Apple Seeds- Thoughts for Teachers and Friends- Covid-19 Reflection

Wow, I haven’t written since May of 2020. I thought I would end the year with a reflection of COVID-19 and close the post with poetry. The poetry is by Robert Crisell taken from famous poets with a Covid 19 twist.

As we look back to 2020, we reflect on how our lives changed, plans and routines that were altered to a new normal. A year that you had to rethink each day to be safe, careful and socially responsible. This was to be a year with family and friends, instead it became the year of canceling: vacations, music concerts, theater performances, education opportunities, movie nights, outings with family and friends, church functions, book club gatherings, dinner dates, work out times, sporting events, health club sessions, home invitations and entertainment, as well as important wedding celebrations, memorable events and holidays. 

This became the year to not only think of your family and friends but to think of others and how we are all so closely connected. 

So often, concern and thoughts went out to those that had died due to sickness from the virus, loved ones who had funerals or weddings without family and friends. This was a year to be grateful for those heroes that have helped so many throughout this unbelievable time.

The pandemic has made stress and anxiety surface every day in strange ways. Due to knowing a virus was something that couldn’t be controlled, it made uncertainty a new normal. The awareness of communication has come to the forefront. Talking to others, and being able to express your feelings has become so important. By not being with others in organized activities, focus on being self motivated, staying healthy, and active have been feats to achieve. We have also tried to adapt to this new normal by becoming more flexible, staying positive and being creative with our free time.

Yes, it is quite a list of what we were to accomplish in 2020. But we can definitely say we tried our best and are thankful and blessed for each new day.

Thank you for following. My wish to you is to have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!

Humorous Poetry for the CCP Virus (COVID-19) Quarantine-Twelve Famous Poems by NOTED POETS

(Updated for the Quarantine)  by Rob Crisell

Kilmer

I think no eye has ever seen,

A poem like this quarantine.

E.B. Browning

How do I glove thee? Let me count the ways.

Poe

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom not-so-clean,

That a virus there lived that you may know

By the name of COVID-19.

Dickinson

Because I could not stop for death

He kindly stopped for me –

I told him that I had acquired

My herd immunity.

Angelou

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of life postponed,

but not the bill.

Shakespeare

Fair is foul, and foul is fair:

My 401k is barely there.

Longfellow

Listen my children and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.

Or maybe it’s better to tell you the caper

Of how I discovered some toilet paper

At a Safeway only three miles from here.

Masefield

I must go down to the mall again, to the lonely mall where I’ll buy

Some sort of decent take-out food. This time, I’ll make it Thai.

Pope

To err is Wuhan; to forgive, divine.

Eliot

Let us go then, you and I,  

When the evening is spread out— Don’t touch your eye!

Marlowe

Come live with me and be my love,

And we will all the pleasures prove

That yield the valleys, groves, and hills,

So long as you can pay my bills.

Coleridge

Water, water, everywhere,

But all the time we think:

Who wants this water anyway

With so much wine to drink?

Burns

Oh, my love is like a red, red rose

That’s newly sprung in June.

But my love says that she’ll leave me

If this ain’t done real soon.

Apple Seeds- Thoughts for Teachers and Friends- May 8

Long time, no write. I am sorry I haven’t written my blog in awhile 😦

At the present moment with the Corona Virus situation becoming somewhat better or closer to the light at the end of the tunnel, it brings me hope and inspiration.

The quote today definitely fits well with the present situation in our world today.  Please stay safe and sending healthy wishes your way. Take Care! PLEASE feel free to share my blog with another teacher or friend looking for excellent sites to use during this time of transition.

Don’t overlook your electronic community as a valuable resource for your classroom. 

Here are some great electronic resources for teachers AND parents to use during this time of staying home for school on a laptop. The website is https://www.weareteachers.com/free-teacher-resources/. Parents and friends, please feel free to look through these sites to have great discussions or to complete at home projects with your child. You may also save the sites for when the “stay at home” is over to do on a rainy day!

Here are 30 top sources for free teacher resources including lesson plans and activities created by fellow professional educators.

