A Thankful Heart

According to the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkley and positivity psychology research anywhere, gratitude is a feeling that enhances an individual's mindset, strengthens relationships, and creates a positive environment. Expressing gratitude and appreciation validates the actions of others and reminds us that we are not alone in this world. We are better together.

As an instructional coach, one of my goals is to show and express gratitude to my colleagues. Working in a school and with hundreds of students can keep us busy and sometimes focused on our specific disciplines or duties. Having time to stop and witness what is happening in other departments or ends of the school is nearly impossible. Still, when the opportunity arises to express gratitude, the significance of that interaction loudly echoes.

In my role, I am fortunate enough to have time to step outside of the speech communication world for a few minutes. As I work with other teachers throughout the school, I have witnessed incredible teaching and learned more about my personal finance than I could ever have imagined! I have participated in crime scene investigations, seen station rotation in a mathematics classroom, and gone on una Búsqueda de tesoros (or a scavenger hunt) in Español. I am blessed beyond measure and am inspired by my colleagues every day. Witnessing so many actions has reminded me that I need to continue to prioritize gratitude as that feeling will promote collaboration, increase people's motivation to give to others, and will make coming to school even better.

How do we show gratitude to our colleagues when there isn't time to breathe on some days?  The answer is simple.

Post a celebratory comment on social media.

Most schools have a designated hashtag and encourage community members to use it to perpetuate noteworthy ideas, messages, and actions. To spread that attitude of gratitude - use it! Post and share inspiring lessons, students, and acts of service. When we demonstrate to our students that social media can be used to build others up, we model positive digital citizenship and encourage them to do the same. Hashtags links are wonderful ways to track awesome occurrences and people and can be used to celebrate a community even further. Web applications such as Visible Tweets and Twitterfall are great for displaying live tweets during meetings, classes, and even social gatherings. #Thanks

Share food.

Food is the way to nearly anyone's heart. Having food at a meeting automatically improves people's comfort levels but also encourages them to talk. Anytime I lead a professional development session, I bake my mother's famous white chocolate chip, chocolate chunk cookies. They have been called hockey pucks, hell cookies, and pieces of heaven all in the same sentence. My colleagues have come to anticipate their arrival at school, and while certainly scolded me for bringing them two days before Thanksgiving, I know they lifted spirits; They encouraged people to take a moment to stop and chat.  There is power in food - especially cookies baked with love. Whether it is baking cookies, sharing a formal meeting, or merely offering another person a few M&Ms sitting in a jar on a desk, sharing food shows gratitude and is a culturally-rooted tradition that invokes feelings of joy and appreciation.

Compliment often and sincerely.

Sincere and specific compliments can turn a person's day around. Even this week, I was in my head, and a colleague helped me work through my thoughts by reminding me of my strengths. She stopped her work because I needed support and provided specific examples of actions I had done and the ways I had contributed to the school. I could not have been more appreciative at that moment and grateful for her kind words. Our words matter. Using them to support and encourage others to start a chain reaction. Because of my colleague, I was able to reframe my mindset, and I worked harder to make the days of others even better. Compliments may seem insignificant, but they can be everything to a person having a tough day. Even on the best days, a specific and direct compliment that comes from the heart is a beautiful way to spread joy.

Write a quick note.

Post-its are plentiful in the education world. Walk into an office, and a pack will be accessible in an arms reach. As such, taking the time to jot down a quick thought or leave a message is a wonderful surprise for the recipient and then is often hung or displayed in some way on that person's desk. Serving as a permanent reminder that someone is grateful is a small emotional boost and encourages that person to continue to be spread greatness in the world.  While sharing compliments are powerful, notes last longer and are visible. After working with a colleague one-on-one or if I walk past a person's room and I see a lively lesson, I try to write a quick note to express appreciation and let them know that they are seen. The act of validating others is invaluable to perpetuating positivity, and the impact of walking to someone's desk to drop off a quick note not only boosts your step count but also creates a ripple of cheerfulness.

Allow yourself to stop for a moment to appreciate the greatness around you.

Slowing down and being still are incredibly difficult for me. As Newton's first law of motion states, I will not stop unless an external force (typically my family) makes me, but I have learned in the last two years that pausing to reflect and appreciate others is worthy of our time. Being present with others in conversation, whether it is school-related or not, is the most important action that we can do each day. What is in front of me deserves all of me. I am grateful for the people that have been placed in my life, and the best way I can express this notion is to make the moments I have with the people I encounter my most important priority at that time. Not only does this action end up saving time in the long run (As one can "create time" by doing something right the first time), but it also validates that person beyond measure, and really, we all simply want to be seen and heard.

I see you. I hear you.

In the toughest times, personally or professionally, it is easy to brush aside or put off showing thankfulness, but I have learned that it is in those times that expressing appreciation must be a priority. Having an attitude rooted in gratitude improves any mindset and can brighten the hardest days. I am grateful for my school family, my colleagues across my school district, and my personal learning network who continues to motivate me. Thank you for reminding me to learn more, share frequently, and give my best self in every moment that I am fortunate enough to say that I am a teacher.

