Friday, February 28, 2014

Day 181: It Does Not Work

Daily Blog Challenge Day 181/365

My basketball team drove me crazy with one phrase this season. "Coach, this play does not work." The reality if the matter was that they were not running it correctly.

How often do we dismiss ideas because we don't think they will work? Sometimes we may even try them and they still don't work. Is it the idea or is it how we are executing it?

This may be a simple difference, but it is a very important distinction. Is the idea bad or am I doing it wrong? I know I often say "that won't work in my class." 

How do you ensure that you stay open minded to new ideas and give them an honest chance?

Thank you for reading.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Day 180: Out of My League

Daily Blog Challenge Day 180/365

This school year has been a whirlwind adventure full of new things.  I started teaching a new class, I became a varsity head coach and my husband I are preparing for our first child.  I feel blessed and excited by all of these changes, but I often feel that I am out of my league.  Have you ever experienced this feeling?

I have looked forward to many of these new challenges for years, but yet I find myself unsure now that the moment of opportunity is upon me.  When I was in college one of the seniors on my softball team would always say "fake it till you make it."  Seems like a pretty simple motto, but it is one I have used often since my time in college.

I think most humans are filled with some amount of hesitancy and it is normal to doubt our individual abilities. Feeling like I am out of my league is fine in my opinion as long as I do not let it prevent me from accepting new challenges.  Feeling out of my league also helps push me to learn new things and to strengthen my skills/abilities so that I can find success tackling the new obstacles.

How do you hand the feeling that you are approaching a challenge that is "out of your league"?

Thank you for reading.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Day 179: Immersion

Daily Blog Challenge Day 179/365

They say that the best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in the culture.  I believe the same should be true for any skill.  When you go to another ciuntry, your focus is not one hundred percent on learning the language, but the goal is to experience another culture.   

What if we brought this same philosophy to education? 

Instead of focusing on learning skills, we focus on the journey. We immersed our students in projects and activities that fill all of their senses.  We aligned baking, music, art and other activities to reading and math skills.  Instead of school being isolated skills, it becomes an experience. 

My fear with testing is that we are so focused on skills that we forget about the joy of learning. As an adult, I learn new things everyday and none of them occur while sitting in a desk inside a school.  Students have this same ability,  but they need to be given the opportunities and time to learn in this way. 

One of my goals this year is to make my classroom feel less like a classroom.  I want my room to be inviting and fun, more like a music store when we can learn by truly experiencing music.  I want to immerse my students in music and give them a full experience that does not just focus on skills. 

How do you immerse your students in the journey of learning? 

Thank you for reading. 

Day 179: Adult...

Daily Blog Challenge Day 179/365

At the beginning of this school year I attended CPI training for the first time.  Although the training is about how to safely restrain students, I took a lot away from the information that was shared.  Conflict often arises when a person is in an emotional state, which limits the ability to act and think rationally.  It is easy to forget that students are just kids and that they are not mini adults. Kids do not have the same tools that adults have and therefore they cannot deal with issues in the same manner. 

It is not easy, but someone needs to stay emotionally stable and help ensure that conflict is dealt with in a positive manner. This job falls on the teacher, who can model for their students proper ways to deal with challenges.  I know I struggle with this at times.  It is easy to get frustrated and not deal with issues in a positive way.  How do you make sure you stay emotionally stable during times of frustration?

Thank you for reading. 


Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Day 178: Media Class: Blog Project #1 (Technology)

Daily Blog Challenge Day 178/365

Technology Tuesday

I have been having students in my 5th grade Media Class use the blogging platform KidBlog.  I find this platform very user friendly and easy to use.  It is also safe and I can limit who sees the posts.  After a few months of KidBlog, I decided to try Blogger.  My district is a Google Apps District, so it was very easy to use this platform.  Part of my motivation to use Blogger was to give my students a platform to blog in a public space.  My hopes were that the public forum would help motivate my students to proof their work better and to increase their level of writing.  We connected with a class in Wisconsin and commented on each others posts.

