Who I Am

When I lose my way,

And I forget my name

Remind me who I am

In the mirror all I see

Is who I don't wanna be

Remind me who I am

In the loneliest places

When I can't remember what grace is

Tell me, once again

Who I am to You, who I am to You

Tell me, lest I forget

Who I am to You, that I belong to You

To You

I'm the one You love,

I'm the one You love

That will be enough

I'm the one You love

Remind Me Who I Am: Jason Gray

I pride myself on being a learner, but sometimes I am slow. Sometimes I need to be reminded of the same thing over and over. Thankfully, it seems the truly important lessons come with frequent reminders. Since the birth of my second daughter, I have struggled with identity. It was easier with only one child to still have a life or to at least to pretend like I did. I still had time to run and coach and play music. Now my life seems to be dictated by a preschooler and a toddler. They direct my schedule.

Every once in a while I sub as the drummer in two Praise Bands at my church. One Saturday we played 'Remind Me Who I Am' by Jason Gray and it really resonated with me. The lyrics hit home. It was the first light bulb moment about how to change my situation. I struggle with who I am. I am a wife, mom, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, aunt, friend, teacher, musician, reader and runner. All of these labels are limiting. All of these labels have a season, but none of them explain who I am at the core or who I am all the time. I haven't read a book in a while, am I still a reader? I haven't run for months, am I still a reader?

The one label that I often overlook is Christian. I am a child of God. That label is all encompassing and it is true today, tomorrow and forever. It is the one constant. It is never changing.

Life is busy. Sleep is at a premium, which means me schedule is often different than I would like it to be and many things are left undone. Church usually involves sitting outside the sanctuary with one of my kids and Bible Class is usually preschool Sunday School because my daughter does not want me to leave. Time alone is fleeting so spending time reading the Bible is nonexistent.  I have been thinking for weeks that I need to refocus my identity as a Christian and focus on this fact. Out of frustration, I tweeted about lack of identity. I was blessed with many responses and great advice. Once again, I was reminded to turn to the Gospel. After weeks of reminders and thinking, I think this last one was the final push I needed.

How do you stay focused? How do you ensure the important aspects of your life are completed even when your day can be chaotic? 

Winter Olympics 2018 in Music

I incorporated the 2010 Winter Olympics into my music room by including Folk Dances from different counties. Now that the 2018 Winter Olympics are upon us, I am using ideas from that lesson plan and adjusting it to meet the current needs of my schedule and students.

While researching about the history of the Olympics, I learned that many believe that the five rings represent each continent (with North and South America being combined). I decided to align my activities to the rings. Students in Kindergarten through third grade will learn two dances or activities for each continent/ring.

Students in fourth and fifth grades are learning the Bugler's Dream (Olympic Theme Song) on Recorder and sixth, seventh and eighth graders are learning it on Piano. I found the music for Bugler's Dream on Pinterest.

I used the following website to organize these lessons. I adjusted a few of the movements to make them easier for the younger grades. A few of the countries are still a work in progress and I am still looking for activities to add.

• Arts Edge
• Beth's Notes
• Folk Dance

North and South America: Red

• La Raspa
• Basic Appalachian Circle Dance
• Music
• More information on this dance.

Australia: Green

• Kookaburra

Africa: Black

• Obwisana (Ghana)
• More information on this game.
• The Conga (still trying to find a different option)

Europe: Blue

• The Hora (Israel and Eastern Europe)
• Music 

Asia: Yellow

Winter Olympics 2018 in PE

I love the Olympics! I enjoy the history, the opportunity to watch different sports and all of the interesting story lines. I am excited to have the opportunity to incorporate the Olympics into my PE Lesson Plans. I see my students twice a week, so we are going to do Olympic themed activities for three weeks. I looked at the list of Olympic sports and picked seven that I thought I could translate to classroom activities. 

I teach K-4 Physical Education and have one section of each grade so I decided to make each grade it's own team. This way I can encourage teamwork within the class instead of splitting each grade into teams. I teach three days a week at this school. The second day I teach at this school is the second day of PE for some classes and the first for others. I assigned specific activities to specific days to help with classroom setup. Along with the activities, we will be learning a little about each sport and overall history of the Olympics.