1. Amazon Inspire*

Amazon Inspire is an open collaboration service that allows K-12 teachers to easily discover, gather, and share quality educational content with their community.

Sample Lessons: Career Spotlight: Kite Designer, Global Warming Integer Project, The Life Cycle of a Snowman and more.

2. Arts Edge

Sponsored by the Kennedy Center, Arts Edge provides arts-centered, standards-based resources for K-12.

Sample Lessons: Animal Habitats,  Five Artists of the Mexican Revolution, Creating Comic Strips

3. Common Lit

Free collection of reading passages in all literary and non-fiction genres for grades 3-12. Passages come with text-dependent questions which help you track student progress.

Sample Lessons: Life Isn’t Fair- Deal With It, Who Was Anne Frank, Witchcraft in Salem and more.

4. Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is a nonprofit dedicated to providing educators and students with resources to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Free lessons K-12

Sample Lessons: My Writing, My Peer and Me, The Three Billy Goats STEM Challenge, The Ants Go Marching and more.

5. Discovery Ed

Discovery Education offers a broad range of free classroom resources that complement and extend learning beyond the bell. In addition, DEN Educators is an online community that provides teacher-to-teacher shared ideas and resources.

Sample Lessons: Weather Maps, Understanding Probability, Understanding Stereotypes and more.

6. Education World

Education World is a complete online resource for teachers, administrators and school staff to find high-quality and in-depth original content. They offer more than 1,000 free lessons.

Sample Lessons: Wacky Weather, What Would Oprah Say?, Changes in Habitat and more.

7. Everfi

Everfi offers free digital courses that are interactive and standards-based. The focus is on real-world learning, with courses offered in financial literacy, STEM, social-emotional learning, health and wellness, and more.

Sample Lessons: FutureSmart – Middle School Financial Education, The Compassion Project, and  Mental Wellness Basics.

8. Jumpstart

Jumpstart offers free teaching materials (activities, worksheets, lesson plans) for K-5 teachers that have been designed by experts or tried and found useful by other teachers.

Sample Lessons: What a Wonderful World, Art of Recycling, Power Up math activity and more.

9. Library of Congress

The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library’s vast digital collections in their teaching.

Sample Lessons: Alexander Hamilton primary source set, Baseball Across a Changing Nation, Using Primary Sources and more.

10. Literacy Design Collaborative*

LDC is a national community of educators which provides literacy-rich assignments and courses (organized by collection) across content areas.

Collections include:  K-6 Civics Collection (19 modules), National Writing Project, NBCT Authors and more.

11. NASA

Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword. These lesson plans and teaching materials support K-12 STEM curriculum.

Sample Lessons: Moon Munchies, Bubble Rocket, Mars activities and more.

12. National Gallery of Art

According to their website, the mission of the National Gallery of Art is to serve the USA in a national role by preserving, collecting, exhibiting, and fostering the understanding of works of art, at the highest possible museum and scholarly standards.

Sample Lessons: Elements of Art: Shape, Rousseau in the Jungle, Gordon Parks Photography and more.

13. National Geographic

Bring National Geographic to your classroom through lesson plans, maps and reference resource.

Sample lessons: Wild Horses of the Outer Banks, El Nino, Traces of Ancient Rome in the Modern World.

14. National Women’s History Museum

The mission of the National Women’s History Museum is to tell the stories of  women who transformed the history of our nation in pursuit of a a world “where women’s history inspires all people to have equal respect for everyone’s experiences and accomplishments and to see there are no obstacles to achieving their dreams.”  In addition to lesson plans, resources include National History Day projects, Electronic Field Trips, and The Suffrage Resource Center.

Sample Lessons:  Songs of Protest, African American Activists, Little Rock Nine and more.

15. New York Times

Articles and questions, writing prompts and lesson plans that coordinate with The New York Times Learning Network for teens.

Sample Lessons: Analyzing the Elements of Art: Five Ways to Think About Space, When School Gets Real: Teachers Connect Classroom Lessons to Current Events, Ten Ways to Teach Argument Writing and more.

