This month's core virtue has been diligence. With that in mind, I introduced the 5th-8th graders to a concept called Growth Mind Set. I started out by asking them to think and respond (not publicly) to the questions....Do you believe that you do well/poorly in school because you are smart/not smart or because you work hard/do not work hard? The answer that we are hoping for is that success comes from "working hard." But too many kids by middle school believe that ability is a fixed quantity over which they have little control. I do well on a test because I am "smart." But the corollary must then be true as well...I do poorly and I must be "dumb." In their minds, school performance is directly related to IQ.
Kids on both ends of the spectrum (those who struggle and those who breeze through) get this message. Those who struggle often give up by the middle years. Those who breeze through, also don't realize the value of hard work. Both tend to believe in some version of fixed mindset.
We adults are responsible for shaping a child' mindset. How many times have you or someone you know said to a child...."Wow! You got a 100 on that quiz. You are so smart!" I know that until I read the research on growth mindset, I was guilty of that statement on many an occasion. However, we need to work to revamp our conversation to..."Wow! You got a 100 on that quiz. You must have worked hard." (And hopefully, they did have to expend effort to get that 100%.) We want our kids to get the message that, although we are all born with certain gifts and talents, hard work pays off. No matter what your goal, you can move toward it with adequate effort.
The good news is that the brain is actually quite malleable...more so than we thought in years past. We really can do better if we put in the time. I most certainly will never be an Olympic athlete, but I am pretty certain that if I started training, I could run a 10K and improve my time.
This is the message that we hope to bring our students. Diligence matters. Diligence pays off. Hard work, leads to improved performance, which leads to more enjoyment in the activity. I encourage you to ponder the impact of encouraging the growth mindset in our children.
For an interesting video on this subject, check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTqDglhzQbw
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
Encouraging literacy
I am pretty passionate on the topic of kids and books. Last year, I wrote to Scholastic after seeing their Top X Number of Books touted for fifth graders. This list included books such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid and other pop culture favorites. Really, Scholastic? Your Top Books for Fifth Graders? Diary of a Wimpy Kid?
Like any for-profit enterprise, Scholastic is in the business of making money. And the product that they deal in is books. If the likes of Diary of a Wimpy Kid is what brings in the bucks, clearly they are going to highlight these books. But what should we be highlighting as parents and educators?
Clearly we want our children to read. And if we are at all honest with ourselves, we will admit that even we like reading light, fluffy material at times. There is clearly a time and a place for relaxed pursuit of the written word. I will be the first to admit that I loved The Hunger Games. I couldn't put them down. They had me motivated to get up at 5 AM each morning to get on my eliptical...just so I could read some more. I was engrossed in the lives of Katniss and Peeta, while all the while analyzing the author's lack of writing prowess. I had read enough good books to know that I was not reading quality literature, as eager as I was to continue.
But what of our children? What should they be reading? As a classical school, the answer is a resounding "good quality, classics". Books that have stood the test of time. Books with a lesson and a point that extend beyond any relevance to the moment in which they were written. There is universal appeal to a classic that stands the test of time, the reader can make connections to his/her life and to other pieces of literature. Books that teach lessons in the depth of human character or the human condition, granted at an age appropriate level, are classics. Classic literature may not have been a best-seller and may not be your favorite book, but there is a continuity to the study and appreciation of these novels.Classics not only reflect history, but influence it.
To me, one of the most important rationale for reading classic literature at the elementary level is the exemplar of excellence in writing. If we want our kids to grow up strong nutritionally, we will expose them to good food. We will encourage them to try brussel sprouts alongside their hamburger. There is a time and a place for McDonalds, but we would most likely agree that a pure diet of McDonalds would not a strong body make. To me the analogy with good literature is equally clear. If we want our kids to grow up strong readers and writers, we need to expose them to good writing. There may be a time and a place for pop culture literature, but a steady diet of Wimpy Kids will neither encourage clear and analytical thinking nor model the type of writing we hope our children produce.
So as you encourage your children to read this year, I suggest you to look to the classics. There are many places to find lists of such books. The link here is but one of many. http://www.npr.org/2013/08/05/207953619/100-must-reads-for-kids-9-14-the-printable-list. I have not read each of these titles, so I can not endorse each individually, but the overall theme of the list is good quality literature.
Like any for-profit enterprise, Scholastic is in the business of making money. And the product that they deal in is books. If the likes of Diary of a Wimpy Kid is what brings in the bucks, clearly they are going to highlight these books. But what should we be highlighting as parents and educators?