Olympic History
-Started in 1896. Modern Olympics invented by Frenchman in 1913.
-Olympic rings are blue, red, black, green and yellow. Every country that participates has at least one of these colors in their flag. 
-The Rings symbolize the continents. They are interlocking because the Games bring athletes together from all continents. 
-(Some believe) Blue - Europe, Yellow - Asia, Black - Africa, Green - Australia and Red - America.

Day 1: Hockey

Medals will be determined by how many goals are scored. 
Fun Facts:
-Originated in Canada
-6 players on a side
-Women's hockey started in 1998.
-Russia has been dominant. 

Day 2:  Curling

Students will slide bean bags to earn points. We will set it up more like shuffle board without using poles to push the disks. I also found this idea online and I may adjust it to use some of the ideas with K-4.
Fun Facts: 
-Invented in the 16th century in Scotland and The Netherlands.
-Returned as a medal sport in 1998.

Day 3: Luge

Students will lay on their backs on two scooters. I plan to tape the handles together to help with stability. We will split the class into teams and run the even as a relay. I am going to average the times of each team to create their grade level final time. I plan to create a few obstacles for students to navigate.

Fun Facts:
-Started in Switzerland
-Hotel owners started creating Luge tracks next to their hotels for thrill seeking tourists. 
-One of the oldest winter sports.

Day 4:  Skeleton

Students will lay on their belly on two scooters. I plan to tape the handles together to help with stability. Similarly to the Luge, I will split the class into teams and we will have a relay. For this event I am going to have each team go down and back the long way in our gym. This event will be a straight course with no obstacles. 
Fun Facts: 
-Started at a Swiss resort.
-Became a mainstay event in 2002.

Day 5: Biathlon

Students will sit on their knees on one scooter and use their arms to 'ski' around the gym. I will have a course set up and at the end of course they will have to 'shoot' at targets by throwing objects at a target.

Fun Facts:
-Adapted from a Norwegian Military exercise 
-Skiing and shooting

Day 6: Figure Skating and Speed Skating

Students will stand on paper plates to skate around the gym.

Fun Facts: 
-In short track, athletes compete against each other not the clock.
-Start in Canada and the United States.

Music Classroom Wishlist

I have the opportunity to basically start a music program. During my mid year meeting with my principal I was asked to create a wish list for next school year. Although this task is exciting, I also find it to be a little overwhelming. There are so many options and choices. I am starting with a mostly blank slate, so it has been fun to dream and think about all of the possibilities. It is also a little scary because I am afraid I am going to pick the "wrong" things to purchase or focus on. 

At the beginning of this year, I had my school purchase The First Steps Curriculum and I have been very happy with that for grades Preschool through Second. Third grade is not as defined right now and Fourth through Eighth learn an instrument (bucket drums, recorder and piano).

What is on your wishlist?

My Music Program Wishlist

1. Ukuleles or Mahalo Rainbow
2. Drum Sticks with Bag
3. Orff Instruments
1. Bells
2. Alto Xylophones
3. Soprano Xylophones

I Am Late to the Party: Canva

I know I am incredibly late to the party, but I finally discovered Canva. I have used it in the past to create my classroom newsletters or posters, but I did not know about using it for social media pictures. I will be honest, I went a little Canva crazy after I realized that it was the tool many used to create pictures for their blogs. It is an easy to use tool and there are so many possibilities. 

I used it to create the cover picture for my Piano Unit. I used this same picture for the corresponding blog post. Copyright has become a huge issue with the expansion of the internet. Knowing that I am legally allowed to use these images and fonts removes a stress from the writing process for me.

I also used it create my One Word poster for 2018. I love that the program is free. There are so many options for layouts, fonts and pictures. Downloading is easy and uploading to other programs is a breeze. I used my One Word poster as my background image on Facebook. 

I have been enjoying playing around with different themes and designs for my blog. For a few weeks I was using a background image that I had created on Canva. 

How do you use Canva? There are so many possibilities and it has quickly become one of my favorite web programs. 

It's an Opportunity

One of my principals shared this video in his weekly memo. It resonated with me and made me reflect. My grandmother would always say she had to have a talk with herself when her attitude was not good. Outlook and what we say to ourselves are vital to a healthy life. 

