I think this sloth running its hand in the water while on a boat is a great metaphor for our lives today. We are so caught up in our fast paced world of 24/7 news channels, 24/7 social media outlets, and our desire to over consumer 24/7 (that would be the boat in this metaphor) that we forget that we are not built to move that fast (we would be the sloth in this metaphor). It's a good idea for all of us to just focus on life as it passes us by (that would be the river in this metaphor). Sometimes, we just have to take a second and dip our hand in it as it flows by and marvel at it all.

This week's read comes from Mr. Zutz. So far I'm only three chapters in, but those three chapters have offered so much content gold that it's amazing. I don't know if I've taken so many notes on a book since reading Chip and Dan Heath's amazing The Power of Moments.

Yes, The CEO Test is that good.

There are seven tests CEOs must pass. I'm only on the third one, but this book has me rethinking everything.

I just picked up this nugget last night, which had me up past my bedtime thinking and envisioning, - When you're trying to develop your company's, team's, classroom's, school's values, ask yourself these three questions

1. What are we trying to accomplish as a company (or school or team)?

2. What are we going to focus on to achieve that goal?

3. How are we going to work together?

Now what I love most about those three questions is the final one. Usually that third question is always, "How are we going to measure growth or whether we meet our goal?"

I love the authors' shift in focus. Instead of worrying about measuring all the time (and justifying the expense or effort to some other executive powers or board above you), focus on working together to accomplish the goal.

Mind. Blown.

Can't wait to meet with my coaches to see how we can put this in place for the football team.

Week #28 – March 22-26

Teaching Thought #121 - Expectations

I’m fascinated with the Focus 3 podcast. On one of the most recent episodes, Urban Meyer and Tim Kight, were talking about success. Mainly about how to attain it. Meyer said it all comes down to expectations. Want vs. Work. When your expectations for what you want are higher than your willingness to work, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. However, the real key to exceeding your expectations is to keep your expectations (what you want) low and ramp up your work ethic. When that happens, you are set up for massive success. Massive success because you won’t be let down since your wants/expectations weren’t through the roof.

How does this relate to us as teachers and our expectations for our classes and ourselves? How can we share this concept with our students?

Teaching Thought #122 - Coaching the “Gap”

This is another tip I picked up from the Focus 3 podcast. In an episode on developing talent, Urban Meyer and Tim Kight talk about ‘coaching the gap.’ They mean having a frank conversation with a player - or in our cases, a student. Show them where they are now. Then show them where they need to be.

In my world, I would sit down with a College Comp writer and go over their latest theme (in my case a reflective essay).We’d go over it together, noting errors (in my case lack of MLA formatting, run-ons, punctuation errors for dialogue, lack of any real reflection on a past moment or event, and typos - telling them that when Google Docs underlines a word in red or blue, it’s trying to tell them something). Then I’d share with them the rubric and how they did. I might even show them a very good, college level reflective essay. That would be where I want them to get to.

After that, whether they revise their reflective essay or work on their next essay, I’m teaching the gap, as in the gap of where they are now (sketchy formatting, run-ons, rudimentary errors, lack of reflection . . .) and where they need to be (college level writing that reflects on a past moment effectively in proper MLA format without rudimentary errors). That’s coaching the gap.

Think about how much fun that would be!

Teaching Thought #123 - What are your core principles?

If you want to know what your core principles are, ask yourself what are you willing to sacrifice for? You’ll have your answer.

If being physically fit is a core principle, then I guess you’re willing to sacrifice junk food and sleep as you’re most likely a healthy eater who makes it a daily habit to exercise.

Now flip that around, if you complain all the time and spend all day drowning in social media - and I see so much of this in the world today - then what are your real core principles?

They aren’t what you say they are. They are what you will sacrifice for. Man, did that cause me to re-evaluate my life and choices.

Teaching Thought #124 - What is your impact?

Brandi, a former student of mine, sent me a message on Instagram last week. It was a picture her mother sent her. Her mother had been cleaning out something in her room and came across the senior letter I wrote her upon her graduation. (If you take my CC and CC 2 classes, I write you a one page senior letter and give it to you on the last day of school).

My favorite story is from Adam. I made it a point to give each student a bit of advice in their senior letters. For Adam, I wrote “Don’t take criticism for personally” and I elaborated on it. For Adam was one who if I criticized him, he would pout and slouch around the rest of class.

His parents must have recognized this too, for when I asked Adam a few months later what he thought of his letter, he laughed and said that he liked it but that his parents liked it even better, for his dad framed it!

It’s not hard to have an impact. What is yours going to be?

Teaching Thought #125 - What Matters most?

The irony is not lost on me that we are going back to school in person next week. I am looking forward to this, for I have greatly missed having all of my students together in one room and not split up, hybrid style.

But the irony is this - many who want us back ‘in person’ because students need to be around their peers are probably the same ones who are now family flexing their students for the winter sports season.

Reminds me of an old C & C Music Factory song based off an old Arsenio Hall bit: “Things That Make You Go, Hmmmmh!”

It doesn't happen with every class, but the days where the students get into their readings, well that is about as good as it gets for me. This week, in CC 2, we began our second free reading unit. Students can read any book they want. The only caveat is that they have to get it done within two class weeks and then find a topic from the book that they can then write an 8-12 page research paper on.