I would like to do this again next year.  Writing posts and commenting took more time than I was expecting, so it was a little sporadic.  Next year I would like our comments and writing to be more frequent.

Blogger Permission Slip

How do you include blogging in your classroom?  Thank you for reading.



Sunday, February 23, 2014

Day 176: Favorite Quotes

Daily Blog Challenge 176/365

I find inspiration and motivation in quotes.  As I prepare for this softball season, I am keeping track of sayings and quotes to help motivate myself and my team.  Here is a list of my favorites, both new and old.

"As if it does not matter how a man falls, when the fall is all that is left it matters very much"

"Prepare. Love. Honor the Game" - Sue Enquist


"A goal without a plan is only a dream" -Terri Mitchell (Marquette Women's Basketball Coach)


"A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools." - Runner's World Website


"Dreams do come true and when you believe in yourself, anything is possible." -Jennifer Capriatti


"The world will tell you who you are, until you tell the world." -Freedom Writters
"You can work as hard as you can on your own dreams, or twice as hard on someone else's" Synergy Brass Quintet


"I hope I never know so much that I'm completely grown up. Not only is it less fun there, I

 think it's also harder than it has to be. Life seems to always be tough enough without our
 adding cynicism to the equation. My daughter vehemently endorses Santa; she says he's 
real if you believe him to be. And I am so with her. I like fairy dust. I like the inside jokes and practical jokes and uncontrolled laughter even when it's not entirely appropriate. And I love the possibilities that lie in a place like that."-Sherri Coale (University of Oklahoma Women's Basketball Coach.)

"You can't control what happends to you, but you can control how you respond." -Kay Yow (NC State Women's Basketball Coach)


"Escape tones are like stalkers, they creep before they leap."


"You can control two things in life: your attitude and your effort." -Coach Clark


"Come to the edge," He said. They said, "We are afraid." "Come to the edge," He said. They came. He pushed them . and they flew." ~ Guillaume Apollinaire


"Its ok to be afraid, but don't let fear stop you from doing what you want to."


"You don't need to apologize for the gifts you've been given," she says. "Only apologize for 

not using them."


Win the Day (Chip Kelly)



What are your favorite quotes?  Thank you for reading.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Day 175: Students Teaching Students

Daily Blog Challenge Day 175/365

This year I have tried to include more opportunities for my students to teach each other. I have seen many benefits to these activities: it helps students work at a pace that is best for them, it limits to opportunity to be bored and it helps students master content (there is no better test to see if you really understand something then by teaching someone else that concept or skill.

In music and media, I teach students who finish quickly how to start the next project and they help teach students who finish after them.  This helps keeping students focused and allows everyone to finish without being rushed.  I also try to "force" my students to ask at least 2 of their classmates for help before I help them.

How do you include students teaching students activities in youe classroom? Thank you for reading.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Day 174: Coaching Philosophy

Daily Blog Challenge Day 174/365

Softball start March 3rd and I am eager to begin my new position as head softball coach.  I am both nervous and excited.  There are so many things I want to do and I am worried about messing up.  I realize I will not be perfect, but I want my players to enjoy softball and there are many things I want to teach them.  I have created this philosophy as a way of focusing my behavior and decisions and making sure they are aligned with my ultimate goals as a coach.

Coaching Philosophy
  1. Primary focus on our softball program is to use the game of softball to develop its players into well-rounded young ladies.
  2. We will focus on the details.
  3. We will be respectful and play with exceptional sportsmanship.
  4. We will focus on relationships and building each other up.
  5. We will focus on the process of success.
I strongly believe that if we focus on the details and fundamentals; wins and success will come our way. 

What is your philosophy as a teacher or coach?  How do you setup parameters to make sure your actions and decisions are aligned with your goals?  Thank you for reading.


Thursday, February 20, 2014

Day 173: Talent vs Work

Daily Blog Challenge Day 173/365

One of my struggles (one of many) as a teacher is helping my students realize that blaming their talent or lack there of is the easy way out.  Talent plays a role in the success of people, but hard work plays an even bigger role.  As a coach, I will take the hard worker over the most talented everyday.