16. Newsela

Newsela is a database of current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Indexed by broad theme (e.g. War and Peace, Arts, Science, Health, Law, Money), stories are both student-friendly and can be accessed in different formats by reading level.

Sample Texts: Giving Great Speeches, The Human Heart as a Work of Art, Helping Endangered Lemurs Hang On and more.

17. NSTA

National Science Teachers Association promotes excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. This site gives teachers access to NSTA magazine, books and resources and NSTA free resources

Sample Lessons: 14 writing strategies, The Greenhouse Effect, Toothbrush Design: Is There a Better Bristle? and more.

18. PBS Learning Media

Free, standards-aligned PK-12 instructional resources including lesson plans, videos, inter-actives and more.

Sample Lessons: What Happens When a Language Dies?, The Origami Revolution, The Spread of Disease and more.

19. ReadWriteThink

Sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English, ReadWriteThink provides educators with access to the highest quality practices in reading and language arts instruction by offering the very best in free materials.

Sample Lessons: Color Poems-Using the Five Sense to Guide Pre-Writing, Teaching About Story Structure Using Fairy Tales, A Blast From the Past With Nuclear Chemistry and more.

20. Scholastic Teachers

Free teaching resources by grade including the categories Lessons and Ideas, Books and Authors, Top Teaching blog, Teacher’s Tool Kit and Student Activities.

Sample Lessons: Ideas for starting the school day in Daily Starters, children’s book Discussion Guides, and educational Videos.

21. Share My Lesson*

Associated with AFT, Share My Lesson houses over 420,000 free lesson plans and activities including curated collections for early childhood through high school. Lessons are organized by grade and topic.

Sample Lessons: Who Wants to be a Millionaire Stories, Coordinates and Straight Line Graphs, The Effect of the Population Explosion

22. Smithsonian’s History Explorer

Smithsonian’s History Explorer was developed by the National Museum of American History in partnership with the Verizon Foundation to offer hundreds of free, innovative online resources for teaching and learning K-12 American history.

Sample Lessons: The Suffragist, Winning WWII, Many Voices, One Nation and more.

23. Storyline Online

This award-winning children’s literacy website streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.

Sample books: Arnie the Doughnut, Enemy Pie, My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother and more.

24. Teacher.org*

Teacher.org offers a wide range of free teacher tools and resources including standards-aligned cross curricular lessons which have been created by K-12 teachers from all over the United States.

Sample Lessons: Chinese New Year, Camouflage and Environment, Menus to Save the Earth and more.

25. Teacher Created Resources*

Free standards-aligned lessons and interactive whiteboard activities products created by teachers for teachers.

Sample Lessons: A Tale of Two Towns, Making Decisions with Probability, Translating Confucius and more.

26. Teacher Vision

For more than 15 years, Teacher Vision has equipped a community of over one million educators with certified, expertly curated teaching resources designed to help their students succeed.

Sample Lessons: Polar Powers: Animal Adaptations, Star Chart: Autumn Sky, The Rights of Bike Riders and more.

27. Teachers Pay Teachers

Claiming to be the world’s most popular marketplace for teachers, TPT not only provides thousands of resources, it allows teacher to share their knowledge with their colleagues and make money doing it.

Sample Lessons: Hopscotch Coding, Gumball Sight Words, Money I Have, Who Has Game and more.

28. Teaching Tolerance

Teaching Tolerance provides free resources that emphasize social justice and anti-bias to K-12 educators.

Sample Lessons: Lessons from Goldilocks, Singing for Peace, Making Cents of Privilege and more.

29. TES (Times Educational Supplement) *

TES is a British website that houses over 700K free resources for K-12 teachers. Made by teachers for teachers.

Sample Lessons: Toy Store Money Problems, Persuasive Writing Travel Brochures, Tissues and Organs and more.

30. USA.gov

USA.gov provides a wide variety of American government lesson plans, activities and worksheets- free for your classroom.

Sample Lessons: Explaining Taxes to Kids, How a Bill Becomes a Law, Field Trip to the Money Factory and more.

