Be Responsible For The ENERGY You Bring Into This Place!

Hey strangers! Love both of these quotes! Since we are all coming off of a Spring Break hangover...a GREAT one...FULL of rest and relaxation...it's time to refocus and finish out this year strong! We are in full steam ahead mode...testing season mode...and striving for ways to get our kids to outperform even their own expectations mode. In order to do that WE must OWN the right mindset! The "I CAN AND WILL"...mindset! The "WE MUST BAND TOGETHER…even if we don't teach the tested subjects" to help our RMS TEAM get this job done mindset! YOU have SO much power when it comes to getting the kids motivated to push even harder...YOU are the key to their success. Keep pumping them with good teaching and the unwavering support that they CAN do it! Keep in mind that this can ONLY happen when we are 100% in the RIGHT frame of mind. The POSITIVE frame that believes (and strives to believe in these "4 ways to LIVE" below). Rise above the Negative Nelly's and show them that with hard work and an unwavering belief in our kids, our teaching methods, and our unwavering expectations we WILL shine bright this first year...the "proof is in the puddin'"...as my grandmother always said! We have to WALK OUR TALK...don't let naysayers drag us down...WE are responsible for the ENERGY we bring into school each day! The more positive energy we exude...the more people will want to be around us...and support us...including our peers and kids! They will drink the positive "kool-aide" if you will just serve it up! :) Have a marvelous Monday...I can't wait to see your smiling faces...yes they will be smiling (even if it takes a double cup a Joe first!) ha-ha :) (I have highlighted some key points that I found especially important to me...which ones spoke to you?) Btw...don't forget to wear green...I would HATE to see where those 6th graders choose to PINCH us! :P

4 Ways to LIVE in the TODAY!

Borrowed from the book “1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently”.

1. Invest the present in what matters most to you.

You are the customer of a bank called Time. Every morning it credits you with eighty-six thousand, four hundred seconds. Every night it writes off, as a loss, whatever remainder you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you with the same deposit of eighty-six thousand, four hundred seconds. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the tomorrow. You must live in the present on today’s deposits only. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success. You’re making withdrawals right this second. The only question is: Are you making them count?

2. Focus on writing your own life story, your way.

Remember that every moment counts. Every second matters. Honestly, whatever is given is a gift. So don’t be so satisfied with the success stories of others and how things have gone for them that you forget to write your own. Unfold your own tale and bring it to life. You have everything you need to become what you are capable of becoming. Incredible change happens when you decide to take control. This means consuming less and creating more. It means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and deciding for you. It means learning to respect and use your own ideas and instincts to write your passage. If you want your life story to soar to new heights, you’ve got to clear a path, reduce the time-sinks and burdens weighing you down, and pick up the things that give you wings. Keep your best wishes and your biggest goals close to your heart and dedicate time to them every day. If you truly care about what you do and you work diligently at it, there’s almost nothing you can’t accomplish. (Read The Last Lecture.)

3. Live what you preach.

Remember that thinking and doing are two very different things. Success never comes to look for you while you wait around thinking about it. You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do. Knowledge is basically useless without action. Good things don’t come to those who wait; they come to those who work on meaningful goals. Ask yourself what’s really important and then have the courage to build your life around your answer. Identify what’s most important to you. Prune nonessential commitments. Eliminate as much as you possibly can of everything else. No wasted time, no fluff, no regrets.

And remember, if you wait until you feel 100% ready to begin, you’ll likely be waiting the rest of your life. So challenge yourself to be who you know you are capable of being. Challenge yourself to follow through – to live what you preach, to walk your talk. Don’t worry about how slowly you feel you’re heading towards your goals, or how many roadblocks you find, or how many detours you’re forced to take. As long as you keep doing your thing, you’re still cruising far ahead of everyone who’s too scared to even try.

4. Step boldly into the unknown.

And don’t buy into the myth of the perfect moment either. Moments aren’t perfect; they’re what you make them. So many people wait around for the stars to align to do what they’re here to do. The perfect moment, the perfect opportunity, the perfect state of being, etc. Wake up! These states of perfection are myths. They do not exist. Your ability to grow to your highest potential is directly related to your willingness to act in the face of imperfection. You will come to succeed not by finding a perfect moment, but by learning to see and use life’s imperfections perfectly. So ask yourself this: “When it’s all said and done, will I have said more than I’ve done?” Let your answer be NO! May your actions speak louder than your words. May your life preach louder than your lips. May your success be your noise in the end. And if life only teaches you one thing, let it be that taking a passionate leap is always worth it. Even if you have no idea where you’re going to land yet, be brave enough to step up to the edge of the unknown, and listen to your heart every now and then. You’re worth it.