Planning and Determining What to Share (First Week PD)

“Google, what's new?” I type into a new search box, hoping to uncover new features, tips, and hacks that I can share with colleagues this fall on the second day of our welcome back institute at my school. While I have been watching the #notatISTE hashtag intently and scouring the @GoogleForEdu Twitter account feed, I know that inevitably new features will be released and updates made up until (and right after) the school year begins. Educational technology evolves at a rapid pace, often too quickly to stay up-to-date. Google does an incredible job of taking feedback and making meaningful changes that help teachers and students to work more efficiently, but coping with change is difficult for anyone. When a person opens a familiar platform to see drastic visual or functional changes, those changes can lead to frustration.

Anticipating the headaches or the frustrations of my colleagues is one of my jobs classified under "other duties as assigned." Supporting 131 people who have varying needs for educational resources and tools can be a challenge as I strive to value and honor each of them. Staying current with updates and educational tech news feels daunting, and discerning what teachers need to know or might find most useful is overwhelming at first. Aside from asking Google what's new, where do I begin?

Planning my first professional learning session of the year is proving to be a challenge as I have an abundance of information to share. Determining what's essential for my colleagues to know about at the start of the school year is critical. Appreciating and recognizing that teachers are concerned with being ready for the first week needs to be at the forefront of my mind while I prepare to deliver information. Understanding one's audience is one element of public speaking that I constantly emphasize to my college and high school students every semester almost every class period (in fact I did it yesterday). As such, the tips and tricks I select to share must be practical, useful, and straightforward.

Each person I encounter has a different level of proficiency and will utilize Google Suites products to varying degrees. Instead of trying to teach to the middle, which often satisfies only a few people, I hope to provide a differentiated experience for my colleagues. One tool or another will spark a practical idea that they can use during the first week back and will encourage them to return to the presentation to explore more of what is pertinent to them when they have the time to do so. My rough outline of the presentation involves both a live, teacher-led presentation that will highlight new features and a few quick tips that any teacher can implement in his or her classroom. While several teachers may be familiar with several of the tips, a refresher is always helpful after a long summer. My level 2 tips will be alluded to but brushed past to spark curiosity and interest in future PD sessions. Also, I want to evaluate what teachers want to know more about and what will be most useful to them. Level 2 tips will be available after the initial live session. Using Pear Deck student-pace feature, teachers will be able to asynchronously explore different hacks related to specific Google Suites products that apply specifically to their classrooms. Whether it be Google Forms, Sheets, or Docs, teachers will have options to ask questions, interact, and discover new strategies and resources that will positively impact the learning experience of their students.

While I have not completed the presentation, I have a solid outline and vision for what I hope the experience to be. To make the experience interactive and more engaging, I will be using Pear Deck to encourage teachers to have a voice, share ideas, and connect with their colleagues. The teacher-led pace will be used to keep us on track and give an overview of the resources and ideas available, but I will open the student-paced mode to model how Pear Deck can be used to differentiate and also allow them to have a personalized learning experience at a time that is convenient to them.

What do the students need?

When students (and teachers) drive their learning, they will feel more invested and ready to absorb and apply the content. In spite of a solid outline, I still feel a great deal of pressure. Again, technology is changing so rapidly - what if something new is released in August that changes the functionality of one of the products I'm sharing?

I return to the idea that ultimately, effective pedagogy is not about the tech; it's about creating a quality learning environment for students and leveraging resources to create opportunities for deep and authentic learning experiences. Considering the needs of the students and tailoring the experience to the audience is critical. For me, my students need something quick they can use immediately and inspiration to bank for the next few weeks of the school year. Students starting a new semester need to be aware of how to navigate the digital environment in which they are learning and also how to communicate with their teachers and peers while engaging with the content. 

How might we help our students reach specific goals? 

Every so often, I encounter a teacher who wants to learn what's new with ed-tech or ask me if there's something fun for students to try. Of course, there is always something new to learn or try. Tools are being created, disappearing, or charging more for the use of their products all the time. ISTE standards remind us that our jobs as teachers are to create authentic learning opportunities and cultivate a culture of collaboration. Google Suites tools are especially helpful when striving to achieve this goal, but the standards do not specify tools or the paths that students take to learn. As such, a teacher should not consider which tool to use before they consider the desired outcome of their students and the skills that are being built. Ultimately, there are countless ways for students to demonstrate mastery and several low-tech or high-tech ways in which they can do it. 

How can we innovate our classroom in a meaningful manner?

Using technology for the sake of innovation is not innovation. The SAMR model outlines the process in which teachers can design a lesson to go from simply substituting something that was once done on paper to making a learning activity that is truly a redefinition of the learning experience. Teachers will craft lessons that fall in various places within this model, which is absolutely okay. Again, the question to answer is what ultimately do we want students to learn. When a clear picture of that question is defined, each teacher can begin to consider the avenue students will take to arrive at the desired destination.

Why choose one path over the other? (Do we even need to choose one way?) 