31. WeAreTeachers

In addition to lesson plans and classroom ideas, our very own website has thousands of resources including free printables, career advice for teachers, life and well-being, and deals for teachers.

Sample Lessons: Recycling Lesson Plans, 12 Cause and Effect Lesson Plans You’ll Love, 10 Fairy Tale Lesson Plans and more.

This was created by Elizabeth Mulvahill.

Elizabeth Mulvahill is a teacher, writer and mom who loves learning new things, hearing people’s stories and traveling the globe.

Apple Seeds- Thoughts for Teachers and Friends- March 26

How are you doing? the question and greeting for the season. We’ve all been placed into a new way of living, social distancing. I hope this blog entry finds you healthy, safe and with loved ones. The whole situation definitely puts life in perspective about what we need vs. what we want.

Children are our most valuable natural resource. Herbert Hoover

We now have an opportunity to honor, Hoover’s quote. Being at home, we are trying to develop routines to keep our mind and body actively engaged in a positive beneficial way. What better way, than continuous learning! If we are a teacher, parent or caregiver, we may be trying to guide children to use software from home, or develop study habits without the direct in-school touch.  Below I have listed two resources. Both resources are derived from Ted Talks, a source I find very interesting.  One source is a newsletter outlining various articles to share from Elementary to High School. The other article is how to help your children be responsible while using technology. What better time to review how your children are using their technological devices and sites.

Teaching or learning from Home–

https://ed.ted.com/daily_newsletter

Being Technology Smart

How to help your kids be responsible digital citizens, from a tech exec (and mom)

*If possible, may this time be one that we all help one another as best we can: by being patient, staying informed, thinking positive, sending kind and caring messages to those you care for as well as healing messages to those who are ill.  Please follow guidelines that have been given to help us move forward and remember to thank your health personnel, and all those that are helping us to sustain our living to stay at home. 

As we turn the corner, my hope is that we reflect on what truly is important. Take care!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Apple Seeds- Thoughts for Teachers and Friends- March 6

You’re the leader. Do you know where you’re going?

So many times we make assumptions that leaders are on a clear path towards their goal.  But are they? Have they mapped out exactly what their plan is? Have they involved you in the steps to be a part of that process? 

**The following was taken from: https://www.education-colleges.com/10-steps-to-becoming-a-leader-in-education.html

This is what colleges are describing as essential steps for potential students enrolled in education to be an effective leader in education.  These ten steps can be essential in all areas of study, not just education. I’ve highlighted in the article the points that I thought should be considered. 

10 Steps to Being A Highly Effective Leader in Education

1. Educational Leadership

Educational leadership is essential to offer the most critical educational opportunity to those educating themselves. How you will think as a leader will affect everything and everyone helping to reach the goals of the district. The more often we make sound, educated, accurate, precise decisions the better we work as leaders and the more concise educational opportunity can be provided.

2. Become Goal Oriented Towards Your Work

All leaders must work to set goals day to day. It does not matter whether you choose to set goals for the short-term for today; or long-term goals for the future they must be set and followed in a concise manner to be productive as a leader. Write them down, repeat them do whatever necessary to make sure that your not wasting crucial time and energy as a leaders effectiveness is measured by the goals that your achieve.

3. Face Tasks Head On

Take every goal that your set head on. Make sure that your acting on and moving towards all the goals that you set for yourself. Take some kind of action everyday to move closer towards your goals and overall plan of action. It’s this consistency that can make a great leader even more successful through his or her effectiveness.

4. Stay on an Educational Path

Always stay on a path to remain educated. Constantly keeping your body and mind educated and thinking is helpful. It’s crucial for any leader to maintain focus. Make positive changes every day to make it to your goals and achieve greatness. Read, write, and think of anything you can do to keep you brain working towards your common goals.

5. Keep focused on your overall vision.

It’s always easy to stray from you original path of where you are going and what you are trying to achieve. Make sure that your taking the time to evaluate at least one major step in the right direction for your plans each day this is essential. A focused leader is a successful leader.