Clearly we want our children to read. And if we are at all honest with ourselves, we will admit that even we like reading light, fluffy material at times. There is clearly a time and a place for relaxed pursuit of the written word. I will be the first to admit that I loved The Hunger Games. I couldn't put them down. They had me motivated to get up at 5 AM each morning to get on my eliptical...just so I could read some more. I was engrossed in the lives of Katniss and Peeta, while all the while analyzing the author's lack of writing prowess. I had read enough good books to know that I was not reading quality literature, as eager as I was to continue.
But what of our children? What should they be reading? As a classical school, the answer is a resounding "good quality, classics". Books that have stood the test of time. Books with a lesson and a point that extend beyond any relevance to the moment in which they were written. There is universal appeal to a classic that stands the test of time, the reader can make connections to his/her life and to other pieces of literature. Books that teach lessons in the depth of human character or the human condition, granted at an age appropriate level, are classics. Classic literature may not have been a best-seller and may not be your favorite book, but there is a continuity to the study and appreciation of these novels.Classics not only reflect history, but influence it.
To me, one of the most important rationale for reading classic literature at the elementary level is the exemplar of excellence in writing. If we want our kids to grow up strong nutritionally, we will expose them to good food. We will encourage them to try brussel sprouts alongside their hamburger. There is a time and a place for McDonalds, but we would most likely agree that a pure diet of McDonalds would not a strong body make. To me the analogy with good literature is equally clear. If we want our kids to grow up strong readers and writers, we need to expose them to good writing. There may be a time and a place for pop culture literature, but a steady diet of Wimpy Kids will neither encourage clear and analytical thinking nor model the type of writing we hope our children produce.
So as you encourage your children to read this year, I suggest you to look to the classics. There are many places to find lists of such books. The link here is but one of many. http://www.npr.org/2013/08/05/207953619/100-must-reads-for-kids-9-14-the-printable-list. I have not read each of these titles, so I can not endorse each individually, but the overall theme of the list is good quality literature.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
The Gift of Perseverence
In Tim Elmore's blog, "Growing Leaders" on August 19, 2014, he speaks to "Why Adults Render Kids Helpless." Within his post, he states: Like pain, American parents view “struggle” as a negative thing. We have created a world of conveniences, filled with smart phones, microwaves, Internet shopping and online banking. These technological advances aren’t inherently bad, but the subtle message is that struggles are something to be avoided. We want our lives to be as convenient as possible. In fact, we feel entitled to it.
See more at: http://growingleaders.com/blog/adults-render-kids-helpless/?utm_source=Master+List+%28Monthly%2C+Weekly%2C+Daily%2C+Events+%26+Offers%29&utm_campaign=98f60767fd-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b8af65516c-98f60767fd-304368465#sthash.45moRdiX.dpuf
As a fellow parent of three Generation iY kids, I find his message important. And I like Tim's distinction between "pain" and struggle." Of course I want my kids not to be in "pain", but "struggle"?...I say bring it on! Why do I want my kids to struggle? Because struggle is a part of daily life. As adults, we all struggle. I struggle to balance my personal and work life. I struggle to get everyone out the door in the morning. I struggle to finish projects by deadlines and to meet all my expectations. Life is tough. Being an adult is tough. Growing up is tough.
But what has made me a successful adult...who despite the challenges, manages to somehow make it all work in at least a semi-reasonable fashion? I believe it in part because I dealt with struggles as a child and no one came to my rescue. I don't mean to imply that I had parents who were not around to help me out. But they didn't rescue me out. I walked to school. I took tough classes. I struggled with friendships that didn't work out well. I climbed trees and scraped my knees. And even then, school was easy and I probably did not struggle enough. In college I found out that my method of working to get an A instead of working to master a topic, began to back fire. Calculus I found out was difficult. Differential Equations even more so. It turned out that to progress with ease, I needed to master material deeply, not just to ace a test. It turned out that an A was not all it was cracked up to be. I wish I had had that struggle earlier.
With that in mind, at Imagine we work to build character along with academics. Perseverance, courage, responsibility, self-control, and resiliency in the face of failure are all important virtues. The road to good character is paved with struggles. To persevere, one must face difficult challenges. To develop courage, one must face self-doubt. To build responsibility one must be given tasks to complete with a gradual release of supports. To build self-control one must practice patience. To build resiliency one must learn from mistakes. To build character one must handle struggles and learn that success comes through effort and the proverbial "blood, sweat, and tears."