I complain a lot. My husband is usually the one to hear my complaints: not enough sleep, the girls up a lot, stress at school, running behind, so much to do and the list goes on and on. The past two years have been stressful. With one child, I felt like we were able to keep a lot of our same routines from our pre-children days. With two children, this was no longer possible. Things had to adjust and change. New responsibilities were added and a few things had to stop being part of my routine. 

My husband has often heard me complain about being at two schools. It is not ideal for many reasons and at times I have been overwhelmed by this school year. Being a part of two districts makes things more complicated. BUT, it is also a great opportunity. I have worked in many schools during my teaching career. Working at many schools has allowed me to learn and see how many districts operate, which have given me more ideas and allowed (often forced) me to try new and different things. I have learned so much from being part of all of these schools and teaching different subjects and grades. I think my teaching would be very different if I had not had all of these experiences. I don't think I would have grown as much as a teacher. Each job has helped me get better and to grow.

Watching this video made me change my attitude and focus. Yes, I have things to complain about, but I also have many opportunities. At the end of the day, I am going to be working at two schools for the forcible future and there will be nights when my girls do not sleep. I can either look at the negatives about these events or I can find positives and look at the opportunities. I have the opportunity to create music and has a positive influence on more students while working at two schools than I would if I was only at one school. I have the opportunity to spend extra time with my girls while they are young. I get extra cuddles and get to share more experiences with them. I can't always change the event, but I can change my outlook and attitude.

What do you get to do today? What opportunities are awaiting you?

Bullet Journal 2018

Monthly Calendar

Over the course of the last two years, I kept hearing about this amazing thing called a Bullet Journal. Maybe it is FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), but I wanted to try out this new thing if it was something that could help make things easier. One thing that I struggle with is having too many calendars and having things written in too many spots. I work at two schools, had two kids and a husband. Trying to keep all of those schedules straight is not always easy. I love Google Calendar, but I also love having a paper document. 

Lesson Plan Template

I watched a few videos and learned the basics about the concept of Bullet Journals. I grabbed a spiral notebook I had laying around started with my Index. After a few months of use, the pages were tearing out and I stopped using it all together. In November I grabbed another notebook. This time a Mead Composition Notebook and created a new Index and Long Range View. It is easy for me to become overwhelmed with trying to make it 'perfect' so I am trying my best to keep it simple. I love that this one notebook has everything I need: lesson plans, schedules, school calendars, to do list, notes, reference material, budget and my workouts.

Daily Gratitude 

When I first set mine up, it was hard to know how much space I would need. I was afraid of leaving too many blank pages. I have learned a few tricks about setting up my journal and my next journal will be better. I prefer having all of my pages for a month together. Each month starts with a calendar and habit tracker/budget. The next four pages are for lesson plans. In the back of my current journal, I also have weekly pages with a weekly calendar, daily captures and daily gratitude. Next time, I will make sure all of these pages are together with one month.

Week at a Glance

I use basic pens: black and blue and a pencil. I tried using post it tabs but they kept getting caught on other things in my bag, so I glued them onto the correct page and cut off the part that was sticking out of the notebook. Having the tab on the paper still allows me to find each month or section easily.

I know there are ways to make my journal look beautiful and be completely fancy, but I don't want to get bogged down with trying to make it pretty. It can be overwhelming. I looked at a few page ideas for teachers. There are so many articles and videos about how to setup a journal and it can seem difficult. I carry this notebook in my purse at all times and it has helped me stay more organized and relieved a bit of stress because I know what is coming up and where information is located.

What are your favorite bullet journal page designs?

eLearning

One of my schools does eLearning days. The expectation is that our online activities take as long as a class period and they align with what we are currently doing in class. I teach K-8 Music and K-4 PE so I decided to create a Google Slide to post the videos and assignments. We use Bloomz to communicate with parents so I linked the Slide on there so parents could see their child's assignments.

Our K-4th grade teachers use a different program to upload assignments and our 5th-8th use Google Classroom. I did not want to have to do two sets of assignments, so I created a Google Slide with all assignments.

e-Learning 2018

Piano Unit

Made with Canva

What do you do when you discover you have access to 7 pianos/keyboards, you have 9 students in 7th grade and you have a "break" before you have to start preparing for the Spring Musical? If you are like me, you decide it is the perfect time to teach Class Piano for the first time. I may be taking on too much, but I am excited about teaching my students a lifelong instrument and I hope they enjoy it. 