6. Try To Be Innovative.

Successful people and leaders must stay innovative. By researching the latest trends and educating yourself on the latest trends you can be a more competent leader. In the fast paced innovative world that we live in some practice and format can become obsolete in a year so keeping on your toes in fundamental to effective leadership.

7. Communication

Learn to communicate well with others. Make learning how to communicate and reaching out to others your main goal. All successful leaders must be able to communicate their message in a concise, direct manor so that their voice and message can be heard and not distorted. Mastering a clear vision is important first but being able to convey this vision is even more important to the effectiveness of a leader.

8. Character Development

Work on building your overall character as a person. Make sure that your developing the person that you are into a leader those around you will look up to. Think of how the person that you are is important to the overall vision that you’re conveying. Be confident in your ways and what you’re attempting to convey to those your working with. This confidence is essential to leaders, and the overall way that he or she will be viewed.

9. Maintain the Other Elements of Your Life

Stay organized in your life and it will make being a leader easier. Keep your work place clean and organized. Take time to stay on top of all the other elements of your life this will make your goal of leadership easier when your taking part in leading a group. Never let any alternate actions in life become neglected with your time and energy.

10. Remain Persistent and Work Hard

Being a leader is no easy task. You must work hard every day to convey the message and achieve your goals. Persistence is essential to any leadership situation. If you approach every educational situation that you face with these 10 important concepts it can help you in your pathway to becoming the most successful, effective, efficient leader possible.

Reflecting on the most effective leaders that I worked with, the following areas made a big difference in moving me forward towards a goal. 

1) Focus- reflecting on the plan and checking in with their audience or followers to listen to development and making changes as appropriate

2) Communication- being able to explain and model the process so that all understand from the beginning to the end of a project     

 3) Character Development- being honest, open, respectful, and responsible with all stakeholders that are involved    

What type of leader will you make? What type of leader do you want to work for?

 

Apple Seeds- Thoughts for Teachers and Friends- Feb 20

Fairness is not sameness. 

I found a lesson for third through fifth grade that demonstrates how fairness is not sameness.  Even though the message is simple, the concept is universal. In a world of diversity,  and change, reviewing this big idea with students will allow for interesting conversations and healthy awareness. I found this quote to be an appropriate discussion for both friends and teachers.  Within the lesson, the areas outlined: the “Big Idea”, Essential Vocabulary, Background Knowledge and Modeling, Practice, and Lesson Concepts,  help us as educators to review the difference between fairness and sameness and how to relay this important concept.

Copy and paste in your search.

https://empoweringeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/25-EE_Fairness-and-Equality_Pt1_3-5.pdf

Thank you to the site-Empowering Education.

Let’s put our best foot forward and have understanding of each other’s needs!

Thanks for following and feel free to share with friends or colleagues:-)

Apple Seeds- Thoughts for Teachers and Friends- Jan. 6

“Everything is possible for one who believes.” MARK 9:23 (NIV)

Happy New Year!  As I was looking for the next teacher/ friend quote for 2020, I came upon this one. It was taken from the New International Version Bible. I respect and know that some of my followers may come from different religions or faith systems, but just looking at the words and their meaning, the quote can be very powerful.

Personally for me, three things came to mind.

1. In my Apple Seeds-Thoughts for Teachers, I found it listed under Christmas, which makes great sense to my belief system.

2. I thought it may be a wonderful option choice for a New Year’s Resolution. This is a resolution that would be ongoing, developed step by step, and celebrated or repeated based on the experiences one has.

3. In my home, I have a plaque as you enter, that says,  “We Believe”. This sign is left up all year long. It’s a saying that I still tell my children, along with “Close your eyes, remember this moment and make a memory.”

The quote, “Everything is possible…,” can make sense for both teachers and friends. With everything going on in the world today, we need to make sure that we reinforce and model being positive and having a belief system that includes the thought that everything is possible.

People can tell you anything is possible. But that in itself is not enough to believe that anything is possible. Believing that anything is possible is an achievement through experience. This belief is born of your small everyday successes and victories in which a teacher, friend, parent can help to support you in your pursuit of a task, a plan or even a dream.