The students delved right in. Some were eager to grab copies of books that students read for their first free reading unit (The Sticky-Note book report): Columbine, The Traveling Vampire Show, The Fisherman, Night, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and The Devil in the White City.

In fact, a handful of students asked to go to the media center to see what new books they just got in. How amazing is that?

Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities is excellent.

Think of the old shows That's Incredible meets Ripley's Believe it or Not with a little bit of In Search of . . . with Leonard Nimoy thrown in.

Each episode features two 'curious' topics. Mahnke explains what is so fascinating or curious about each topic, all the while keeping the listener engaged and learning.

Kenzie and Cash absolutely love these. In fact, we listen to them just about every time we have to drive somewhere.

New episodes drop every Tuesday and Thursday. So there are four topics per week. That's roughly 72 weeks of content.

Tuesday's episode, called "Toilet Plunge" first examines the tragedy that was the Erfutrt letrine tragedy and secondly it looks at the history of the world's most remarkable toy - Legos.

These are excellent for bell work (I use them for my silent challenges with my English 9 students) for generating research topics (for my CC 2 students), for providing depth for content (in fact, I'm going to use the first part of "Toilet Plunge" as an introductory assignment with my CC students before we plunge (sorry, couldn't resist) into The Ghost Map), and as a great example of how to present information in interesting ways.

This might just be my favorite video of all time. I'm sharing it again because I just learned that the father, Dick Hoyt, died at the age of 80. I'm hoping someone carries on their amazing tradition of running triathlons and marathons with this special needs son.

Twitter is the best PD I've ever had. I learn more in half an hour on Twitter than I did in my first decade of school sponsored PD.

I know there is a lot of talk on doing some ice breaker activities and even talking to kids about how distance learning went since they haven't been back together for over a year now.

I'm not agains this - see last week's newsletter for a great idea on those things.

BUT - keep in mind our students have been dealing with distance learning for so long, maybe just having a normal day of school with all of their classmates is just what the kids need.

So, I'm just going ahead on Tuesday as if it was a normal Tuesday as if COVID never happened. I will - at a later date - have a day when we can talk about just what we all went through, but it's all going to be about normalcy on our first day back.

Teachers - you know what this is like. Remember the back to school presentations where administration or some hired gun tells us the blatant obvious stuff, like our work matters and we have to engage kids and . . . That's our job. We all know that. Give us something we don't know or haven't had. I have a feeling this is going to be just how our students are going to feel.

Thus, I'm giving them something they haven't had - a normal school day. I can't wait.

This article has a lot of great ideas.

We can all use a little perspective right now. Wait. Let me rephrase that. We can all use a reminder that our perspective isn't the only one. These 18 books will help you with that.

My favorite on the list is Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Farleo.

I am married to the most amazing person in the world, Kristie. It was love at first sight. At least for me. And it still is.

We have four wonderful children, Casey, Koko, Kenzie, and Cash. And now we have been blessed with five grandchildren!

I also happen to have the greatest job in the world: teaching English to high school students.

I am in my 23rd year of teaching at Lincoln High School. I graduated from Lafayette High School in Red Lake Falls in 1992. I decided to enter the field of education because of two amazing teachers, Mr. Mueller, my fourth and sixth grade elementary school teacher and assistant baseball coach, and Mrs. Christianson, my 9th grade English teacher.

I attended Northland Community College, and had my life changed by the amazing Dr. Diane Drake. Then I transferred to Bemidji State University in 1995. There I had amazing professors who further inspired me to teach English (Dr. Helen Bonner, Dr. Mark Christensen, Susan Hauser, and Gerry Schnabel). I graduated with my BS in English Education in 1997.

I student taught with the wonderful Lisa Semanko and then began teaching full-time at LHS in 1998.

I took a year's leave of absence in 2001-02 to return to BSU for my MA in English. There I had the privilege to teach and work closely with my greatest mentor, Dr. Mark Christensen. I earned my MA in English in 2006 and was honored with "Thesis of the Year" for my creative non-fiction, braided, multi-genre memoir, "Meeting Myrtle: A Biography."

In 2013, thanks to my dear friend and mentor, Dr. Jodi Holen, I was offered an adjunct teaching position fall semester at the University of North Dakota. Tuesday nights I teach Intro to Education: Teaching and Learning 250 from 5-8. Those three hours fly by in about ten minutes.

Then in 2016 I was blessed to win a WEM award (thanks to a nomination from a former student (and now an elementary school teacher), Ciera Mooney).

In 2017 I became part of the #pineconepd podcast club along with Brian Loe, Jeff Mumm, Kelsey Johnson, Kelly Weets, Josh Watne, Tevia Strand, Megan Vigen, Mariah Hruby, Laura Brickson, Loren Leake, Katie Hahn, Melora Burgee, and new members all the time. This has been one of the best forms of PD I've ever been a part of. They make me a better teacher every time we meet. Please think about joining us in the summer at the Pine Cone Pub from 6:30 - until we've solved all the world's problems. For that evening anyway.

Thanks to the inspiration of Shane Zutz (our former principal) I devised this as a way to distribute my Teaching Thoughts and add more content to, hopefully, help out and inspire others.

Email: kurt.reynolds@myprowler.org
Website: http://teacherscribe.blogspot.com
Location: 101 South Knight Aver Thief River Falls MN 56701
Phone: 218-686-7395
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