Things may not come easy and there will always be others who are more talented, but these are no excuses for not giving full effort and working hard.  I was never the best athlete in my school or the best musician, but I was able to find success by working very hard. We see the great athletes and musicians on TV, but we rarely hear about all the work they put in to get great.

How do we teach our students this?  Thanks you for reading.


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Day 172: Finding Your Dream

Daily Blog Challenge Day 172/365

This year has had it's share of struggles and challenges, but at the end of the day I am unable to think of any other profession that would give me as much joy as teaching.  I may become frustrated with the politics and the extra parts of teacher, but I love my students and I enjoy watching them grow.  I was blessed to have many great teachers throughout my educational career and I credit this to my desire to be a teacher.  My dream is to hope I can positively impact some of my students like many of my teachers did for me.  It is exciting and powerful to feel like I am living my dream (regardless of how much I may complain some days.)

Are we helping our students realize their dreams?  Do our students think about their dreams?  Learning to dream and the willingness to work towards those dreams is an important life skill.  Many kids want to be professional athletes or movie stars and these are great dreams for young children to have even if they may not be very realistic, but having a dream and sitting around is very different than having a dream and working towards it.  Schools teach our children many skills and I strong believe that one of these skills is the ability to dream and work towards those dreams.

What are your dreams?  What are you doing to achieve them?

Thank you for reading.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Day 171: LEGO Movie Music Maker (Technology Tuesday)

Daily Blog Challenge Day 171/365

Technology Tuesday


I recently discovered a new website for students to compose music.  Thank you to Eric () and Ruby () for sharing this site.  


I am not sure when I am going to use this website with my students, but it is on my list.  My third and fourth graders used Incredibox during first semester.  This program would be a great extension project for composition.


LEGO Movie Music Maker


What types of composition projects do you do with your students?  Do you use any web programs?  Thank you for reading.




Monday, February 17, 2014

Day 170: Primary Orff Activities (Material Monday)

Daily Blog Challenge Day 170/365

Material Monday

We spend a lot of time during second semester playing Orff Instruments. This year I have focused on the ability to play a bourdon and glissando in Kindergarten and First Grades. In second grade, we start playing melodies.

We started Orff Instruments by playing games where 1-2 students would get to play an instrument at a time. After a few games I felt my students could handle playing as a whole class. I started group activities by allowing them to have free play time while watching for cut offs by me.  We then started activities where one student picks a song we have sang this year and choose to add a bourdon or glissando while we sang the song.  Hearing their creativity was a lot of fun and the students enjoyed having more ownership.

What activites do you do in primary music that incoorperate Orff Instruments? Thank you for reading.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Day 169: Observation #2

Daily Blog Challenge Day 169/365

I had my second formal observation this week.  While I am a non-tenured teacher I am formally observed once a semester.  Observations make me nervous and it is not something I look forward to.  I have always received positive reviews, so I don't know why I get so worked up, but I do.  This observation took place during 5th/6th Chorus, which made me even more nervous.  I am a percussionist and choir is something I learning as fast as I can, which on many occasions does not feel fast enough.  It was not a situation I would have picked, but having this observation during Chorus was a valuable learning experience and in the end, I am glad it happened.

Knowing I was going to be observed made me really focus on my lesson plan and make sure I had things setup well.  It also made me think about new and better ways of doing things.  During this brainstorming time and conversations with the other music teacher in my district; I decided to have my students listen to the other group perform (the girls are doing one song alone and the boys are doing one song alone) and fill out a critique form.  I don't think I would have tried this if I was not being observed.  I was very impressed with what my students wrote.  We only had time for the boys to fill out the form while the girls sang, but they did a wonderful job and I think it was a great learning experience for all involved.

I am incredibly proud of my students during this lesson. Their behavior was wonderful and they sang beautifully.  We made it through the song "Africa" for the first time with only the performance track.