Written from an philosopher standpoint,  when you accomplish something you initially thought impossible, you literally send the message to your brain that the impossible is after all possible. This message is stronger and roots itself deeper into your belief system when the experience repeats itself over some extended period of time.

So looking back over the course of your life, can you find occasions where you accomplished things you initially thought were impossible, but yet you continued to do them.

Believing that anything is possible is also a very good perspective at life but is not obtained merely by assuming that anything is possible. As Sophie Caldecott (writer for the site, Intellectual Takeout) said, “Being happy is not true optimism.We may not be able to change how we feel, and we certainly can’t force ourselves to be happy, but we don’t have to because that’s not what true optimism is about. What we can do, is to choose to change what we focus on, little by little, day by day. It’s a choice, and sometimes a daily battle, to stay open and receptive and keep looking outwards, to keep engaging proactively with the world instead of retreating inwards and strengthening the hard, protective walls you’ve built to try and shelter yourself from your fears.”

Good instincts, best intentions, confidence, positive actions and support may be some of the key elements from making the impossible, the possible. Think about how you can help a student, a friend, a child believe in the possible. Imagine a world with more people believing in the possible. It will take strength and courage to achieve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Seeds- Thoughts for Teachers and Friends- Dec 13

Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him/her, and to let him/her know that you trust them.  Booker T. Washington

Who was Booker T. Washington?  Educator Booker T. Washington was one of the foremost African-American leaders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, founding the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, now known as Tuskegee University.  Who better to give us advice and inspiration than a leader from the 19th and early 20th century who helped many educators and political individuals.

So many times as teachers we want to help students but then we end up doing the task for the student, rather than having the student try it on their own. We say in our own mind that we have the best intentions. But what we are teaching is learned helplessness and then we wonder why they are not more independent or don’t take initiative.

Trust is such an important value that we want to build with each and every student. If a child can carry out a responsibility, then a trusting relationship has begun. When interviewing teachers for a potential job, we look for responses that relay key words in building teacher-student relationships: trust, respect, responsibility, and safety. In fact many successful PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) schools are built on these key values. If you can build trust and responsibility, learning can occur more easily.  Also please don’t forget to communicate your trust with your student. You never want to assume they know they fulfilled your request.

What does this quote mean for us as parents? We need to foster responsibility with our children. How does that look? It means children making mistakes but yet feeling a part of house and family community.  Starting with small tasks and progressing to more complicated jobs. An example of this, is having children do household chores. Does your son/daughter clean as thoroughly as you would like, maybe not, but with your guidance than can reach reasonable standards. I remember my mom would ask me to dust, and I thought I did a good job. But there were times that I had to do the job again based on places that I missed. Another example of this, is if you have a family pet, having your son/daughter walk or feed the pet. Is is a big responsibility? Yes! But not only are you building trust with your child, but the pet is building a relationship with another family member vs depending on just you and the building of life skills.  You can also develop natural consequences for tasks that need to be completed. For instance, if a dog doesn’t go out when directed, the child has to clean up the bathroom mess. Oh, yes!

This quote also has to do with adults. If you don’t allow new employees a learning phase to gain responsibility for new job assignments or tasks; employees will begin to self doubt and will be afraid to take on new tasks without the employers full direction and guidance. With trust, and responsibility comes patience, guidance, understanding and flexibility. You will find these type of positive working environments are the most successful and have the best productivity. So evaluate your work place.  Are leaders allowing for you to take on responsibility? Is effective communication happening? Is there trust and respect in your every day doings? Working in a controlling environment, does not do anything for creativity, cooperation, and professional growth.

Remember- The expert in anything was once a beginner! 

Apple Seeds- Thoughts for Teachers and Friends- Nov 25

Helpful Hints to Remember!

There’s a chill in the air with Thanksgiving around the corner. Many look forward to this holiday; being with family and friends. This is also a time teachers enjoy. They get to take a break from the everyday practice of schedules, duties, curriculum and discipline.