LIFE...The 90/10 Principle!

Have you ever heard of Stephen Covey's 90/10 Principle? If you let it, it can change your life (at least the way you react to situations). What is this principle?10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.

What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%. How? ……….By your reaction. You cannot control a red light. but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you react. Need a little more convincing?? Check this out....

http://www.videoinspiration.net/blog/inspirational-short-story-video/

This short video showed you two different scenarios. Both started the SAME. Both ended DIFFERENT. Why? Because of how he REACTED.

Bottom line...You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle. If a co-worker says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.

How do you react if a student doesn't do what you ask them to do? Do you lose your temper? Do you ridicule them? Or in the words of Fred Jones...are you the fool that argues back with them? The important thing is to have a have a management system in place, no need to REACT hastily to the situation...remember the 90/10 principle, and follow the system. Maybe you ignore it (if it's minimal) or a call their parent..or even better yet...let them know that you don't deliver bad news to parents...they have to, and have them call (with you in there of course). The key is...don't let the situation control you...react appropriately.

Now that you know the 90/10 principle...TRY it...APPLY it...you will be amazed at the results. So many people are suffering from stress, trials, problems and heartache, but if we all understand and apply the 90/10 principle. It CAN change our life!!!

They Will NEVER Forget How You Made Them Feel

As I read through the student surveys and comments that our own RMS kids said about us, I thought this blog post that one of my best friends (and fellow principal) passed onto me, now resonated more than ever with us. Check it out....and ask yourself...what will the students remember MOST about us (and you)? Will they FEEL you cared more about THEM or the content? Do they feel safe here? Do they feel loved? Do they FEEL we believe in them...whole-heartedly? Have we built the bonds and relationships with them...that they will look forward to us coming to visit them next year at different events?! I TRULY hope so...because I know that is what gets me up each and every day...the fact that we CAN, WILL, and ARE making a difference in each of their young lives! Enjoy the read...and take a few minutes to reflect how it relates personally to you. Have a marvelous Monday team!

HP

What Students Remember Most About Teachers

Posted on January 26, 2014 by pursuitofajoyfullife

Dear Young Teacher Down the Hall,

I saw you as you rushed passed me in the lunch room. Urgent. In a hurry to catch a bite before the final bell would ring calling all the students back inside. I noticed that your eyes showed tension. There were faint creases in your forehead. And I asked you how your day was going and you sighed.

“Oh, fine,” you replied.

But I knew it was anything but fine. I noticed that the stress was getting to you. I could tell that the pressure was rising. And I looked at you and made an intentional decision to stop you right then and there. To ask you how things were really going. Was it that I saw in you a glimpse of myself that made me take the moment?

You told me how busy you were, how much there was to do. How little time there was to get it all done. I listened. And then I told you this: I told you to remember that at the end of the day, it’s not about the lesson plan. It’s not about the fancy stuff we teachers make — the crafts we do, the stories we read, the papers we laminate. No, that’s not really it. That’s not what matters most.

And as I looked at you there wearing all that worry under all that strain, I said it’s about being there for your kids. Because at the end of the day, most students won’t remember what amazing lesson plans you’ve created. They won’t remember how organized your bulletin boards are. How straight and neat are the desk rows. No, they’ll not remember that amazing decor you’ve designed. But they will remember you. Your kindness. Your empathy. Your care and concern. They’ll remember that you took the time to listen. That you stopped to ask them how they were. How they really were. They’ll remember the personal stories you tell about your life: your home, your pets, your kids. They’ll remember your laugh. They’ll remember that you sat and talked with them while they ate their lunch. Because at the end of the day, what really matters is YOU. What matters to those kids that sit before you in those little chairs, legs pressed up tight under tables oft too small- what matters to them is you. You are that difference in their lives.

And when I looked at you then with tears in your eyes, emotions rising to the surface and I told you gently to stop trying so hard- I also reminded you that your own expectations were partly where the stress stemmed. For we who truly care are often far harder on ourselves than our students are willing to be. Because we who truly care are often our own worst enemy. We mentally beat ourselves up for trivial failures. We tell ourselves we’re not enough. We compare ourselves to others. We work ourselves to the bone in the hopes of achieving the perfect lesson plan. The most dynamic activities. The most engaging lecture. The brightest, fanciest furnishings. Because we want our students to think we’re the very best at what we do and we believe that this status of excellence is achieved merely by doing. But we forget- and often. Excellence is more readily attained by being.

Being available.
Being kind.
Being compassionate.
Being transparent.
Being real.
Being thoughtful.
Being ourselves.

