Happiness Triggers

Today I'm thinking about my happiness triggers.

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Color Me Calm

You may remember that I chose awe as my #oneword2019. 

As luck would have it, 2018 went out in an amazing blaze of glory; 

check out this picture our daughter took near Waelder, TX.

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The Dog Days of Summer

As we cruise into July and wade knee deep into the dog days of summer, 

I'm thinking about, well, our best furry friends.

It started when my friend Tanya sent me this picture of Milo.

Don't you love this?

For some reason, it reminded me of this essay I found years ago:

It's whimsical, sure, but also kind of fun to imagine.

Dogs do have a lot to teach us, after all.

Then I remembered I'd promised to share 

the story of Digger, The Hero Dog.

It tells the real-life tale of Digger, who

saved his friend Kilee from a burning building. 

Click {here} for a video clip about 

his heroic rescue and her determined recovery

and {here} to read a review by Maria Dismondy.

Use it to talk about fire safety, loyalty and friendship.

It also reminded me that I've never told you about

this Maribeth Boelts (of Those Shoes fame)

treasure I found at the half-price store awhile back.

It is the sweetest story, one you can use

as a springboard for a discussion on adoption, 

friendship, and unconditional love.

Click {here} for a Humane Society lesson plan idea.

Finally, I realized I've never showcased this title, one of our Joshua's 

childhood favorites about fairness, starring Pinky and Blue.

Blue puts up with a lot from his little friend Pinky, including sharing almost everything. One non-negotiable, however, is his favorite toy rabbit. Will the squabble over that squishy rip their friendship apart? The brilliant illustrations and hilarious text make this one a delightfully engaging read-aloud for your young dog-lovers.

Want some more dog-gone good read alouds?

21 Woof-tastic Children's Books About Dogs 

Our 7 Favorite Picture Books About Dogs 

20 Dog Picture Book Pleasures For Young Readers

What are your go-to faves for the dog days of summer?

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PPBF: Buckets, Dippers, and Lids

Today I'm excited because it's dewberry season; John and I have been picking these tasty treasures, a mindfulness outing that I've decided to refer to as couple's therapy. The berries are so plump, juicy and sweet this year. YummY. And what fun it has been to share the pies and coffee cakes that we've made.

I'm also super grateful because my friend Carol McCloud sent me a copy of her new book about filling a bucket of the invisible kind.

Title: Buckets, Dippers, and Lids

Author: Carol McCloud

Illustrator: Glenn Zimmer

Publisher: Bucket Fillers, Inc.

Birthday: April 30, 2018

Suitable for ages: 7 and up

Themes: happiness, kindness, conflict resolution

Brief synopsis: The bucket-filling concept goes deeper with a three-part secret to a happier life, including how to handle conflict (life's dippers) and how to effectively use your bucket's invisible lid.

Opening page: Did you know that everyone in the whole world has an invisible bucket, an invisible dipper, and an invisible lid?

Resources: More information from the publisher {here}.

Check out some of the beautiful illustrations {here}.

Listen to Red Grammer's I've Got A Lid {here}.

Mine some ideas for using the Bucket Filling concept {here}.

Read how we started our Bucket Filling journey {here}.

Why I like this book: I've been a big fan of the timeless concept of Bucket Filling since Carol penned her first book twelve years ago. This newcomer to the Bucket-Fillosophy family brings an important dimension to the idea of filling and dipping by addressing the invisible lid to help with what to do with the ouches in life. It aims to teach its readers how to bounce back when one of life's dippers threatens to steal from their bucket's emotional reserve.

Check out this new tool for your Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) arsenal; I think you'll find it'll make the intangible concepts of kindness, resilience and grit something that our learners can hold on to and apply as they learn to sail the somewhat stormy seas of life.

Then, for fun, go berry picking and surprise someone by sharing.

It's guaranteed to overflow their berry-loving bucket.

For today's other PPBF titles, visit Susana Hill's blog {here}.

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Attention, Balance, Compassion

Happy first day of Springtime and International Day of Happiness.

Know what makes me happy?

Kindness.

Need some ideas for warming the world?

Check out this postcard we got in the mail

from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.

So many ways to come to the rescue with kindness.

Take this superhero fifth grader, for example.

A few weeks back, she brought me a bag filled with these origami notes, asking if I could mail them to Puerto Rico for her, to cheer up some friends who were recovering from hurricane Maria.

Today, I was happy to share over the morning announcements

that her kind act was reciprocated with priority mail

from a fifth-grade class at Colegio Radians.

Are these not the most beautiful hand-folded treasures?

Happiness from one child's heart to another.

Yes, my friend, kindness is contagious.