Even if I am doing nothing wrong, being observed is a great opportunity to push myself as a teacher and to try new things.  What lessons have you learned during or preparing for observations?  Thank you for reading.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Day 168: Is It That Bad?...

Daily Blog Challenge Day 168/365

I know after emotionally charged days it is easy to focus on the negatives and I realize that every job has positives and negatives.  This past week started off rough and it slowly got a little better towards the end of the week.  Regardless of how much I complain and whine; I LOVE my job and I truly believe I have the best job in the world.  I care about my students (as I believe the majority of teachers do) and I can't imagine a job where I did not get to see my students grow or get a ton of hugs each day (the joys of being an elementary teacher :)

In my opinion, the hardest reality as a teacher is that we create our own problems.  Maybe not individually, but teachers as a whole.  It is hard to look in the mirror and realize that my actions contribute to the behavior of my students.  At the same time, teachers can also create the solution.  In my case, I have the power to help students love or hate music.  It can be a daunting task with challenges that many outside of music fail to understand, but it is a worthy challenge and one I am need to undertake.

I need to do a better job of remembering that the good is not as good as it seems and the bad is not as bad as it seems.  It is easy to get caught up in the ups and downs of life.

How do you keep a level of clarity in your life and focus on the right things?  Thank you for reading.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Day 167: Means to the End

Daily Blog Challenge Day 167/365

~If we recorded the fans/players/coaches during a game and made parents listen to it, how many would be embarrassed?  How would they feel about the recording? ~

These are two questions I have been pondering lately.

I have been watching a lot of basketball lately.  My husband and I both coach, so we spend a lot of nights at a gym.

During many games as an assistant coach for my husband's team I have been disturbed by what I hear.  On the court are 7th and 8th grade girls playing a game, yet many are yelled at like this is the most important thing in life.  Now, don't get me wrong; I love sports and I love winning, but I believe our behavior often goes against what we really want our young people to learn.

I am disturbed by the number of compliments vs the number of corrections.  In my experience, there are not enough positives shared.  I am also saddened by how some players are heavily criticized while others rarely hear a bad word.  Players are constantly reminded of their short comings.  This also happens in classrooms when students are always reminded of what they struggle with.  We need to help them build their weaknesses, but also remind them of their strengths.

The other thing that bothers me is the behavior of some coaches.  I have realized that poor behavior is deemed acceptable as long as the team is successful.  This is teaching our students a horrible behavior!  Many students are taught at a young age that they can get by with making bad choices as long as they are successful in their sport.  Not many high school athletes make it to the professional level, so what lesson does this teach our students?  Are great employees allowed to do whatever they want just because they are great employees?

I believe all students/players have an important role and we need to build our young people up more than we tear them down.  Sports offer a great platform to help young people grow and learn life skills that will help them be successful in their future.  In the end, that should be the focus of youth sports.  The end should not justify the means.  There is no excuse for poor behavior.

I would love to hear your thoughts.  Thank you for reading.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Day 166: Valentine's Day 2014

Daily Blog Challenge Day 166/365

We have a Teach Institute Day tomorrow, so we had our Valentine's Day Party today.  My school does whole school parties a few times a year (Christmas, Halloween and Valentine's Day.)  To be honest, I was dreading today.  Roughly 200 kids doing different activities while hyped up on sugar is not exactly my idea of a good time, but it turned out to be a great day.

The thing I really liked about this party was that it allowed me a chance to talk to my students in a different setting than normal.  I was in the cafeteria where the students had a snack and were able to complete a color sheet or word search.  It was fun to be able to color with my students and see them in a non classroom setting.

What non-classroom experiences with your students do you remember and treasure?  Thank you for reading.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Day 165: Comfort Zone

Daily Blog Challenge Day 165/365

I know we all understand that growth happens when we are outside of our comfort zone.  I know this, yet I find it very hard to push myself out of my comfort zone.  Twitter helps me in many ways because it allows me to have conversations with many people and to learn, but it does not make me go meet new people (which is outside of my comfort zone.)  Being in a group of people I don't know is part of what holds me back from going to an EdCamp or other conferences for that matter.