I thought a list of ideas may be helpful to implement as soon as you get back into your daily routine after the holiday.

*WRITING NOTES

TEACHERS-Stress reliever before a test: Allow students to write down everything they remember from their memory.   It’s not cheating but instead it allows students to validate all they have studied.

FRIENDS- If you really like an idea. Write it down on your note page in your phone, or take a picture.   Don’t be embarrassed. You are the one benefiting from having acquired an idea that you won’t forget.

*ASKING A QUESTION and WANTING an ANSWER

TEACHERS and FRIENDS-

When asking someone a question, wait at least 10 seconds for him/her to give an answer.  Waiting is up there with listening. It may seem long, but it’s worth it.

You will see positive changes to behaviors and attitudes. The wait-time allows people to take risks. You not only want one to try out new thoughts, but to take risks in a safe environment.  Research has shown that the length and correctness of responses increased. The number of “no” or “I don’t know” responses decreased. The number of people responding in a group setting increases. Academic scores and interactions increase.

*READ

TEACHERS AND FRIENDS-

Read your memos. Read your journals. Read your newsletters. Read an interesting article. But most importantly, read a good book for the fun of it. We are caught up in the instant video, podcast, or even someone reading to us.  Take the time- you deserve it! Reading is important because it helps to expand the mind and develop imagination and creativity. Reading improves concentration, discipline, memory, builds self-esteem and improves vocabulary.

I found it interesting that reading builds self-esteem. When you read, you become more educated, which builds confidence. Increased confidence builds self-esteem.

*BE ENCOURAGING and THANKFUL–

TEACHERS AND FRIENDS-

Tell someone they “can’t” enough times and pretty soon, they won’t. Encouraging is the act of giving someone support, confidence and hope. Never underestimate the power of a positive encouraging word to change our outlooks in life.

Encouragement:

1. It helps to provide energy to accomplish our objective.
2. It gives us hope.
3. It helps us to change our perspective.
4. It restores self-confidence.
5. It helps to make people work harder.
6. It helps to make people succeed.
7. It helps to build self-esteem.

People who live with an attitude of gratitude are known to live longer, sleep better, and have increased productivity and happier lives. “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it. William Ward  

Happy Thanksgiving Wishes to You~

I am so thankful for my family, friends, and followers!

Photo by Řaj Vaishnaw on Pexels.com

 

 

Apple Seeds- Thoughts for Teachers and Friends- Nov 1

Photo by Dee J on Pexels.com

November 1- Laugh! Merriment produces sunshine for your soul. And it lets the students know you’re human.

Have you ever been with someone and you laugh so hard you almost cry? I have and it’s some of my best memories. In fact, just this last weekend, I had multiple times that I laughed out loud. I am very fortunate to have people that I can share the joy of laughter. I came across this article in my research of how laughing is important to your health.  I enjoyed what I read and I like how the article came right to the point about the reasons why we should laugh more. I hope that you reflect on the article as a teacher, friend, parent, I did,  and remember or share the ways that are listed. I have listed the author and title of the article for your reference.

Laughing does produce sunshine for the soul and I highlighted how it makes you more human!

Stop Doing Nothing Site-Article from Health and Fitness Section

by Patrick Allmond

1. Laughter Makes Us Healthier

Laughter is a good thing. Scientists tell us that laughter, humor and joy are an important part of life. Laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, and increases muscle flexion. It increases the circulation of antibodies in the blood stream and makes us more resistant to infection.

2. Laughter Touches Our Soul

Laughter is good for us physically, but that is just the beginning. Laughter is good for the soul. There is a holiness in laughter. Laughter brings us closer to each other – and there is something holy about people coming together. Laughter provides us a moment of grace. It occurs spontaneously and unexpectedly. It catches us by surprise and we respond with laughter. We never expect to laugh, just as we never expect grace or good fortune when it arrives. And in that grace, we are able to recognize the folly of our own pursuits.