I see my 7th graders for 50 minutes one time a week. We will be preparing to sing at church and some other mini projects during third quarter but our main focus will be on piano. 4th-8th graders at this school are 1:1 with iPads, so I plan to use these to my advantage. I am trying more of a flipped model with videos and activities for the students to work through at their own pace. 

I don't believe in recreating the wheel, so I am using free online resources that I found. The web and YouTube are FULL of useful resources. I don't see the point in recreating something when someone else already did the work.

I created a Google Slide for my students to work through. Eventually I may tie it to Symbaloo Lesson Plans.

Teacher Bag 2018

I finally caved and became one of "those" teachers. A teacher with a bag on wheels. After breaking a nice leather bag and almost destroying a back pack, I decided it was time for an upgrade. I have to admit I am very excited to use it. Thank you to my in-laws for the Christmas Present! It was very easy to setup and it seems durable and convenient. It has many pockets for organization. Being between two schools and having three classrooms and an office, I am excited to have another option other than carrying everything. 

What do you use to organize your school materials?

365 Days of Sharing and Learning

This past year I have struggled with feeling insignificant. Significant in education seems to be  determined by awards, degrees, speaking engagements and leadership roles. One thing I love about being a teacher is that August and January give me two chances during the same school year to restart, recharge and regroup. I am excited about the opportunity to be better 2nd semester than I was during 1st semester.

One thing I am really excited about is that I have 365 days to Learn and to Share. I get to refocus and be intentional with my actions. I know that blogging everyday is not realistic for me, but I look forward to having 365 days to learn and share with those around me.

A year is what you make it and I am on a mission to make 2018 an Intentional and amazing year!

My Mission

Over Christmas Break I saw this sign in the restroom of a KwikTrip and again at the Children's Museum in La Crosse, Wisconsin in their area that is setup like a KwikTrip Store. What a great mission statement! It really got me thinking about the Mission for my life.

Their mission is "simple" and easy to evaluate. 

My Mission

​My mission is to help people. I share ideas, reflections and information with the hope of helping others.  As the name implies, this is Wren's World.  It is my world.  My world is not limited to my classroom. I am a Christian, a wife, a mom, a reader, a runner, a coach, a musician, a daughter and a friend.  This blog will touch on issues that relate to all of these areas because all of these areas touch my life.

I did not do a great job fulfilling my mission during 2017. I am glad I have another chance to get better. 

What is the mission for your life? How do you know if you are meeting your mission?

One Word 2018

Made with Canva.

I have tried to pick "One Word" to focus my year a few times and to be honest they have not been very effective. I do well for a month or so and then I forget all about my word. Life gets busy and I forget to focus on the big picture and what I want to accomplish. In 2015 my word was Focus and in 2017 my word was Me. I have decided my word for 2018 is Intentional.

The dictionary definition:

Intentional (adj.)

1. Done on purpose, deliberately

2. By concise design of purpose

3. Performed with purpose

I have the habit of getting focused on something and letting it derail me. Usually it is how messy I think my house is or all the school work I feel I need to get done. During 2018 I want to focus on what is truly important: (my spiritual, mental and physical health), my family, my friends and my students/schools and I want to be intentional with my time and energy. I often complain about there not being enough time in a day and although I truly believe life would be easier with a 26 or 28 hour day, but I know it's not going to change. I need to be intentional with my 24 hours.

The book Chop Wood, Carry Water is a fable about being intentional during little tasks. Doing little tasks with great energy and focus. It's the routine decisions everyday that make or break our successes. Being a great mom, wife, person or teacher is not about doing one amazing act. It is about all the little decisions and actions everyday. It's about chopping wood and carrying water.

I have said many times this past year that a calendar is only helpful if I look at it. 2018 is going to be my year of focused and intentional work. I am going to follow the ALBR model that is explained in 'Own Your Future'. Act, Learn, Build, Repeat. Plan, act, learn and repeat. This requires taking the time to plan and then actually following the plan. It is process that starts with being intentional about what I am trying to accomplish.

Players to a safe and happy ending for 2017 and a wonderful beginning to 2018. 

What is your word for 2018?