As important adults in the lives of these young people, it is incumbent upon us to present our children with appropriate challenges paired with just the right amount of support and guidance. We must help them develop a "growth mindset" so that they realize that success is dependent upon effort. Struggle and inconvenience should not be avoided. Instead they should be embraced for the valuable life lessons they develop.
See more at: http://growingleaders.com/blog/adults-render-kids-helpless/?utm_source=Master+List+%28Monthly%2C+Weekly%2C+Daily%2C+Events+%26+Offers%29&utm_campaign=98f60767fd-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b8af65516c-98f60767fd-304368465#sthash.45moRdiX.dpuf
As a fellow parent of three Generation iY kids, I find his message important. And I like Tim's distinction between "pain" and struggle." Of course I want my kids not to be in "pain", but "struggle"?...I say bring it on! Why do I want my kids to struggle? Because struggle is a part of daily life. As adults, we all struggle. I struggle to balance my personal and work life. I struggle to get everyone out the door in the morning. I struggle to finish projects by deadlines and to meet all my expectations. Life is tough. Being an adult is tough. Growing up is tough.
But what has made me a successful adult...who despite the challenges, manages to somehow make it all work in at least a semi-reasonable fashion? I believe it in part because I dealt with struggles as a child and no one came to my rescue. I don't mean to imply that I had parents who were not around to help me out. But they didn't rescue me out. I walked to school. I took tough classes. I struggled with friendships that didn't work out well. I climbed trees and scraped my knees. And even then, school was easy and I probably did not struggle enough. In college I found out that my method of working to get an A instead of working to master a topic, began to back fire. Calculus I found out was difficult. Differential Equations even more so. It turned out that to progress with ease, I needed to master material deeply, not just to ace a test. It turned out that an A was not all it was cracked up to be. I wish I had had that struggle earlier.
With that in mind, at Imagine we work to build character along with academics. Perseverance, courage, responsibility, self-control, and resiliency in the face of failure are all important virtues. The road to good character is paved with struggles. To persevere, one must face difficult challenges. To develop courage, one must face self-doubt. To build responsibility one must be given tasks to complete with a gradual release of supports. To build self-control one must practice patience. To build resiliency one must learn from mistakes. To build character one must handle struggles and learn that success comes through effort and the proverbial "blood, sweat, and tears."
As important adults in the lives of these young people, it is incumbent upon us to present our children with appropriate challenges paired with just the right amount of support and guidance. We must help them develop a "growth mindset" so that they realize that success is dependent upon effort. Struggle and inconvenience should not be avoided. Instead they should be embraced for the valuable life lessons they develop.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
We Are on Our Way!
I love the fall! And I love the first week of school! I have special memories from my own elementary school days...a crisper feel to the air (I grew up in upstate NY and we started school after Labor Day), the smell of milk and graham crackers, the walk to school (I lived 3-5 blocks away from each of my grades K-12 buildings and no, I did not get a ride to school in the rain, the cold, or the snow), the laughter of my friends. The first week of school was always special.
Greenwich Central School in Upstate NY
Parents, please note that we do allow you to walk your children to class for the first week only. After which time, we work to build independence by expecting students to walk to class on their own. On the rare occassion that you need to help them into class after the first week, you will need to sign in through the office system. It is important that we always know who is in the building for safety and security reasons.
Pick up is always a bit tricky than drop off until we learn the names of new students and families and get reaquainted with the old (summer learning loss is not just for kids!) As you learned quickly, our inclement weather pick up plan is a bit more cumbersome, constrained by the need to keep your children in the multi-purpose room, as safe and dry as possible, instead of standing outside the building. These situations are even more difficult when the torrential downpour arrives seemingly instantaneously and is accompanied by lightening. Thank you for your support and patience during this unexpected experience. We do promise that pick-up becomes quicker and more efficient as we all get through the learning curve. On most days students will be waiting outside with their teachers, I (and my counterparts) will get faster at calling their names, and they will get faster at locating their vehicles and getting inside. Please help them in as quickly as possible (please do not get out of your car nor open the trunk or hatch back for supplies) and exit through the left hand lane. This will keep the traffic moving.
If you desire to pick up students at an off-campus pick up location, please do so far enough outside of the pick up loop that you are not merging into the pick up loop traffic. The merging in and out of traffic really slows down the dismissal process. Students who are walking off campus, either to their home or to a pick up location, must have a Permission to Leave Campus form signed. All K-5 students will leave the building with their teachers and then "walkers" will be dismissed from their class. All other students will wait with their teacher until you walk up to get them or their names are called for the car line. Permission to Leave Campus, requires students to leave campus immediately, so please do not ask them to meet you at on on-campus site. We realized mid-last-year that some folks had created these on-campus plans, which led to pick up confusion and safety/supervision concerns. We respectfully ask that you follow the protocol created for your children's safe dismissal.