3. Laughter Keeps Things in Perspective

Laughter helps us to transcend ourselves, and I need that help. Too often I take myself far too seriously. There is a danger of taking ourselves, our beliefs and our life too seriously. Fanatics, it seems to me, see nothing as funny. Here’s a suggestion. The next time you’re in the middle of an argument, start laughing – not in a derogatory tone, but in the jovial sense of being in on a good joke. Then see if the anger begins to melt away and if you can find a more creative way to handle things. I’ve done this with my kids and it actually works. And you know what else? Now I know that when I think about doing it and don’t, that I have lost my perspective.

4. Laughter Helps Us Stay Positive

Laughter can be an important tool for keeping our troubles in proportion, for realizing that things aren’t always as bad as we think they are. But even when things are as bad as we think they are, laughter helps create positive emotions and helps us find a frame of mind in which we can more easily cope with the struggles of life. Laughter eases tension and sharpens our ability to concentrate.

GREAT QUOTE! Laughter is a lot like changing a baby’s diaper. It doesn’t permanently solve any problems, but it makes things a lot more acceptable for a while.

4. Laughter is Loving

If I am able to laugh with you in my mistakes as well as with you in yours, it suggests we are all flawed and imperfect. Embracing good-natured humor, we find the humility to see the foolishness of trying to be perfect and the gift of enjoying the smiles and laughter of love.

Children laugh on average 200 times a day and adults only 26 times a day.

How many times a day do you experience the rich joy of laughter? If we want to be happier, healthier, and more productive we seriously need to make time to laugh. Because when we laugh, when we really laugh, deep from the belly… we feel alive!

Apple Seeds- Thoughts for Teachers and Friends- Oct.18

Oct. 18- The more a student is afraid of making a mistake, the more mistakes will be made. 

When I read this, I thought of children who are afraid of not getting an answer right in front of their peers or teacher.  As said in past posts, creating a safe, caring, and respectful environment, is key to children feeling comfortable about making a mistake and being successful by learning from their mistakes.  Also if a child does need assistance or support what better way than in a classroom of learners that all help each other and recognize that to make mistakes can be a natural part of the process of understanding.

I also related this quote to adults. Just this past week, I listened to a Ted Talk conducted by Olivia Remes from the University of Cambridge. She discussed how many people today have anxiety concerns. She stated, anxiety=thinking too much. What I found to be helpful, is she gave coping strategies that anyone can use to lower anxiety or you can share with others. She discussed that if people can engage in experiences they have control of they can begin to develop habits they will help with anxiety.

Strategies- 

1. Forgive yourself. Be kind to yourself and forgive mistakes that you make. Also forgive mistakes that you may have had in the past. You can be your own worst enemy and be harder on yourself than others.
2. Wait to worry. When you have something that you are worrying about and can’t seem to stop thinking about it or not able to let it go, pick a specific time or hour later in the day, that you will worry about it. Mindfulness helps to focus your attention on the present moment. Sounds crazy, but she said that if the brain and stress indicators (flight or fight) knows that you will take care of something later, the level of anxiety will not be has high, you will become distracted and recognition of the situation may allow you to see that what you thought was very serious is not as earth shattering.
3. Do it badly. When given an assignment, or task, you are to begin without worrying or thinking about the end result. This speeds up decision making and helps you set up reasonable standards. Many times getting started can be the most difficult part or overwhelming. As you complete the task, then you can make improvements along the way. What you perceive to be somewhat paralyzing, many times it is not as serious as first thought. Also if you try this task for 15 min., you feel better that you got something done or at least started it.
4. Opposite action. Do the opposite of what you are feeling. Your emotions will shift towards the opposite. For example- you don’t feel great and you’re anxious about something. You don’t want to get off the couch. Go for a 20 min walk, anywhere. You will feel better.
5. Having a purpose and meaning in life. In life, recognize, support and help the people who need you (family, friends, coworkers, etc.). Volunteering of your time and skills can also be a healthy alternative to give meaning to your life. If you give of yourself, you’ll understand the why and be able to bear the how.
6. Smile!  If you smile, it changes the neurotransmitters in your brain. Even its a half smile 🙂

Hope this helps, whether you are a student or a teacher. Share a strategy that works. You can do it!

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