Paper.lil

I don't know if paper.lil is still the "cool" thing but I started my own paper. I quickly discovered that it is an easy way to stay up to date on news in areas that I care about: education, music and physical education.

I want to share resources and information and I want to stay current in the fields that are important to me. I am striving to share more resources and tools during 2018.

Do you have a paper.lil? Do you follow any papers?

Accepting this Phase

I am in my 9th of teaching. My husband is a teacher/principal and we have two girls under the age of three.

I am not the thought leader of a building, I don't have a TpT store, I don't vlog, I don't have my masters, I have not created a hashtag or started a movement on Twitter, I haven't written a book and no one is calling me to give a keynote. I try to blog because I need to get thoughts out of my head and writing helps me reflect. If I am being honest with myself it is also because I want to feel valued, like I have something to offer.

I am a teacher. I am a parent of young kids who often don't sleep, which means I often don't sleep. As I write this, I am laying on the floor in Kiddo 1's room because she woke up and wanted me to sleep by her (she has a bed but she got a new sleeping bag for Christmas and according to a three year old, you have to use it on the floor.) My girls are more used to mommy at nighttime because daddy was busy for the last two years getting his masters and being a principal. My life is full of laundry, dishes, keeping a house organized, packing lunches and taking care of my family while also trying to be the best teacher I can for my other "kids."

2017 was a year of me coming to terms with this and to be honest I am not all the way there. As an independent person who moved to Alaska for a teaching job on my own, it is hard to accept the fact that my career and opportunities I can take have to fit around my family. It is a hard pill to swallow. My family is in the phase where I have to take on more responsibility at home so my husband can further his career. I know it is a phase but that does not make it easy.

I have two choices. I can accept this reality or I can let it upset me. I have spent most of 2017 (read all of 2017) fighting it and letting it upset me. Letting it get me angry and frustrated. One year of that is enough in my opinion. It is not good for me, my family or anyone who has to be around me. 2018 is the year that I learn to accept the facts. Right now it is my job to take care of my kids and enjoy the cuddles and laughter while they are young. This role doesn't show up on a resume but it is still important. Right now I am "just" a mom and a teacher, but I am going to stride to be the best I can at both of these responsibilities. At times, I feel like a failure for not having a more impressive job but I am slowly learning to accept it. Good thing I have 365 more days to learn.

My Calling

I am just a music teacher.

I am just a mom.

I am JUST...

What if all I ever am is a teacher?  Am I a failure if I don't become an administrator or a school leader?

I realize how lame these questions sound as I type them but they have been bothering me. What if I am not called to be anything more than a leader of my classroom (aka a teacher)?

When I was in 6th grade I wrote that I would have to loose my mind to go into education. I strongly believe that I have been called into this profession and I believe my life experiences have helped prepare me for teaching. I have to admit it hurts my ego when I hear about others being asked into higher roles. Even if administration is not something I am interested in, part of me feels like I am a failure.

I spend a lot of time and energy keeping my house organized and taking care of stuff for my kids. In the moment, it does not always seem worthwhile. My identity has become wrapped in what I do and that is a very scary place.

I am more than a clean house, a job title or my family. Being intentional about being me is the first journey on my 2018 path.

A New Path

I recently read a tweet and saw a video that have stuck with me.

The tweet: "Greatness does not come without sacrifice."

The video: How would you evaluate your teaching? How would you evaluate your family? Can both receive the top score at the same time?

There is a movement right now called Kids Deserve It. Full disclosure, I have not read the book. I'm sure it is a great book but the name rubs me the wrong way. I truly believe the authors have the best of intentions, but sometimes what I see other's write in response to the moment worries me. Yes, I agree. I think kids deserve it. I have no issues with the idea and I am really not trying to bash them. Many of the teachers seem like amazing teachers, but I do think we have to be careful about the words we use. I also believe my family and I deserve it too. If we are not careful we become martyrs and do things because it is what is "best for kids" while we neglect our own health and families.

This last year has been rough. To say I have not handled it well at times would be an understatement. Leaving a position, moving to another state, interviewing and starting two new schools in the span of 6 weeks all while trying to keep my family safe and thriving has been a challenge. It has been hard! I work at two great schools but meeting the high expectations for myself often comes at a cost. Unfortunately my family and my own health are often the victims.

