I told their teachers to let them choose, because I get it if they'd rather stay in the cafeteria and eat lunch with their new class family friends. It was supposed to be today, so we'll be rescheduling for one day next week.

One of my superheroes brought me this bouquet of flowers, to cheer me up as I adjust to our empty nest. Won't they look pretty on our new-students lunch table?

And in the back-to-school mail this week, two special deliveries of thoughtfulness, one from a Twitter connection, a card thanking me for my inspiration, the other from my friend Maria, a note with prayers for comfort and strength as we make the transition to our new season at home by ourselves, with no kids living there. 

Small acts of kindness that made a big difference to my heart.

Yesterday afternoon, I tried using Zoom to go live with on We Are Teachers and give a tour of our learning space. A colleague of John's at NASA helped me so much the day prior by doing a practice chat with me and help allay a few of my fears as I stepped out of my comfort zone and used my iPad to connect and grow. 

It was a blast; thank you, We Are Teachers, for that fun opportunity.

On Twitter, one of our friends piggybacked our YET-goals idea; 

isn't it going to look amazingly colorful when it's up?

Speaking of colorful, check out this gem that a Bales alumni created at the end of May in her sixth-grade Language Arts class at Friendswood Junior High.

Using our Bales school True Colors theme, 

Caley wrote about a town that had lost its color, 

only to find it again when once they restored their core values.

Isn't it breath-taking? Thank you, Caley, for living your true colors!

Finally, we got three of these Gaga Ball Pits on our recess grounds.

I'm wondering as I type if they're mini-swimming pools right now.

So tonight, we stay inside while Harvey blows through.

Hopefully, we're back to class on Monday.

Then, on Tuesday night, join us to discuss these questions

on the #teacherfriends Twitter chat.

Happy 2017-2018; how will you take the new year by storm?

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The Wednesday Surprise

Happy Wednesday. Can it really be mid-July already?

I've been waiting for tomorrow night for quite some time now 

because I've been invited to host #EduAR on Twitter.

Here are the details . . .

Click the graphic to read the transcript of the July 20th chat.

and a sample teaser question.

You'll have to join us to share your answer

and read all about what other people are doing to

supercharge the habit of collaboration.

When I saw Dr. Borba's keynote in Austin this summer, she recommended 

The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting as a must-have to give our learners the empathy advantage. So I ordered a copy, and she was right. With empathy to spare, this little superhero collaborates with her Grandmother to give her Dad 

a very special gift.

Click the image to hear Debbie Schatteman read this gem aloud.

I'm not going to spoil the surprise, so give it a listen.

Then order a copy or two for your character building.

It makes me think about this character clip, a powerful story about a grown man who works diligently to learn to read to make his adult author son proud, but beware: It's a commercial for Bell's Whiskey, so share it responsibly.

That reminds me of this funny shirt with a serious message. 

But I digress. My idea is to share it with the educators in my learning session audiences, making sure to stop the clip right before the son buys his Dad that celebratory shot of Bell's. And, just like I wouldn't wear this t-shirt to school, I won't be sharing the clip with my intermediate students. Would I share it with tweens or teens? Maybe so, but only along with a stakeholders discussion about responsible decision-making. What are your thoughts about sharing the clip?

Don't forget; set an alarm to set sail on the 7 Cs with us

tomorrow night, July 20th, at 8:30 pm {CST}.

Haven't used TweetDeck yet? Click {here} for a tutorial.

It will be a real tweet to see you there. 

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A Stronger Song

I almost didn't go to church this morning, because it's a holiday weekend here, and I was feeling kind of lazy. But we're starting a Karen Kingsbury book study and I'd invited my friend Carol to join me for our Sunday School class so I went, because I said I would. And I'm so glad I did, because our teacher shared this video clip, which really has me thinking, reflecting, and wondering.

It's so interesting, the two versions of Amazing Grace that this talented music director sang. The first one was pretty textbook, safe and clean. But when the host gives him a new perspective from which to sing it and couples it with his permission to bring it, his voice amplifies and he sings with incredible passion.

So today's question is this: What makes your song better?

Is it trust? A willingness to be vulnerable? Knowing your why?

Is it a safe place? Community? Unconditional positive regard?

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my recovery from being hit 

by that drunk driver because that life-changing event ended up 

strengthening my song.

It taught me to slow down and savor, 

it taught me to be grateful in all things, 

and it taught me to forgive. 

Even though it was a dark season of panic and pain,

the whole ordeal held an opportunity,

the burden hid a blessing.

I just had to be willing to look for it

and be ready to recognize the gift when it found me.