The more I explore the possibilities within ed-tech, the more I believe in personalizing the path for students. Our society used to be driven by linear paths. To achieve the American dream, a person must complete high school, go to college, get a job, own a home, etc. The Millennial generation and Gen Z truly are redefining the picture-perfect life that generations of the past valued. Paths are no longer clearly defined. Going where the path may not is now even more important than before — as such, providing students with choice and the flexibility to move at their own pace through blended and more personalized learning environments are essential concepts that we should be striving to include in our classrooms.

Imagine the possibilities.

The possibilities are endless with how we foster critical skills in our students. With more knowledge at our fingertips than ever before and a rapidly evolving educational landscape, we should stop fearing change and start pushing our students to drive their learning. As I continue to build my first professional learning experience, I know that I want to find avenues to encourage my colleagues to explore new and innovative ways to use the ed-tech tools available to enhance their students experiences a little more personal and meaningful to them this year. On to step two - building the presentation! 

Fireworks and Ringing in the New [School] Year

Cue the fireworks and fanfare. July is here, which means that the midsummer hustle to finish overflowing bucket lists and lofty summer projects is upon us, and whether we are ready to face it or not, school is beginning to encroach on our summer fun. Back to school signs are lining local store aisles and advertisements for school supplies sales are littering mailboxes everywhere.

The buzz from ISTE first ignited my back-to-school prep toward the end of June. While I was #notatISTE this year, I carefully followed my personal learning network’s reactions to the full ISTE experience and individual sessions attended. The tweets that caught most of my attention included Google Suites' continual evolution and new strategies with familiar tools that can enhance the educational experience of students in any discipline. Countless links were shared, and there are still links and resources to explore from that conference.

As I take time to catch up on sleep from this past school year, I realize that 2018-19 was full of exciting challenges and lively days of running around the school, seeking ways to support colleagues and define the new role given to me. My goal for the upcoming academic year is to continue to build upon momentum previously created and hone my craft both as an instructor and as a teacher-leader. To achieve my goals, I will devote time this summer to the preparation process. Currently working toward creating a vision and developing clear objectives for the 2019-20 school year, I hope to make the forthcoming school year the best yet. While my progress seems to be more of a cyclical process rather than a linear path, I have taken the time to outline where I am at and where I hope the coming academic year will take me. Here's where I'm at:

Step one: Reflect.

Reflection is a constant and continual process. There's always an idea to revisit or reevaluate. Removed from the 2018-19 school year for a minute now has allowed me to reflect on my experiences, both a teacher and instructional coach, more objectively. In the classroom, I taught a new course that could benefit from a little modernization and stretched my creative juices as I explored art, architecture, literature, and music. Working on updating and personalizing each class I taught, including the new course, I revamped and revitalized assignments and asked students for their feedback along the way.

Additionally, I took some risks with video and podcast projects that seemed to challenge my students to rethink writing and communication. I made personalized and blended learning experiences a priority. I also made free reading and student choice a goal, too. While not every day was a momentous curricular experience, I honed my teaching craft as I unabashedly assumed a fail-big attitude. On the go big or go home scale, I'd sooner go big. Overall, the kids learned and grew as readers, writers, and speakers making it a successful year, but there's always room for improvement.

As a new instructional coach, I've had much to learn as I embarked on a "fake it until I make it" approach most of the school year. With only a short job description that included establishing relationships and completing other duties as assigned, I began to build resources to share with colleagues, created video tutorials to spark interest in educational technology, and visited as many classes as I could to observe what's working in classrooms in my school. My goal was to illustrate to my colleagues how much they shined and how talented they are. Teachers caught #FlipGridFever and used Pear Deck to enhance discussion experiences; they participated in PD challenges, and most surprisingly, watched my weekly videos. While the inaugural year in this role appeared to be a success, I still have high goals of furthering engagement with teachers, preparing the staff and students for the adaptation of a learning management system, and helping to implement educational strategies such as personalized and blended learning seamlessly and successfully.

This past year was personally a growing year as I took a break from coaching speech to enjoy my three young children and to focus on understanding my son's unique health needs. In some ways, I slowed down to establish better work-life harmony. Personal growth is equally as important, if not more important than professional growth as our well-being is such a critical part of being in relationship with others. Serving students' academic and emotional needs every day is draining, and the best teachers (or professionals in any field) know how to put on their metaphorical airbags first. I am still working on practicing self-care but strides were made.

Step two: Research.

After creating a thorough picture of where I stand professionally and personally through the reflection process, my time has been allocated toward tapping into my PLN and seeking new strategies to incorporate into next year's playlist.

Exciting updates are happening to Google Forms, the locked quiz feature may be working more effectively, and new design templates are giving Google Slides, Docs, and Sheets an updated look. Even Google Classroom will have more updates coming this fall that include new grade book and rubric creating features. These updates seem intriguing and can assist in improving course design for both teachers and students. All of these updates are outlined in the Google for Education Help Center or social media platforms (@GoogleForEdu on Twitter is my favorite follow for GSuites updates).

Reading an educational book or two is also a great way to gain some perspective. This summer, my professional texts of choice include: Writers Read Better: 50+ Paired Lessons that Turn Writing Craft Work into Powerful Genre Reading (Nonfiction) by M. Colleen Cruz and Talk to Me: Find the Right Words to Inspire, Encourage, and Get Things Done by Kim Bearden. I also have another book in my car stash on personalized learning but haven't cracked into it yet. Whether it is a book that a colleague has recommended or has come across the interwebs, reading academic-related books can spark motivation to incorporate a new idea in the classroom or if nothing else, affirm the great things that are already happening in the classroom.