I complain about being my own island, but in many ways I prefer it this way.  Staying in my room is sometimes easier than voicing an opinion and being "shot down" by people.  I think a fear of rejection is normal, but at times it is vital that we try to go against this fear.

How do you force yourself outside of your comfort zone?  Thank you for reading.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Day 164: Aurasma Project #1 in Music (Technology Tuesday)

Daily Blog Challenge Day 164/365

Technology Tuesday

This year I decided to incorporate the Olympics into our classroom.  We are in the middle of our Dance Unit and I found Folk Dances that come from countries that are competing in the Olympics.  In 3rd and 4th grades, they are learning the Olympic Theme.  Third Grade on Orff Instruments and Fourth Grade on Recorder.

I also had my third and fourth graders create a flag for their country.  Next week they are going to start composing (Third Grade on Orff Instruments and Fourth Grade on Recorder) their own Anthem.  This will be a great opportunity to discuss and practice many composition ideas:  theme, variation, form and style.

Once both of these projects are done, I am going to have my students create a video of them playing their Anthem.  I am going to use their flag as a trigger image for their Anthem using Aurasma.  We have Grandparent's Day and family night coming up, so this will be a great opportunity for my students to show their work.

I love the abilities of Aurasma and I am trying to find more ways to use it in my classroom.  I would love to hear how you use it in your room.

Thank you for reading.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Day 163: Chorus Critique (Material Monday)

Daily Blog Challenge Day 163/365

Material Monday

My second observation is scheduled for this coming week and it will be during 5th/6th Chorus.  We have a concert in March and we are currently working on 3 songs: Roar (Girls), Africa (whole chorus) and Hakuna Matata (Boys).  If I am working with one group, I usually give the other group a few minutes to talk quietly.  Rehearsals are during their study hall, so I know they are giving up "free time" to come sing, so I try to find a balance.

I decided to try something new this week.  I created a Critique Form for the students to fill out while they are listening to the other group practice.  My hope is that they will notice things through listening and be able to realize that they can fix some of the same concepts in their own singing.  It is a great opportunity for them to listen and reflect on what they hear.  Here is a link to the Critique Form.

Do you use any forms like this in your class?




Sunday, February 9, 2014

Day 162: Be the Change

Daily Blog Challenge Day 162/365

I was recently having a conversation with a few of my coworkers about some of my frustrations this year and how I believe there are simple things we as a staff could be doing that would help us all be better teachers.  It finally hit me, why don't I do some of the things by myself (at least the ones that I can)?  Why do I believe I need to wait until the whole staff or our administration makes changes?  During our work time (in-service) today, I made a list of all the changes that I would like to see in my building that I believe I can do now without other teachers/administration.

The work may seem up hill, but instead of complaining I want to try to do something about it.

Changes I Can Make...
  1. Students walking quietly in a straight line in the hallway.
  2. Not yelling or talking over students.
  3. Observing other teachers and learning from them.
  4. Thanking other teachers for their help and encouragement.
  5. Using more technology in my classroom.

What changes would you like to see in your building?  Are you able to do any of them by yourself?  Thank you for reading.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Day 161: Does It Matter?

Daily Blog Challenge Day 161/365

I have been in a funk lately and sadly I find myself in a similar mood a few times a year.  I try to do many creative, new and engaging things in my classroom and some days I wonder why I try at all.  Does it really matter?  Does anyone even notice or care?  It is easy to feed into the cycle of negativity and to completely forget about any positives that I may experience on a daily basis.

Tonight as my husband and I waited for our waitress, I quickly checked my e-mail.  I am glad that I did.  One of my 5th graders who I have for Media Class e-mailed me.


Hi Mrs.Wren
 I have not emailed you for a long time. I was just wondering how you are doing far this year. 
I think that the things we have done so far this year are fun like kid blog that is fun too. 