January 1st offers us a fresh start. A new outlook and hopefully a refreshed mind and body as we enter the second semester in our schools. I have tried to do the One Word project and I am reusing a word I tried a few years ago, intentional. I am going to live my life intentionally. I have spent much of the last six months with my life running me and I disliked every minute of it. Nothing will change if I am not intentional. Instead of resolutions I want plans. How I am going to achieve my dreams is far more important than what I am going to achieve.

Receiving a high score on an evaluation is not worth the sacrifice to my family. I don't know all the answers but I know the path I have been on for the last 6 months is the wrong one. The stress, the sleep deprivation, the anger and the lack of focus is not worth it. There has to be a way to be successful at home and at school. 2018 is my year to be intentional about both areas of my life. My kids in my classroom, my kids at home, my husband, family and friends and myself all deserve it. Here is to 2018! Living intentionally and finding a better path. It's not one or the other. There has to be a way to be healthy, have a strong family and also be a successful teacher. During 2018 it is my mission to figure out how to do this. 

What Are Your Strengths?

What are your strengths? 

What are you good at? 

How can you help move your classroom/school/district/company forward? 

What values/ideas do you hold dear?

What do you bring to an organization/school?

Many different conversations and thoughts have led to these reflections and it is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. What do I bring to a school? What are my strengths? What am I good at? What can I do? What is my philosophy? What is my mission? I don't mean any of these questions to be interview questions. They are intended to be reflections. They are not statements to make me look good or boxes checked on LinkedIn to make me look impressive. These questions are about soul searching. If we are not intentional, we will discover we have been moving the wrong direction and working towards the wrong thing. 

Sometimes during our careers we need to simply have a job. We need to pay our bills. Other times we need to take on positions because our organization needs us to. I have had to do both of these during my career. I look forward to being in a position where I can help move something forward and I can use my strengths for the betterment of the school. 

Anyone can "babysit" kids for a class period and keep them occupied, but what are you bringing to the classroom that will positively impact your students and your school?

Book Review: The No Complaining Rule

Over Thanksgiving Break I started and finished 'No Complaining Rule' by Jon Gordon. I appreciate books I can read quickly and I love books that have a "simple" message. I know simple is not always easy to implement, but they are easier ideas to digest and hopefully I can implement them quicker.  Change is always a process. This book is set up as a fable, so I found it easier to understand the concepts Gordon is trying to teach. There was one main idea that stood out to me.

I don't like ____, BUT ______.

I found this to be the most powerful idea in the book. When we spew complaints we are venting and not sharing anything positive. The stories we tell ourselves impact how we see the world which in turns impacts how we feel. Just because we don't complain does not mean that everything in our life is going great and that we are happy all the time, but it does mean that we are telling ourselves positive stories. The "I don't like ____, BUT ______" statement let us say our complaint while framing it in a positive way. For example, "I don't like my commute, BUT I am glad I have time to listen to audio books." "I don't like that my children don't sleep through the night, BUT I appreciate the extra cuddles." This tool has been powerful when I remember to use it. These statements allow me to recognize my frustration but also say it in a more positive way. 

Book: The No Complaining Rule

Author: Jon Gordon

Main Message: Complaining creates separation and negative energy. I can still express negative thoughts, but it is about how I frame them and the words I use.

Key Points I Want to Remember: "I don't like ____, BUT ______."

Actions Steps: It takes conscious effort and intentional behavior to make change.

Positive Emails Home

How do you connect with families of your students? As a music teacher, I find it a challenge because I have a large number of students and I see them for such a short period each week. Throughout my career I have found a few tools that really helped me. It always takes me a while to figure out the school culture and what tools will work best at each school. 

I am at two new schools this year and so far I am still in survival mode. Trying to figure out how the schools work and stay on top of my classroom requirements.

1. Positive emails home are a tool that I used last year. Parents love to see how their kid is doing and to know how things are going. Often they only hear about the rough days. We live in a "no news is good news" world, but sharing positive news makes everyone's day better.
   
2. I printed post it notes with a positive message. It was easy to fill out and students could post them to their daily planner so they did not get lost.

Sending home positive notes seems like an extra step and it is, but it can do wonders for students and parents alike.