If time is a constraint, setting aside five to ten minutes to browse a social media feed dedicated to education can be a way to glean a quick insight while on the go or waiting in line at a store. Scanning headlines is a great way to learn more about current educational research in short spurts. Twitter or Google can even lead to more extended rabbit hole reading expeditions. My favorite places to browse for a quick article to read is the Edutopia website, the ASCD website, and the MindShift blog.

Following a blog or podcast can also bring inspiration, especially for people who are traveling via car a great deal this summer. My favorite education podcasts are The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast by Jennifer Gonzales and the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast because they're short and full of quick, applicable nuggets of knowledge. Both teacher-casters are passionate, engaging, and also have great blogs. Another podcast I recently discovered is The Google Teacher Tribe Podcast. I only recently started listening to this podcast, but it is rich with additional information about GSuites. There are so many podcasts available, but finding a few to listen to while in the car has provided some fresh insights into the world of educational technology, teaching, and learning. Learning can happen anywhere; With podcasts, anyone can learn on the go.

Regardless of where one chooses to gain information or through what medium, fantastic educators are sharing their insights and are incredible resources to utilize.

Step three: Anticipate the need and cast a vision.

I am still actively working on this step in the process. I have started to create a calendar outline of the school year, reflecting on what I accomplished last year. Drafting a plan is time-consuming and cannot be completed in a single sitting. As soon as I have a coherent outline, I will share it with my building leadership to gain insights and anticipate the needs for the coming school year. Since my school is a Google for Education school, supporting my colleagues with updates and acclimating them to new aesthetics will consume a great deal of my attention at the beginning of the year. Also, reviewing and publicizing some of the great tools my school has subscriptions to including EdPuzzle, Pear Deck, and Padlet is crucial. Not only is my district investing in these tools, but they are also user-friendly ways to enhance the curricular experience for students. These tools can be used in countless ways, and unless they are publicized, teachers won't use them. Aside from the tools themselves, my school is moving toward blended and personalized learning, which means that teachers need to understand what educational philosophies look like in practice. A common language and expectations should be established, which is a goal my instructional coach colleagues from across the district that we will be working on towards the end of the summer. While I still work to do in this part of the process, the reflection and research completed in June have motivated me to dig in and plan for the upcoming fall semester.

Step four: Create conversations.

Collaboration with my colleagues and administration in my building are both places to start the conversation about what this coming school year will be. Preparing for a school year does not happen overnight; it is not a task to be crossed off on a to-do list. Getting ready for another year of learning is part of a much grander process that involves continual reflection, reevaluation, and conversations. Conversations are not just local endeavors either. One of the many reasons that I love Twitter is that it has allowed me to expand my conversations to a national platform in which I can share ideas and glean inspiration from so many experienced and talented teachers. My PLN is an ever-expanding group of teachers from my building, friends that I have met along the way, and people that I may never meet face-to-face am so grateful to have encountered in both small and significant ways. The more we discuss and share our ideas, the more we can learn from each other and move the educational world forward.

While I will undoubtedly treasure the last few weeks of summer, I am eager and hopeful for the fresh start that the beginning of an academic year promises. There is much to discover and significant growth to accomplish! Bring on 2019-2020.

So you want to be an instructional coach? Now what?

Two days before the IHSA State Competition, which happens to be the most exhausting point of the school year for me, a posting crept into my email for an instructional coach in my district. This position, which was created unexpectedly, did not have an official description attached. I had two days to apply, and interviews would be the following week. Good luck! Without a concrete description, I was hesitant to apply. Like my students, I rely on boundaries and guidelines (maybe even some sort of rubric) to guide my academic choices. This role, however it would manifest, would certainly push me outside of my comfort zone, encourage me to collaborate in new ways, and challenge me to create connections outside of my small and simple world in D15 (my classroom number). 

I  am fortunate to work in a sincerely remarkable building with teachers who work each day tirelessly to provide quality instruction to our students. The staff as a whole is exceptionally student-focused and prioritizes relationships with students first, which in turn, leads to substantial academic results. In spite of countless successes, this building like so many other well-run organizations could continue to progress further. As author James Collins states in his novel on organizational leadership, Good to Great, “Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.” Even the extraordinary can be stretched and made stronger. To become even better, we must actively choose to rethink the possibilities and expand experiences for our students, and it is with these sentiments that I begin to formulate my understanding of the role.

Integrating any change – whether it be changes related to the district or building policies, technology tools (such as a functional update from Google to a creation of a new tech tool), or minor changes in student culture and climate – comes with resistance or misconceptions. As creatures of habit, we need to allow ourselves time to process and understand what change means. As the semester begins next year, I do believe that my initial obstacle will be to establish clear communication regarding what my role is and indeed what it is not. Being a tech-curious person naturally, my desire to inquire and glean an understanding of new concepts in technology, implications for my students and methodologies to use have led me to be viewed as a tech-forward person. But I will hold true to the idea that “technology” is not my strength. I have a Master’s Degree in Communication, I have coached high school speech for over a decade and have helped students earn some trophies to show for it. I value face-to-face communication dearly. I also highly value a detailed handwritten Thank You card and love having a full and boisterous classroom – even when my class is not in session. My relationships with my students come before instruction – and certainly come before using a flashy or “fun” tech tool.