Even though I was cranky, I could not help but smile.  The work I put into gamifying my media class is having an impact (even if it is just on one student.)  We as teachers matter, even when it feels like no one cares about what we do.  Thank you EB for reminding me of this important lesson.  You may never realize, but this simple e-mail made my day.

Thank you for reading.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Day 160: Great Teachers Are...

Daily Blog Challenge Day 160/365

I have my second observation coming up soon and as I was planning for it I started wondering what my administrator is looking for.  What do they consider to be signs of a great teacher?  This reflection followed a conversation I had with a coworker about the traits of a great teacher.  I am curious to know what other teachers and administrators think and I wonder how close teachers/administrators in my district are in our thoughts of what makes a teacher great.

Great Teachers...
1.  Know their students, know their interests and communicate with them as people.  Bottom line, I have never heard or seen of a great teacher who did not have positive relationship/connection with their students.
2.  Are always willing to help their students.
3.  Listen to their students and demonstrate positive relationship skills.
4.  Show that they care about their students.
5.  Are always trying to get better.

What would be on your list?  I would love to hear your thoughts on what makes a teacher great.  Thank you for reading.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Day 159: Management Ideas

Daily Blog Challenge Day 159/365

I always struggle with feeling like a few students are monopolizing my time and energy and I feel for the students who are usually doing the right things.  The last two weeks I have been trying a few new management ideas.  Some are ideas I have read or learned about from other teachers and some are just things I tried in the middle of the problem. 

It makes me feel more confident as a teacher that I have more tools in my bag of tricks.  I don't use them everyday, but it is nice to have them at my finger tips.  Many of these I have been told about many times and now I wish I would have tried them sooner.

1.  Teach 1:1 or in a small group when kids get done with their first project {We were working on creating a flag and as students completed this project I had them come work with me on learning a recorder/Orff piece.}
2.  Pick students who are behaving correctly to work on the next project or get to do something new first.  {Groups that were sitting quietly got to play Orff instruments first. }
3.  Have a "bonus" activity for students who are showing great behavior (I had them assess themselves.) {I let the students who thought they did a great job get to do an extra Just Dance at the end of class.}
4.  Pick a group a students to demonstrate something new.  {My kindergarteners were having a hard time with a new dance, so I picked students who were not goofing around to learn it first and demonstrate for their classmates.}
5.  Remind them of the expectations (I teach when...) and remind them of the activities they will loose out on if they continue to waste time.

What management tricks do you keep in your bag of tricks?  I would love to hear about your techniques and ideas.  Thank you for reading.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Day 158: Saying vs Hearing

Daily Blog Challenge Day 158/365

I recently read a blog by Joshua Medcalf that talked about how it does not matter what you say, but it is what the other person hears that is truly important.

I know I often confuse this concept.  I will think how clear I am saying things and how my students or players should understand what I mean.  This can be an issue when dealing with all people.  I know it happens with my husband often.

We all have our own set of beliefs and it is easy to assume as coaches or teachers that our class or team is on the same page with us, but often this is not true.  Many times I think I am being clear, only to realize that my students or players are confused.  Every time we hear something, these statements are interpreted based on our individual beliefs. Therefore people with different beliefs can easily misinterpret the same message.  For example, to my husband the word maybe means that we have discussed it and it is likely going to happen.  To me, maybe is an idea.  Similar conversations happen in our schools everyday.



I can tell my students or players the same concept until I am blue in the face, but if they do not hear and understand what I am saying, I will not have good results.

Our classrooms are full of students who are full of different beliefs.  How do you make sure you are coming across clearly to all of your students?  Thank you for reading.


Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Day 157: Three Ring (Technology Tuesday)

Daily Blog Challenge Day 157/365

Technology Tuesday

I realize I am behind the times, but I just discovered Three Ring.  I have had it on my iPad for a while now, but I never used it.  I started seeing a few Tweets about how other teachers use it and it sounded like a great program.

