What Makes You Happy?

One of my Sunday morning routines is getting up early before anyone else in my house, putting in my head phones to listen to Andy Stanley, drinking my favorite breakfast drink, and hiding in the laundry room while ironing mounds of clothes. I know it sounds crazy, but I kind of enjoy my quiet time.  I am able to be productive in some sense, but at the same time enjoy the simplicity of the task!  This Sunday, Andy's series title was "What Makes you Happy?"  His message was based around the fact that our happiness is based on the relationships we have with others.  Sometimes, we relate happiness to buying a new car, living in the best house or wearing the best clothes when in reality our happiest memories are based on the relationships we have with other people. He pointed out that typically when people are on their death beds they do not ask to be taken out to the parking lot to say good bye to their car!  It was a reminder of the importance of caring for all individuals, even those who have different opinions and lifestyles.

This message made me think about the importance of relationships in our schools and the impact it has on learning.  A blog written by Rebecca Alber, shares compelling evidence of happiness and its impact on learning.  A quote by Dr. David Rock says,

                  "There is a large and growing body of research which indicates that people 
                   experiencing positive emotions perceive more options when trying to solve problems,
                  solve more non-linear problems that require insight, [and they] collaborate better
                  and generally perform better overall."

So the question becomes, how do we create positive emotions for all of our students?  How do we help them to feel like they are an important part of the class or school?  How do we help each and every student find their own strengths and build on those each year in our school?  

Rebecca shares several ideas on how we can do this in our classrooms such as:
* Community Building all Year Long -  helping students understand how to express who they are, their thoughts and ideas, building relationships - making the classroom emotionally and intellectually safe 
* Design Group Guidelines Together - Allows students to feel more comfortable when working in groups
* Have Non-Negotiables - No name-calling to help create a safe environment
* Post Student Work Everywhere - Lets students know they belong in this classroom
(You can read all of the article here.)

All of these ideas help build relationships and also help teach students the 21st Century Skills of teamwork that are needed when it comes to being successful in the workplace. The human body is built to interact with others and it is our job to make sure that we are providing positive experiences for all of our students.   

Thank you to all of you who make our students feel comfortable everyday at Perry Central.  Sometimes building relationships can seem overwhelming when you think of all of the other work you are asked to do - but I can assure you that the investment of that relationship will have a positive impact on learning.   

Enjoy your Spring Break!!


School Notes: 

* Adam Dauby was recognized at the Daughters of the American Revolution Banquet on Sunday as Perry Central's DAR Winner.  Congratulations to Adam!

* ISTEP Celebration - Teachers/Staff will have a catered lunch on Thursday and students will have celebration time during 6th and 7th periods on Friday 

* Thank you to Lou Ann Backer and teachers who allowed her to visit classrooms to talk about scheduling for next year!  We have most of our course entries in the system and hope to have a Master Schedule set soon!

* Remember that grades will dump on Wednesday night at 11:59 p.m.!!  Report cards will be distributed on Friday, March 17th. 


Important Dates

Monday, March 13 - School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m. - High School Library

Thursday, March 16 - Catered Lunch and Jean Day for Faculty and Staff/ Winter Sports Banquet 6:00 p.m.

Friday, March 17 - Student ISTEP Celebration 6th and 7th periods/ Grandparent's Day in Elementary/ St. Patrick's Day!    Last Day before Spring Break!  Have a restful two weeks!

Friday, April 7 - Domain 1 and 3 due in SFS system

This week, I ran across an article on Twitter that talked about the importance of soft skills (also known as professional skills or work ethic skills) in our schools.  The article was very interesting as it talked about how soft skills have been shown to have more of an impact on graduation rates than test scores, help students have a larger chance of graduating college, provide long-term economic benefits, and decrease arrest for men.  (Click here for a copy of the article.)

I think most of us are aware of the importance of these skills and work hard to incorporate them into our classrooms everyday.  Not only are you asking students to work in groups,  provide opportunities for problem-based learning, and reporting out a soft skill score every 9 weeks, but we are also bringing these skills to light with the Governor's Work Ethic Certification and encouraging students to get involved with extra-curricular activities.  The College Success Coalition has also launched a county-wide campaign to help promote these skills with monthly themes, because they understand the importance of these skills for our students and our economy.  (This month is ATTITUDE!)

I think this article, while not life changing, was just a good reminder of why we must always be looking for opportunities to teach these skills in and out of the classroom.  One of the biggest challenges of our jobs is finding ways of providing our students with a well-rounded education; one that is not only focused on academics, but also focused on the life skills that are needed to be successful in this world.  It may require us to make some changes and step outside of our comfort zone to provide these opportunities, but they are necessary.

As a reflection for the week - what are some ways you incorporate soft skills into your curriculum?  Is there a way you can use the theme for this month, Attitude, in your March lessons?

I hope you have a great week!!


School Notes:

* Congratulations to the Varsity Boys Basketball Team on a great season!

* Career Day is this Friday, March 10th.  It is our goal for classroom assignment lists to come out on Wednesday.  Career Day will only be for students in grades 8,9 and 10 during 3rd and 4th periods.  We will do our very best not to interrupt the rest of anyone's day.  More details to follow this week.

* National Honor Society Induction is Monday, March 6th at 6:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to come and support our students.  Thank you to Stephanie and Vanessa for leading this group of young leaders.

* Reminder that Domain 1 & 3 are due April 7th.  This year, we are doing something different.  You need to resubmit your 1 & 3 this year, but after this year, they will be good for three years.  You will not need to update them every year.  Please see Jody for questions.


Important Dates:

Monday, March 6:  National Honor Society  6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 7: Commodore Pride Meeting  7:20 a.m. - Vanessa Johnson's Room (Anyone is invited to attend.)/ Purdue Trip leaving at 1:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 9: Lilly Planning Grant Meeting  9:00 a.m.

Friday, March 10:  Career Day!/ End of Testing Window for ISTEP

Monday, March 13:  School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m.

April 7th: Domain 1 and 3 Due!

ISTEP for Math/Science/Social Studies (please see shared schedule for more information)