In reflection with my division leader today, I concluded that success in this role is not my ability to demonstrate a certain level of proficiency with instructional technology but rather my choice to challenge myself to think outside of the metaphorical box and my willingness to fail forward. As learners, we cannot reach our full potential if we do not stumble and make mistakes along the way. I am not afraid to implement a new tool or technique that I discover even if it means appearing foolish in front of my students. I am not afraid to admit that “I simply don’t know” an answer, and when I do not know – I am stubborn enough to find the solution to how a tool works or how I can best use a strategy to achieve the desired learning result or achieve an objective.

We live in a society in which we are taught that it is not acceptable to fail. Our students feel this pressure and have attempted to process those emotions far too often this year with my students. When they experience anxiety caused by attempting to fail, they cannot reach their full potential. I ask myself, how can we stretch our students and ourselves further? How can we encourage them to wonder? How do we cultivate a love of learning that leads to life-long discovery? How do we encourage them to inquire, experiment, create, and share? How do we foster these feelings? By embracing a growth mindset and accepting our need to be mentored and coached.

So as I embark on a year of failing big, a mantra I have ingrained in my Speech Team students, what exactly is my role? How do I interpret my new half-time TOSA title?

1. My goal is to celebrate greatness. 

As mentioned, I consider myself so fortunate to bear witness to greatness every day that I walk down the halls at CG. Yesterday, my daughter was spelling her name because she attends the preschool lab here and was taught her letters. Our Family and Consumer Science department does fantastic work! Students just returned from New York, where they competed in a national business competition. Students are taking pictures of acute angles in the hallway so that they can identify the real-life application of geometry. The list of remarkable projects and activities students talk about is incredible. These lessons stem from great teachers doing great work in our classrooms. My goal is to investigate and learn how to tap into showcasing how we can encourage and share what we do well with one another beyond a fun tweet using the district or school hashtag.

2. My goal is to help teachers stretch themselves and meet/achieve goals. 

As the end of the year comes, evaluation season is upon us. One of my duties will be to help teachers to put their instructional goals into action throughout the school year – whatever they might be. Whether that be talking through ideas and lessons with them, providing resources, problem-solving, observing, modeling, or a combination of all those techniques, my job will be to provide teachers with resources that will help them grow. We can all always be reaching and improving our crafts. Our students are continually changing, society is evolving, and our goals can help us to progress our crafts beyond what we previously thought imaginable.

3. My goal is to continue to search for what is new. 

As individuals evolve, so does the world. Trends in education can often be frustrating. Fads matriculate quickly, and as time is one of the most precious commodities we have, teachers often don’t want to invest their time in topics that will trickle away quicker than they came. As such, my job will be to learn how to sift through the fodder and find what strategies, trends, lesson ideas, curriculum, and tools can be beneficial in delivering various content to students. Saving teachers time, energy, and providing them with information succinctly can make change a little more palatable, can make embracing new ideas engaging again – instead of a SIP day dread.

4. My goal is to support departments, groups, and individuals as needed. 

The need for professional development arises every school year. Different departments and areas of study will have questions, concerns, or needs, and as such, I want to be prepared to be a tool that can be used to help fill in gaps as they arise. In years past, I have collaborated with departments for literacy coaching, helped with tech tools, and shared different writing strategies. I want to continue to be that resource and support. I look forward to working with disciplines that differ from my own, too. Branching out into other worlds, particularly in the STEM field, could provide teachers with a fresh perspective and will certainly teach me a new skill or two!

5. My goal is to empathize, provide positivity, be emotional support, be a cheerleader, etc.

I strive to be a positive person. Naturally, I smile when I am joyful, content, nervous, frustrated, etc. You name the emotion, and I am most likely smiling. My job will involve cheering others on and encourage them to meet new goals. Whether it be working with a younger teacher experiencing frustration or a seasoned teacher looking for an ear to listen to an idea, I am eager to be a sounding board. I am a resource here to listen first and provide empathy as needed. Teachers are more often relational beings who seek to connect with others. On a professional level (and personal), I can give the teachers an empathetic and understanding ear, a critical eye, a curious lens, and of course, an encouraging smile.

As for the rest of my position, what is exciting is that there are still plenty of unknowns. Tasks will present themselves and challenges will arise. What I am most eager for is embracing the gray – embracing the ever-adapting definition of this position and the “other duties as assigned” category that will surely be filled with unforeseen and intriguing challenges ahead.

My goal is to continue being me and to continue to reach for greatness. I am a creator. I am an innovator (or at least I pretend to be one on various social media platforms). And I am not afraid to fail.