This week we met with Firestone police and town personnel along with local HOA representatives in order to ensure that our drop off and pick up processes were safe and efficient and neighborly. The police department continues their on-going support of our plan. However, they are also going to have a zero tolerance policy for anyone not obeying traffic rules. Please be cognizant of the no parking and no U-turn zones. Please also be aware that it is not okay at anytime to go around the line of traffic to avoid waiting. Believe me, I know what a busy life feels like. The American lifestyle requires us to be in too many places at the proverbial same time. However safety is our number one concern throughout the pick up and drop off processes.
And so we look forward to the weeks ahead. To the weather, indeed, getting crisper. To academic growth. To recess fun. To family events. To music concerts. To soccer games. To the holidays. To all the ups and downs, smiles and frowns, that make up a successful academic year. Here's to Imagine Firestone and all the teachers, staff, parents, and students who make us all we can be. Here's to the 2014-2015 school year!
Greenwich Central School in Upstate NY
Our Imagine Firestone first week of school was special too...though reality and memories are rarely a fair match. The air was not crisp, schools no longer give out milk and graham crackers for snack, and many kids arrive by carpool. Even with supplies, drop off did indeed go smoothly and there really were few tardies. Remember, students should be in their seats at 8:10 ready to learn. (Please don't ask my mom how I managed that expectation. Let's just say that there was a fair amount of morning angst and it is astonishing that I did not become a World Class sprinter from all my practice.) Parents, please note that we do allow you to walk your children to class for the first week only. After which time, we work to build independence by expecting students to walk to class on their own. On the rare occassion that you need to help them into class after the first week, you will need to sign in through the office system. It is important that we always know who is in the building for safety and security reasons.
Pick up is always a bit tricky than drop off until we learn the names of new students and families and get reaquainted with the old (summer learning loss is not just for kids!) As you learned quickly, our inclement weather pick up plan is a bit more cumbersome, constrained by the need to keep your children in the multi-purpose room, as safe and dry as possible, instead of standing outside the building. These situations are even more difficult when the torrential downpour arrives seemingly instantaneously and is accompanied by lightening. Thank you for your support and patience during this unexpected experience. We do promise that pick-up becomes quicker and more efficient as we all get through the learning curve. On most days students will be waiting outside with their teachers, I (and my counterparts) will get faster at calling their names, and they will get faster at locating their vehicles and getting inside. Please help them in as quickly as possible (please do not get out of your car nor open the trunk or hatch back for supplies) and exit through the left hand lane. This will keep the traffic moving.
If you desire to pick up students at an off-campus pick up location, please do so far enough outside of the pick up loop that you are not merging into the pick up loop traffic. The merging in and out of traffic really slows down the dismissal process. Students who are walking off campus, either to their home or to a pick up location, must have a Permission to Leave Campus form signed. All K-5 students will leave the building with their teachers and then "walkers" will be dismissed from their class. All other students will wait with their teacher until you walk up to get them or their names are called for the car line. Permission to Leave Campus, requires students to leave campus immediately, so please do not ask them to meet you at on on-campus site. We realized mid-last-year that some folks had created these on-campus plans, which led to pick up confusion and safety/supervision concerns. We respectfully ask that you follow the protocol created for your children's safe dismissal.
This week we met with Firestone police and town personnel along with local HOA representatives in order to ensure that our drop off and pick up processes were safe and efficient and neighborly. The police department continues their on-going support of our plan. However, they are also going to have a zero tolerance policy for anyone not obeying traffic rules. Please be cognizant of the no parking and no U-turn zones. Please also be aware that it is not okay at anytime to go around the line of traffic to avoid waiting. Believe me, I know what a busy life feels like. The American lifestyle requires us to be in too many places at the proverbial same time. However safety is our number one concern throughout the pick up and drop off processes.
And so we look forward to the weeks ahead. To the weather, indeed, getting crisper. To academic growth. To recess fun. To family events. To music concerts. To soccer games. To the holidays. To all the ups and downs, smiles and frowns, that make up a successful academic year. Here's to Imagine Firestone and all the teachers, staff, parents, and students who make us all we can be. Here's to the 2014-2015 school year!
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