It took a lot of patience, persistence and perseverance;

sometimes more than I thought I could muster. 

But it was totally worth the work.

Liz Murray had this to say about staying the course:

It takes courage to change our song,

to trust enough to leave the script,

to share our music with passion,

to sing it out for the whole world to hear. 

How will you sing a stronger song today? Tomorrow?
This week? This month? This year?

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A New Frequency

Today I'm thinking a lot about empathy and mindset.

This clip really stops me in my track.

Every. Time.

It's probably because my first thought, belief, mindset ...

is that she's going to be in trouble. 

Big Trouble. 

For cutting her hair.

Who among us hasn't had this very scenario play out

in our very own bathroom, or bedroom, or classroom?

Those beautiful locks chopped by a certain young somebody 

armed with a scissors and lots of curiosity.

But then the frequency moves ever so slightly down the dial,

totally switching the sound and feel of the station,

and our emotions take that roller coaster free fall

that at once thrills and terrorizes.

I like that in a film clip and I can't wait to show this to

my middle-aged leaders.

I think I'll couple with with a reading from this book:

Click the graphic for the Teachers' Guide

It's the graphic-novel memoir of CeCe Bell's life as a child 

with a hearing impairment and a funny look at how a young CeCe navigated through what must have been at times painfully difficult to find a friend and soar to new heights.

Click {here} for a NY Times review.

Click {here} for an author interview.

My questions for both the clip and the reading will be:

How do they feel?

What do they want?

What do they need?

How do they use their superpowers to persevere?

How might having a growth mindset change things?

How could you use your superpowers to help?

And my question for you, dear reader, is this: 

How might your life be different better if you take a new look at something, 

move that dial up or down, to find a new frequency today?

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Finding JOY in the Journey

I've heard it said that you can tell a lot about a person, who they are and what they value, by what's on their desk. Or table, if you don't have a desk. Would it follow that the wall behind their desk also has something to say?

Today was a joyful summer day, my first away from the office on summer break. I spent the morning relaxing, then volunteering for Meals on Wheels with my friend Carol. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together visiting while we drove around delivering those eleven lunches. And smiling at people. And trying to find our way. When we finished, we treated ourselves to lunch at McAlister's. Yum!

Then I napped, chatted with some friends on the phone, read for a little while, thought about grocery shopping, decided against it for today, warmed up leftovers for dinner. Sounds like par for the course, the way my summer days will go, when I'm home, that is. So where in the world will I be this summer?

This Friday, I'm going to Menchies Pearland Parkway to celebrate their Grand Opening and my book's first birthday. We'll talk about our strengths as superpowers and there'll be a raffle for a signed copy of What's Under Your Cape? and this cool Menchie's wristwatch. Won't you join us?

Next week I'll spend three days doing my first solo Character Counts! Character Development Seminar in Somerset ISD near San Antonio. {It's not too late to register; let me know if you're interested} At the end of the month, I'm headed to Long Beach, CA, to talk about empathy, compassion, and kindness at the National Association of Elementary School Principals conference.

In July, I'm headed to the Character Congress Conference in Mexico - Ole! Then I'll also be speaking at a local church and at Mossman Elementary at the Village before the month is out.

In August, I'm flying to Dallas for a three-day CDS with Mansfield ISD before flying back to CA for a day-long Unleash the Power Within workshop on the 7th. When I return, it'll be time for our district's Tech Symposium, where I'll be joining Jen McCray, a connected educator at Cline, to present Hashtags and PLNs and TweetChats, Oh My. On the 17th, I'm going back to Mossman, then I start back to my job the following day.

When I'm not working, you can find me relaxing poolside.

Please let me know if you're in the area, 

because it would make me happy to connect in real life.

On one of my CA trips, I get to meet up with Jill, from Kids For Peace. Registration for The Great Kindness Challenge 2016 is now opened!

Here's to a joy-filled, happy summertime.

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Compassion Just A Breath Away

Today I'm delighted to again be linking up with a passionate group of bloggers, one-thousand strong, to help educate and equip as we move from cruelty to compassion, for one another and for ourselves. {#1000speak}

Click graphic to read all of these amazing posts!

My first job after I left secondary education was counseling fifth and sixth graders at Jamison Middle School. I was replacing Marsha, a well-respected counselor who was retiring after many years with that school family. She helped me make that transition in so very many ways, but the most powerful thing she said is this:

Hurt kids hurt kids.