It's Not About The Points: Ending a Speech Season

And just like that, another 200 days of my life have passed by in a flash. The competitive speech season is a grind. Beginning in late summer and ending in the (typically) frigid months of February is tough. The hours required to produce a successful team or at least a mildly competitive are much greater than anyone outside of the speech community would ever expect. While students might practice in groups, they must perform individually. With 65 students at eight minutes a script and each student being at least double entered, it does not take long to realize that in any given practice week - that is A LOT of practice time. That total comes to 17 hours and 20 minutes a week. That sum does not take into consideration time to review notes, stop-starting performances, the inevitable prolongation and procrastination of my students, the laughter, and most important the moments that matter most - the life moments.

During practice, a speech coach does more than teach students to deliver clear and succinct messages, more than refining gestures, and more than developing nuanced emotions that convey a clear tone. Speech coaches act as parents, counselors, life coaches, mentors, and even friends. They feed (literally the amount of Wheat Thins and Cheerios I have shared is too much to count), comfort, and console. After 200 days of playing these various roles, I am emotional and physically exhausted. My creative spark has been temporarily extinguished, and I am desperate need of refueling.

This past weekend at the IHSA State Tournament I cried more than I ever have a speech related function (Except when I was two months pregnant with an awful case of a 24-hour stomach flu at Sectionals in Rochelle. Yes, that IS as terrible as it sounds).  My tears were a reaction to the culmination of a season filled with so many memories. Feelings of gratitude, joy, and relief began to rush over me. I altered between laughing and crying for quite some time. What I learned from this past weekend is to embrace the advice I preach to my students - to remember that we are not defined by a single moment. Instead, we are defined by our habits; we are defined by what we do when no one is looking and the kindness we show others. No matter what final round posters or tab sheets report, these students have crafted powerful messages, and the confidence, poise, and grace they have developed will remain with them for years to come.

How does a coach end a season filled with personal growth, medals, laughter, and memories that will last ?

1. Celebrate students.

I am always in awe of young people who elect to participate in speech. Public speaking is often avoided by students and adults alike. The workload for this activity is highly demanding, and the rewards are few, but these students resiliently strive to improve their delivery skills and messages for seven grueling months. Tournaments are long, and the subjectivity of the activity can be disheartening. These students show their mental strength, integrity, and poise. As such, they should be commended and celebrated. After high school speech is done, these students will take their skills and lessons learned and use them to impact all those they meet in the future.

2. Celebrate the work.

One performance is not the work of a single individual. Several adult coaches, peers, and the student himself or herself put in countless hours to refine a message. No matter the points earned or the final outcome of any tournament, the work and effort put into making a presentation is an important instructional process. When a student understands and values hard work, their efforts will transfer into other avenues in life. They will continue to strive to achieve high goals, which will result in exciting endeavors beyond formalized school. Again, the purpose of speech is not the medals won; the purpose is about the process.

3. Reflect.

Team dynamics must be finessed. Creating cohesion, unity, and maintaining moral is a sensitive task. Keeping team traditions alive take a great deal of planning. Reflecting on the team's growth is important to fuel the start of the next year and to determine what the focus must be based on the returning members and the mood the coaches hope to instill in the next generation of the team. To begin this year's reflection, I picked up the book Win at Losing: How Our Biggest Setbacks Can Lead to Our Greatest Gains by Sam Weinman. Competitive speech is marked with failure and criticism. Teaching students to "fail big" and embrace rejection as a valuable learning tool is what keeps students waking up at 5 AM on a Saturday and subjecting themselves to ridicule and partaking in an activity that most people fear worse than death. I hope to continue to understand how to improve camaraderie and build a strong team.

4. Rest.

To be an effective teacher, mother, wife, friend and coach - I forego my health. After months of forgetting to take a lunch to grade a few papers thus freeing my time to watch more film or waking up at 4:30 to finish lesson plans, I need to sleep... or better yet, hibernate. The time to recover and rest is essential to fuel an effective coach of any sport or activity at the end of a long season. A recent NEA article entitled "Not Getting Enough Sleep? Tired Teachers Aren't Usually the Best Teachers," has reminded me that to best serve my students and my family, I need to catch up on sleep!

5. Begin planning for next season. 

Scripting is an arduous process. Finding, cutting, and pairing students with pieces take a great deal of time. Identifying meaningful stories and messages that will engage audiences and add value to the lives of those who hear it is no simple feat. Recognizing students' strengths, taking into account students' interests and experiences, and building the right stories involves reading countless scripts, thumbing through memoirs and nonfiction texts, and watching every talk on TED's website.

How to Start a Movement...Or How I Lucked into Building a Speech Team

The CG Speech Team - 2010

So, you have how many kids on your speech team? 65!?! How do you have 65 kids on your team? This question is a common question I am asked by my colleagues and friends on the speech circuit and one that I was posed with again this past weekend. Having a large team is certainly a wonderful situation. We fill a bus (and several times - two buses), practices are lively and busy, and finding an audience to practice in front of is never a problem. A team this sizable requires A LOT of coaching time (each student needs to perform individually), organization, effort, and careful planning. To compensate for the lack of time and multiply myself, I watch film most mornings, coach every day of the school year starting in August until the end of February, and sacrifice sleep (and sometimes my sanity) to do so. While some people might initially think considerable roster numbers guarantee success and make the acquisition of a team trophy easier, having a substantial number of students means having to coach and care for said students. The "big team" paradox is at times best described by the Notorious B.I.G. when he suggested that with, "Mo' money [comes] mo' problems."