I love Evernote to organize articles and PDFs, but I wanted to keep it separate from my student documents.  I already have a ton of notebooks in my Evernote and I was afraid that if I added students to Evernote it would be confusing.  I use Google Sites for Classroom Portfolios and Three Ring for Individual Portfolios in 3rd and 4th grade.

Three Ring allows me to upload videos to multiple students and it organizes folders by class and student.  Three Ring also has the option to share with parents.

Do you use Three Ring in your classroom?  How do you organize Individual Portfolios?  Thank you for reading.

*Update*
Last time I tried to use this program I discovered it is being update and is currently unavailable.  At this time (2016) I have started using SeeSaw instead of Three Ring.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Day 156: Folk Dance Resources (Material Monday)

Daily Blog Challenge Day 156/365

Material Monday

During January and February we do a Dance Unit.  I start with popular dances and than switch to Folk Dances in February.  This year I am aligning the dances with the Olympics.  I found dances from countries that are participating in the Olympics this year.

Website Resources
School District List of Dances
Multi Kids
Google Search

YouTube Resources
American Folk Dance: Basic Appalachian Circle Dance
Music:  A Bear with a Fiddle in the Middle of the Woods and Black-Eyed Daisy


Which Folk Dances do you teach?  Thank you for reading.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Day 155: Greatest Predictor of Future Success

Daily Blog Challenge Day 155/365

What do you believe is the greatest predictor of future success?

According to a study by Harvard, the ability to delay gratification is the greatest predictor for future success.

As a teacher and a coach, I have to say I agree with this study.  Helping students/players realize that their actions today will influence their future and that somethings are a work in progress are two of the hardest concepts to teach.  We all work incredibly hard everyday, but somedays it feels like we are not accomplishing anything.  Some goals are so big, they require many days/months/years to master.  It is hard to not feel completely accomplished after a day of hard work.

Along with this idea, is the idea of the growth mindset.  We all accomplish mini goals that will eventually lead to our ultimate goal.  Imagine the power if students/people were able to see their daily successes (no matter how small) and to accept the fact that the gratification of a big success may be days/months/years away.

Do you agree with this study?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you for reading.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Day 154: Teachers As Leaders

Daily Blog Challenge Day 154/365

I recently read an Article about the six characteristics people look for in a leader.  I take no credit for this list.  I am using it merely as a reflection tool.


  • Integrity – People need to know that the person in charge won’t take advantage of his or her position – that they won’t lie, steal, play favorites, and betray subordinates.
  • Judgment  — Most failure is the result of bad decisions that are compounded by an unwillingness to evaluate and change direction.
  • Competence — Subordinates see leaders who lack business acumen as empty suits and are unwilling to follow them.
  • Vision — Good leaders explain to their teams the significance of their missions and how it fits into the larger scheme of things. By adopting a vision, people can transcend their selfish interests and develop impersonal ends for their actions.
  • Persistence — History’s most recent example of a great leader, Nelson Mandela, spent more than 27 years in prison and emerged on the other side more determined than ever.
  • Humility — The primary function of a leader is to persuade groups of inherently selfish humans to set aside their personal agendas and work toward a common goal. Followers expect to see that sacrifice reciprocated.


  • This article was written for business, but it made me wonder about how these characteristics translate to the field of education.  Do students look for similar characteristics in their teachers and does this influence the teacher's impact?  In my opinion the answer to these questions is yes, teachers are leaders of their students.  Common complaints I have heard from students about why they don't like a teacher include: teachers playing favorites, teachers not listening and teachers who are mean.  If we surveyed students, would the most successful teachers be the ones who show traits from this list?

    I also believe this list is relevant when looking at relationships among teachers and administrators.  I would hypothesize that high respected teachers and administrators are the ones who best fit these six characteristics.  

    It is easy to place information in categories, but I truly believe most information crosses these categories.  A lot of business information can be used in other fields and vise versa.  What are your thoughts on this list of characteristics and their possible influence on the field of education?

    Thank you for reading.