In that same batch of mail, we received a special pebble,

a Kindness Rock for our Peace Garden!

 A blinged-out starfish.

From England, with love.

A gorgeous addition to our serenity spot.

Kindness beautifies everything.

And this sweet story of kindness, from our FHS Choir,

the gift of song for a Swedish couple at their wedding.

It just happened in the moment.

Speaking of in the moment, today I'm eager to start integrating the ideas in this book. Lots of mindfulness ideas to help all of us embrace

Attention, Balance, Compassion.

This handbook will perfectly complement the work I'm doing

both personally and professionally to become more mindful.

Coupled with these inspirational journals from Fox Chapel Publishing, my mindfulness practice is really going to rock.

These beautiful new guided journals offer intentional opportunities

to reflect and rejoice. I'm especially excited about this one.

Check them out by clicking on the book cover image.

For now, I'm signing off for about a week as I head to Wisconsin

and help my Dad as he heals from some health issues.

What are you joyful about on this International Day of Happiness?

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A Plane Full Of Yes

Today I'm grateful for this beautiful, kind review

and freebie reflection sheet from Wendy over at Kidlutions blog.

Wendy is one of the authors of Bloom Parenting; 

I admire her work and have learned so much from her over the years, 

so her thoughts about my work make my soul sing.

Know what else makes me happy?

This plate, that a friend of mine recently gave me.

It begs the questions: Was it that? and What are you waiting for?

This welcome mat at the Hampton Inn also brings me joy.

But when I told my Dad about it, he was quick to ask with what I know about emotions if I think it's really possible to make someone else happy. No, Dad, technically probably not, but I think it's really good customer service to try.

And speaking of customer service, look what I saw in the St. Louis airport earlier today. I think it's so cool that they're on the lookout for people who work hard to make our day, have a joyful attitude, solve problems, provide great service, take pride in performance, show us respectful attention, exert exceptional effort, and go above and beyond. On purpose. With intention. And I'm happy that the airport leaders want to recognize and publicly affirm them. 

Affirmations just feel good ... 

and we all know that energy flows where attention goes.

Simply put, we get more of what we focus on. 

I love that they're encouraging their peeps to keep on crusading ...

for good!

And then, there's this; the napkin on our flight.

I love that John pointed it out to me,

and I laughed because he knew that I'd take a picture of it.

It reminds me of what I encouraged at this year's

National Honor Society induction:

Find your YES - Yearn, Embrace, Share.

Not only has Southwest Airlines found their YES,

they are a plane full of yes!

They yearn for it,

it's important to them so they've embraced it,

and they're committed to share it.

Such an intriguing slogan; what does it mean to you?

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Happy Learners, Happy Class

Hello summertime!

So before we launched for summer break, this happened.

Art Guild students stopped by to letter our True Colors table. 

I rescued this table from a neighbor's trash over spring break

and painted a rainbow on it.

Then our artists put the finishing touches on it;

talk about your garbage to gold project.

Isn't it brilliant?

So today I woke up today feeling extra joyful. 

Pure and simple.

Not sure why, but I'll take it.

Maybe because I slept in and feel really well rested.

Possibly because I'm joining a ukulele band today.

Probably because of this stunning Sketchnote creation.

Doesn't this beautiful image just make you feel happy?

I collaborated with Texas teacher Julie Woodard to create it as a banner for our Bales Intermediate table at something new that our district is trying to welcome our new-to-our-district families called the FISD Registration Rodeo. I wanted something to complement our vision and integrate our six core values; didn't Julie do an amazing job? If you want to commission a special visual, find Julie on Twitter {@woodard_julie}. Or just let me know and I'll connect you with her.

My daughter resized it so we could print the 4X2 banner and voila.

A campus goal is that our transfer students feel welcomed at their new school, that they'll feel like they belong, that they know that they matter to us, and that they will be happy being a Bronco. I know we can't guarantee happiness, but I believe that they deserve a climate of caring where everybody uses our core values to intentionally be the rainbow in someone's storm. The storm-to-rainbow ratio can be disproportionate for our young people; we don't want school to be another storm for them to endure, but instead a sanctuary from the hurricanes of life.

So as I plan for next year, I'm thinking about ways 

to make sure we always move over and let those newbies in,

to make our school climate joyfully safe and happy,

and to bring our True Colors to life as we serve and grow.

I find myself reading and reflecting. A lot. 

Here are the three treasures I've mined from so far.