When I started coaching, a mere two students were on the Speech Team. Two. The task of growing a team seemed daunting, and my 22 year-old-self needed to figure out where to begin. First, I decided to approach the task of recruiting students by zealously and enthusiastically talking to English classes. If I show how passionate I am about a cause, some student is bound to demonstrate some interest, right? This approach did work, and we ended the year with about 15 students. With this 15 students, we competed in the group event - Performance in the Round and then later competed with the same students in Group Interpretation. These two group events created a sense of unity and allowed students to forge relationships with one another. Once relationships and bonds began to form, momentum began to build. Relationships are essential to the success of any organization or group. Friendship leads to an increased sense of commitment, a desire to support others, and accountability to furthering a cause. When my students became good friends outside of the team, I saw numbers grow, performances improve, and confidence emerge. Once that foundation had been laid in year two, I began to consider how to start increasing scores and develop talent - a topic that I want to reflect upon in more detail in a future post.

As I reflect upon the idea of "starting a movement," I am reminded of the three-minute TED Talk by Derek Sivers. In it, Sivers notes that a movement does not begin with one person, but rather it starts with the first follower. A movement truly starts when one person stands up and takes action with an instigator of change. I lucked into finding the right students who were willing to take this journey with me and forge a path for countless students in the future. Together we created traditions and students have been working to perpetuate those traditions year after year. The first students I worked with are now teachers, enrolled in graduate school, and making positive impacts on the world. They are adults finding their own paths and continuing to use their voices and their energy for good.

Lack of sleep aside, I am incredibly grateful for what the last decade has taught me regarding igniting passion in others, teaching students to be the best people they can be, and learning to cope with adversity (both personal and with my students). As I reflect, I return to the aforementioned question. How did two students become 65 students? How did the speech team momentum start? Fervor, passion, grit, or unabashed commitment to a cause? The real answer lies in a love for kids, a desire to see them grow into incredible people who will make a positive impact on this world, and a culture that celebrates hard work and loves to have fun.

I am so grateful to have watched students grow as performers and speakers, discover the ability to stand tall in the face of failure, and show vulnerability in front of a crowd of people as they share ideas and messages that they hold close to their hearts. Our words are powerful, and our connections and the relationships we build allow us to accomplish extraordinary feats.

The CG Speech Team - 2017

Promoting Productivity in a Culture of Busy

"I don't have time," "I have too much to do," or "I'm exhausted," are phrases that we hear on a daily basis. These expressions are commonplace as they are used to commiserate on how stressful life is. We live in a culture that celebrates busyness and encourages individuals to measure self-worth by the length of our to-do lists. In a teacher's world, being busy is a reality. Between lesson planning, instruction time, working one-on-one with individual students, coaching and sponsoring extracurricular activities, and simply being emotionally present to support students, we have countless responsibilities and roles to juggle. I have not even taken into account clerical tasks, meetings, professional development, or grading (How could I forget about grading?).

This school year, I have reflected on the concepts productive and busy with my Speech Team. Through much personal contemplation on the implications of these words and wanting to prevent the burnout I inevitably find myself experiencing, I decided to eradicate use the word busy to describe my life. Yes, I am a teacher, coach, mother of two beautiful baby girls, wife, friend, daughter, cousin, etc., but I no longer want to be a person who feels drained by my commitments. I love teaching and embracing everything that comes with this vocational choice, but I cannot fulfill this role to my highest ability if I allow myself to continuously feeling frazzled.

As I was writing out my coaching philosophy and focus of the season, I decided to embrace productivity and have worked to instill this in my students. The subtle differences between the words busy and productive are minuscule, but the implications of their connotative meanings can significantly impact a person's outlook on daily experiences.  Being productive implies, that while I may have many tasks to accomplish at one time, I am never too busy to stop and talk to a student having a difficult day. I am never too busy to share a file with a colleague, and I am never too busy to reach out to a parent of a student for which I have concern. When a person needs my attention, I will always make that person a priority. Productivity is a mindset that reminds us to treasure our time and make the most of the opportunities we are given. This term also implies that when we are working on a given task, we must give that task our complete attention and focus thus ensuring the best possible outcome and the highest quality work. Embracing the philosophy of productivity has allowed me to witness significant growth in my Speech students, my family, and myself. Here's what I have learned from a season of productivity:

1. Productive people are more positive. 

The word busy causes me a great deal of anxiety. The notion of being busy leaves me feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and consumed by stress. Productivity, on the other hand, promotes positivity. With a productive attitude, I am more effective, efficient, and happier. The joy I experience with a productive attitude is also contagious. When I am cheerfully working, my students are more likely to find practice beneficial and want to increase their commitment. We laugh more, enjoy each other's company, and thus, we want to devote more of our time to the aforementioned practice. Our attitudes determine how we respond to and perceive challenging responsibilities. A person's attitude is his choice, and choosing to be busy often results in products that are less than our best. As Harvard psychologist Shawn Achor states in his 2011 TED talk, "It's not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens through which [our brains] view the world." When my students (who are often involved in too many activities and advanced classes to count) think about how busy they are or how many expectations are placed upon them, I see them shut down. When I see them optimistically accepting the tasks before them, I see powerful, positive growth occur.