And of all the students I know who have lauded teachers with the laurels of the highest acclaim, those students have said of those teachers that they cared. You see, kids can see through to the truth of the matter. And while the flashy stuff can entertain them for a while, it’s the steady constance of empathy that keeps them connected to us. It’s the relationships we build with them. It’s the time we invest. It’s all the little ways we stop and show concern. It’s the love we share with them: of learning. Of life. And most importantly, of people. And while we continually strive for excellence in our profession as these days of fiscal restraint and heavy top-down demandskeep coming at us- relentless and quick. We need to stay the course. For ourselves and for our students. Because it’s the human touch that really matters.

It’s you, their teacher, that really matters.

So go back to your class and really take a look. See past the behaviors, the issues and the concerns, pressing as they might be. Look beyond the stack of papers on your desk, the line of emails in your queue. Look further than the classrooms of seasoned teachers down the hall. Look. And you will see that it’s there- right inside you. The ability to make an impact. The chance of a lifetime to make a difference in a child’s life. And you can do this now. Right where you are, just as you are. Because all you are right now is all you ever need to be for them today. And who you are tomorrow will depend much on who and what you decide to be today.

It’s in you. I know it is.

Fondly,

That Other Teacher Down the Hall

Effort Is Like Toothpaste....You Can Always Squeeze Out A Little Bit More!

Did you know that at 211 degrees water is HOT...at 212 degrees it BOILS...and with boiling water comes steam...and steam can power a locomotive!? What does this have to do with us you ask? A LOT! This video link below...is all about what just ONE degree of "effort" in the way we do things...can pay off exponentially with our RMS kids and in our personal life, as well! The line between failure and success is SO FINE that we....are often ON the line and don't even know it. So the next time you are ready to throw up your hands up and say..."I quit”...pray for a little more patience and decide to give just 1 degree MORE effort. (even if your brain tells you that you can’t…don’t listen) I know this is easier said than done...and I struggle with it as well! But when you REALLY think about it...one degree is NOT gonna kill us and according to Vince Lombardi, "Inches make a champion!" I think he might have known a little about that in his field of work! :) It’s not about the LONG race...our job is about many short races...and with these short races all it takes is PERSERVERENCE. In the end...the difference between success and failure is not HOW you look, HOW your dress, or HOW you've done it in the past...It's about the HERE and NOW and HOW YOU THINK! Let's pull together and reach down deep inside and find that EXTRA degree that can ensure that every outcome can be a SUCCESS STORY! Have a marvelous Monday team!

Click here to see what I'm talking about! :)

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z6o8GRmPdiE

SCHOOLS...a PR Job? Sure!

Customer service....have you ever thought about what our school "rating" would be...by our staff, parents, and kids? What would your own personal "rating" be...by our parents and kids? Well, wait no more...the district surveys are back in. The ones that you filled out on RMS and me, the ones that parents filled out about all of us at RMS, and the ones that our students filled out about all of us. It was very interesting, and def worth sharing with you at our Wednesday meeting this week. You can look at it in many different ways...but the one thing you must have is an "open-minded" attitude to be willing to listen and read between the lines...especially if it is a suggestion that will make our team and school stronger and better! Lots of good info to be taken out of it. Areas we are doing well, areas that we need to grow in, and some areas that are well...just "nitpicky never gonna make some people happy" areas. It reminded me of a video I had seen earlier about "Johnny the bagger"... since KIDS are our customers!

Overall, people LOVE this school and the direction we are headed. Sure we have some work to do...but that's to be expected with a new school...heck even existing schools have lots of work to do! It's about the journey...if you are here for the kids, here to be open to new and exciting things (even when you are uncomfortable)....here with the best intentions to build this team to make us the "most requested" school in LCISD...then you are def in the right spot! Hang on tight..the road is bumpy at times, but in the end we have each other to "refasten" our seatbelts and help us back on the bus when we stumble and fall out the window a time or two! When you watch this video...I want you to reflect on what your personal "signature" of customer service is. What's that one "extra" that you do because you love kids and are here to help them succeed no matter what? I would love to know what that is, if you would like to share. I KNOW (because I have personally seen it in some of your rooms) that I have some "Johnny's" right here at RMS! I appreciate you SO much for that...and so do others! (hence the survey comments) :) Have a marvelous Monday team! :0)

Below is the inspirational story of Johnny, a 19-year-old bagger with Down syndrome. Johnny decided to personalize his service to his customers by dropping a thought for the day in each bag. His spirit of service transformed the store.

http://play.simpletruths.com/movie/simple-truths-of-service/#.UwEKFLQmOEg.email

The WORD Itself Says.."I'M POSSIBLE"

If you build it they will come! We have all heard this saying before...but it is even more personal for us! With the "opening" of RMS we are making 6th grade history. We are in the process of "building" a culture and vision like no other. By making the CHOICE that we can create a new and exciting way of reaching our kids...we are setting the bar sky high for every other school that opens behind us...and even some of the ones that are already open. :) By thinking out of the box...with new and different ways to engage our kids, the building of personal relationships, days sprinkled with a little fun and laughter, and with an UNWAVERING BELIEF in ALL our kids (no matter their story) we will most certainly reach extraordinary results in year one!