These two authors Todd and Adam serve as lead learners in their schools and the content of their book will surely make your heart sing. So many practical ideas for transforming your school climate with vulnerable examples from their own failures and successes to help you find the right formula for your school family. My favorite idea is the Day Maker phone calls to the parents and families of faculty members. It seriously gives me chill bumps to think about a Principal calling my dad to tell him what a great job I've done on something and to affirm him for his part in my work ethic and joy. Do yourself and your stakeholders a favor and delve in to your copy today. Your Kids Deserve It.

I'm so glad that the author of this handbook, Dr. Jenna Sage, reached out to me to put a copy of it in my hands and on my heart. I love the empowerment that the front cover represents and it only gets better from there as you dive in and turn the pages for practical suggestions on how to manage unwanted behaviors as you shape them into desired behaviors. I especially connected with the section on the functions of behavior. Behavior helps students communicate to get their needs met. Alabama Principal Danny Steele says it like this:

We simply must understand that students do not really want to throw temper tantrums or act out like sometimes they do. Once we can see beneath those behaviors to get to their root cause, we can offer appropriate replacement behaviors to equip and empower students to soar more successfully. If you strive for that Happy Class, then this book is for you.

My third recommendation is a book that you will want to Start {reading}. Right. Now! Its basis is this John Maxwell's reflection on leadership ... 

  

... with a bonus. The dynamic trio of edu-hero authors adds this fourth domain to Maxwell's three-pronged ideal: And grows each day.

Amen! Whether you are a new teacher, veteran teacher, administrator or even student leader, grow with these experts through the pages of this gem and I predict it'll leave you wanting the 2017-2018 school year to 

Start {back up again}. Right. Now.

Want another strategy for inspiring happy learners and a happy class?

Join the #JoyfulLeaders movement now.

Choose joy.

Look for it.

With intention.

Every moment of every day.

And when you find it, give it away!

On purpose.

To someone who has lost theirs.

Or to someone who hasn't but could use a booster shot.

You'll be glad you did 

because it'll make you happy, too.

You'll see.

Joy is contagious like that ... 

you give it away but it's still yours.

And it will serve as that beacon of light that we all need

on the darkest of days.

Trust me. I know.

How will you find joy today

so that you can share it with your happy learners 

in your happy class?

And now it's back to work for me as I prepare

for my workshop with Texas Principals in Austin next week.

I'm so grateful to have been invited to present.

If you're at the TEPSA conference, I hope you'll come to my learning session Wednesday morning at 8:30 to learn more about Inspiring perseverance, grit, resilience and a growth mindset.

It would make me happy to see you there.

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PPBF: Happy Dreamer

Happy St. Patrick's Day. First, I'm thankful for my Grandma Natzke, whose birthday we celebrate today even though she is no longer with us on earth. I miss her so much. She was such a kind, generous, gentle soul, a beautiful role model for me. I loved going to her house and being with her. She was a dreamer, she was always humming, and I wanted to grow up to be just like her.

Next, I'm excited because my Inspiring Integrity guest post is now live at Free Spirit Press blog; clicking on the image below will take you there. I continue to enjoy and be challenged by assignment writing.

Finally, today marks my return to PPBF and I've got the 

picture-perfect book pick for you, my dear reader.

Title: Happy Dreamer

Author & Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds

Publisher: Orchard Books

Date: March 28, 2017

Suitable for grades: preK - 3rd (and beyond!)

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: Dream big. Be true to yourself. Live happily.

Brief synopsis: This Peter H. Reynolds newcomer bids us dance with this adorable, free-spirited, energetic daydreaming child as he shares his Dream big and be happy mindset, mess and all, with the world.  

Opening thoughts: I am a HAPPY DREAMER. I'm really good at dreaming. Daydreams. BIG DREAMS. Little dreams. Creative Dreams. 

Resources: 

*A Comprehensive Happy Dreamer Teachers Toolkit {here}

*Author's Notes About The Book {here}

*A Kirkus Review {here}

*A podcast with the author about the book {here}

*A Publisher's Weekly Review {here}

Why I like this book: Beside the fact that I'm a huge Peter H. Reynolds fan, the fact that I, like Reynolds himself, might have some undiagnosed ADHD going on, and the fact that I received this beautiful book as a gift from a very special student, I really connect with the passionate dreamer in this child. Our minds often wander off the beaten path, our ideas are ignited by our imaginations, and our dreams make us feel like dancing, even when the world tells us to keep quiet, sit still and pay attention. We hear things differently, sometimes more loudly. We know that being a dreamer is messy (he calls it creative chaos) but we crave doing it anyway. (My favorite line: If you make me, I will put my things away. But then there is less ME to show.) We don't want to just show up, we want to sparkle and create. We embrace who we are because it feeds our emotions and makes us happy. 