Her wisdom made me wonder ~ If we could teach children how to process those hurts in a healthier, more helpful way, could we, then, keep bullying behaviors at bay? It would take intentional work, diligent hard work front-loading, but wouldn't the pay off exceed the cost? Convinced that it would, that November I found myself at a Character Counts! Character Development Seminar to find out how. How do we teach values like fairness, caring, trustworthiness and respect to all students, even those who come to us broken and hurting? And as I continue to research and refine what I do to help build character in the children whom I'm blessed to counsel, I seek out experts and glean nuggets from their work:

Dr. Michele Borba: The Essential 6 Rs of Bullying Prevention 

Free Spirit Press: A Leader's Guide to Good-bye Bully Machine 

Author Trudy Ludwig's Bullying Basics 

8 Ways You May Be Encouraging Your Child To Be A Bully

Huffington Post: On Bullying

Ambassadors 4 Kids Club Resources

There's a plethora of posts out there that tell us what not to do, but to me the more helpful resources are the ones that tell us what to do. How can we be proactive instead of being forced to be reactive? How can we prevent so that we don't need intervention? How can we live what Frederick Douglass so eloquently expressed: It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. 
{And women.} Amen!

Then, as I was reflecting on the awesome calling that character coaching is, this clip about mindfulness and self-care crosses my path. Coincidence? I think not. We can't care for hurting children when we, ourselves, are hurting. 
Put your own oxygen mask on first. 
Sound familiar? Counterintuitive, I know, but oh, so important
and such a beautiful metaphor for life. 

Click graphic for source {and inspiration}!

So get yourself some herbal tea or a bottle of water, put your feet into a basin of hot water with some scented epson salts, carve out 15 minutes of quiet time, and prepare to enjoy what Dr. Romie has to say about the power of mindfulness 
to build self-compassion.

How would teaching this to our littles

empower them to spread compassion when they're big?

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Colorful Kindness Guest Post

Today I'm excited because I was invited to guest post over at Free Spirit; click {here} to read my thoughts about coloring the world with kindness.

Day three of our kindness challenge found me face-to-face with this cutie patootie, whose mom was in school getting ready for our big annual fundraiser auction. Kindness is a volunteer's superpower, for sure!

And how about this superhero's sensational smile?

Warms my heart every time.

How many kindnesses did you give or receive today?

Check out these posts for more kindness ideas:

Science shows that kindness heals

The Great Kindness Challenge 2015

Do parents squash kindness in their kids?

A simple act of kindness makes an endless ripple

Kindness is a super power

Finally, if you're out and about in our corner of the world, why not bring a pair of new or gently-used jeans to help us help Clear Horizons HS students help the homeless! Click the image for more information on the Jeans4Teens campaign and how you can help in your local community.

Happy coloring!

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Create A Kindness Synergy

The Great Kindness Challenge starts tomorrow,

but it got a jump start on Balmoral Court yesterday. 

You see, I was out in the street in the afternoon, 

sweeping what was left of that torrential downpour 

away from curb, around the cul-de-sac, and down the drain.

Across the street, I had to move some leaves into a pile

away from the curb to get the water to flow.

That's when a young girl came riding up on her bike.

She introduced herself as my "neighbor's granddaughter."

When I asked her if she had a name, she responded, "Justice."

I told her that was a fun name, and she agreed.

"I even have a store named after me," she chided.

I added, "Well, your name is also something that people want; 

everyone wants Justice, that's for sure."

And then, I pointed to that pile of leaves on the other side of the street, and asked her if I ought to move them or leave them there. She looked and quickly decided I could probably just leave them there. I asked what would happen if I left them there, and she said that they'd probably blow away. Then she whooshed away on her bike like the water I was pushing down the street, toward the drain. 

I guess I was hoping for a different answer.

What I didn't count on was what happened next. 

Justice was headed back my way, 

this time on foot, 

with garden gloves on her hands, 

a trash bag in her hands, 

and her brother following behind. 

"This is my brother Sebastian," she said. "We're good helpers." And sure enough, they helped me pick up those leaves and then asked if they could try sweeping the water. You better believe I handed them my broom. 

Paper by Barbara Leyne Designs

So today I'm thinking about kindness.

The kind of kindness that blows around all over, 

like those leaves ...  or confetti ... 

but doesn't make a mess.

The kind that creates a movement, like that water,

and The Great Kindness Challenge.

The kind that brings someone along to help.

The kind that looks outside of herself and what she wants, 

to someone else and what they need.

The kind that says you matter; 

let me help you with that.

The kind of kindness that can will change the future.

For good.

The kind that Kid President talks about with 

passion and purpose, 

energy and enthusiasm.

What will you do to change tomorrow today?

Be the reason somebody dances this week. ~Kid President

Get to it.

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