This video reminds me of us with our "out of the box" Exploratory classes, our paying it forward vision, and our never giving up on kids attitude. It's all about MIND over MATTER...we can accomplish whatever we put our minds too...but we must fully COMMIT to NEVER giving up...no matter how dire the situation seems at the time. This time of year is more important than ever, so grab a "lifesaver"...buddy up and be prepared to surf the waves of doubt! We are a campus that has a vision of success...no matter what we come up against...together we WILL not only survive...we will THRIVE! Don't let the naysayers get you down...just let them know that everything was impossible...until someone had the courage to JUST DO IT! That's us....we are gonna DO IT! In doing that, we must ask ourselves...."Are the things we are doing right now making a difference in our students (and our co-workers) lives?" If not...we need to reflect on what WE must do differently...yes, US...our actions...not necessarily the kid's "issues". The adult actions (all of us..me included) are where the results will come from. Sharing IDEAS...and strategies that are working with your students...that's where the magic is!

Come May, I expect to see scores like never before...scores that will set the bar higher for all the grades following us at the junior high and high school. We must RALLY around each other, and be ok with asking for help when we feel like we are sinking. We can't let pride get in the way...this is a sure fire way of drowning. (I'm speaking from experience here) It takes a village...and everyone pulling their weight to get to the finish line...everyone is accountable for their own piece of the puzzle and now more than ever it is so important to give it all we got! Break through moments are happening all the time...so keep going team! :) I believe in YOU...in what you are DOING...and all WE WILL be accomplishing our first year as the RMS Longhorns! I hope your extra long weekend was just what you needed to kick-off the second half of the year...and "get er done" in the 3rd nine weeks of school! Your extra effort of planning, using those new strategies from the training, and continuing to build those relationships is noticed and VERY appreciated, thanks for that! Have a terrific Tuesday...a four day week! Wahoo!

Check out the video...that sparked this weeks mush!

http://vimeo.com/79902240

Notice Similarities....But RESPECT The Differences!

Have you ever thought about how different we all are? And did you know that's a GOOD thing! Every one of us (and our kids) have unique qualities, struggles, and personalities! To form a ROCK solid team, you must have a little bit of everything! If everyone was exactly the same personality as each of "US" (even though "we" think we always "know" best)....that would be a recipe for disaster. Let's be real....some of us are rigid, some are easy-going, some are procrastinators, some are impatient, some are go with the flow, some are glittery (no eye rolling), and on and on and on... Our RMS team is comprised of many differences...we have task oriented people, people that are the "out of the box" thinkers, people that organized, people that are persistent, people that are dreamers, and people that ALL MUST have ONE thing in common....the BELIEF that we CAN and WILL accomplish the IMPOSSIBLE with our kids! (Don't take this the wrong way...but if you don't truly believe that...why are you here?) No matter WHAT it takes...I expect to see scores that out produce everyone else...and I'm not settling for anything less. (Get ready...those student progress meetings are coming)

With all these "differing" qualities in ourselves and our kids...we must make a decision to ACCEPT that not everything will be done the way "we" would have done it, and that is ok....as long as we were successful as a TEAM in the outcome! We have to be flexible...when it is good for kids. (even when it messes up our schedule a bit). There is no "I" in team...just saying...you can't do it alone! So this video of Tara and Bella is a true picture of what being a TEAM is all about! They are completely different...yet they show us what rallying around each other, loving each other, trusting each other, and forming bonds that are unbreakable is all about! They show us that by working together and by leaning on each other when we are frustrated or out of ideas...that we CAN do anything...as long as we work together! They show us that with no FEARS...no SECRETS...and no PREJUDICES we can accomplish anything and have each other's backs at the same time! We must look past the things that seem "different" or not the "norm" for us...because we NEED each other! We need a campus of "Tara's and Bella's"!


Here's the video....something to learn from for sure!
http://youtu.be/cBtFTF2ii7U

If you're intrigued...here is an update video on the duo...the true essence of friendship til the end.
http://youtu.be/qlajUJ1ygdI