This colorful masterpiece left me wanting more, especially after I opened up the double-paged, poster-sized spread in the back which invites its readers to figure out (and name) what kind of dreamers we are, the perfect springboard for a writing or drawing activity. Anyone feel like creating a Vision Board?

Grandma Natzke would have loved Happy Dreamer. 

Check it out; I think you'll be joyful that you did!

Then visit Susanna Hill's blog for today's other PPBF selections.  

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You Can Sit By Me

Today I have experienced some much-needed restoration.

I read some.

I napped.

I got my hair trimmed.

A good trim is like gold, and this time there was a bonus, because I was in line behind these adorable little brothers. I got to watch their Dad beam with pride as they respectfully sat there smiling sweetly through their precious, spiky haircuts. As they were enjoying their lollipops for being good, I had a chance to interact with them a bit. The younger boy, Fenn, who was probably about four years old, was showing off his blue tongue when I overheard his dad at the cash register say that there was a baby at home, so I asked him if their baby was a brother or a sister. In his heartwarming attempt at motherese that made me melt, he said, "A baby sister ...  and she's so tiny." After he told me with a twinkle in his eye that he got to hold her, he confidently patted the bench where he was standing and said,

"You can sit here." 

Clearly there was a story to be told and he had a lot more to say.

You have no idea how badly I wanted to sit next to him.

I longed to sit there.

Yearned, even.

But it was my turn next, so I had to decline.

With my thanks, of course.

The boys reminded me of days gone by,

of my work at Westwood with younger children,

of my own boys, when they were that age.

And I got nostalgic.

It sent my heart soaring and

I've been in a happy mood ever since.

This book has served to extend that happiness and joy.

Written by longtime friends Dr. Sanda Bernstein and Dr. Wendy Rapaport, this handbook is a treasure trove filled with nuggets of wisdom, connection and love. It hooked me early on with this reflection on the therapeutic benefits of friendship:

Wendy's ukulele story in Chapter One reeled me in.

Like me, Dr. Rapaport has recently started playing the ukulele.

And like me, she's over-the-moon with passion for and excitement about the magical little instrument. So she decided to send one to her friend, co-author Sandy, an idea which wasn't met with equal enthusiasm and joy. At all. 

Not one little bit. 

A disconnect, 

a rejected gift, 

a conflict. 

What's a friend to do?

And so begins Friendship Matters: memoir, life lessons, laughter.

This refreshing newcomer is written as a dialogue between two seasoned friends who have learned how to navigate the ins and outs of healthy relationships. Each chapter showcases skills that they want the reader to understand, to embrace, and to try. Each ends with a few Take-Away reflections. The chapter devoted to the Good Mother in people took me back to the interaction that I saw at the salon this morning between that father and his two sons and it made me want to be a better Good Mother. There's even a chapter on my favorite virtue, empathy, and how giving and receiving it enriches caring connections.

I found this comprehensive friendship gem 

transparent,

vulnerable, 

and authentic.

My take-away? Wishing I were their friend and hoping everyone can find a friend like Fenn, who boldly pats the bench near him and says: You can sit by me.

Check out this book; you'll be thankful that you did.

   

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The Thumb Team

Today I'm feeling grateful to one of my third-grade girls, who surprised me this morning with this beautiful, one-of-a-kind necklace. What a terrific way to start my day, with the words, "Mrs. Gruener, I made this for you."

Shortly afterward and still basking in the glow of the warmth of her kindness, my friend and former Assistant Principal Mr. Whitlock stopped by with a surprise from The Thumb Team. A few weeks ago, he told me that he was leading a group of specials teachers during their Professional Learning Community (PLC) time that he fondly referred to as The Thumb Team. They're called that, he explained, because they sometimes feel a little different, like the thumb on a hand. But, he was quick to add, that they are as every bit as important to a school family as a thumb is to a hand. Isn't that a great analogy? So I offered to give them each a copy of my book if he'd like to lead a book study. He accepted, that study started on Tuesday, and he was bringing me a stack of bucket-filling thank-you notes. How much happiness can one heart take? I thought I might burst from the joy.

After school, I spent an hour with these superheroes.

We read Max's Magic Seeds,

then painted these character rocks

to plant around school and spread sunshine!

  

Before they left, because it's a Making Magic Community Education class, we learned how to put a second bottom into a bag and make it look like there's nothing in the bag because it is hidden between the two bottoms.

Have you ever tried that trick?

Yesterday, I had a Change Theory chat with the counselors in the district;

Slide adapted from CharacterCounts! 5.0 training.

here's a link with a link to 

The Elephant, The Rider & The Path clip I shared.

Finally, in case you missed our #CharacterEdChat tonight,

 click the graphic below for the archive.

Happy weekend!

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