2. Productive people are more focused. 

Worrying about what has to be done on a given day can consume valuable time and energy. The feeling of busyness thus reduces our ability to focus on the work that is right in front of us. In a culture of busy, I find that my students are so worried about their next math test, musical practice, or game that the time they are spending with me becomes less focused. The work that needs to be accomplished in a given moment is incomplete or unsuccessful. Inspired by the book Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg, I knew at the beginning of the Speech season that I wanted to find a way to maximize my students' practice time; I wanted my students to work smarter not harder. Being more focused and committed during the actual practice time has actually increased the quality of my students' performances while reducing the time they spend working. Encouraging students to be productive or more efficient and focused has increased their performance results and also their overall happiness.

3. Productive people are more reflective and actively work toward achieving goals.

Productive people make the most of their time. To ensure that practice is beneficial and my performers are making the greatest progress possible in their performances, students need to self-reflect. As a coach, one of my first question to my students is "what your goal today?" I also want to know what their goals are for the week and outside of Speech. If students want to witness success on my team, I firmly believe that they need to know what they're working toward both in Speech and in life. Reflecting and goal setting is not a new concept - especially at the beginning of a new year. As stated in Jim Collin's Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't, setting lofty long-term goals and small, attainable daily goals can lead individuals and the organization to which they belong to thrive.

In addition to talking about and setting both short term and larger goals, productive people write down their goals. According to NPR education writer, Anya Kamenetz, writing about life goals, dreams, and happiness not only make students more productive, but it also can increase achievement in significant ways. Productive people are actively reflecting on their performance and working toward goals. They know what they need to improve upon and are continually assessing if they are accomplishing their objectives.

4. Productive people have strong relationships.   

When students feel safe and happy to be in their environment, they are more motivated and willing to work harder. When they work harder, they are more likely to perform better. This is true in the classroom and extracurricular activities. Relationships are fundamental to the success of any team or group. Building strong relationships allow individuals to achieve their long term goals under the support, guidance, and encouragement of their peers. Interpersonal relationships increase our commitment to an organization because people feel connected. In the book The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, author Chris Bailey addresses the psychological effect positive relationships have on our brains. Strong connections to others stimulate our prefrontal cortexes, which ultimately increases our ability to concentrate and allows us to avoid autopilot. Strong relationships encourage us to not only be more productive as individuals but also be more productive as a collective group.

5. Promoting a productive attitude among a group encourages people to hold each other accountable and leads to group success. 

Along with building stronger relationships, people who embrace productivity learn to hold each other accountable. Having conversations about productive attitudes verses busy attitudes have encouraged my students to support one another in a quest to make the most of each practice and each moment. We all experience stress and have days that are a little more hectic than others. When a group of people strives to embrace productive, they can lend a listening ear to others when stress becomes too much. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, my students learn to support one another and remind each other how to prioritize, plan, and work to make the most of any situation. All of us need comfort and encouragement from time to time. Realizing this need as a collective whole allows my team to pick up their friends as needed and increased productivity as a whole.

At the onset of a new year, I hope to continue to embrace productivity in a culture that tells me that my value is only measured in how "busy" people perceive me to be. While I do move a mile a minute, I hope to remember that I am never too busy to make time for the people and relationships that matter.  Instead of succumbing to the culture of busy, I hope always to remember that I can make the most of each moment I am given. I cannot create more time in a day, but I can promote meaningful uses of the opportunities I encounter. Here's to a fantastic and productive 2017.

References:

• Achor, Shawn. “The Happy Secret to Better Work.” TEDxBloomington, Bloomington, TED.
• Bailey, Chris. The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy Better. New York, Crown Business, 2016.
• Collins, James C. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap ... and Others Don't. New York, NY, HarperBusiness, 2001.
• Duhigg, Charles. Smarter Faster Better: the Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business. New York, Random House, 2016.
• Kamenetz, Anya. “The Writing Assignment That Changes Lives.” NPREd, 10 July 2015.

Completing the Puzzle: Team Building/ / Ice Breaker Game

A puzzle is a problem to be solved. It is a literal act of collaboration as several components (or pieces) work together to create a larger picture. Using this metaphor as inspiration, we tried a new team building activity during this past speech camp. This activity was one that I was looking forward to because it would challenge students to negotiate and "play fair." Watching the event unfold and reflecting with students after the activity was complete, I can say that compromising, collaborating, and being considerate of others are key attributes of a successful team. Just as a puzzle is comprised of several pieces that work together to create a greater picture, a team must complement each other and unite to find success. 

This game would be a great ice breaker for a classroom or a team building challenge. Taking only 20 minutes, I was surprised and pleased with the experience and the outcomes of the puzzle challenge. While I completed this activity with high school students, it could easily be adapted for younger children through adults. 

The Setup: 

With five teams of 10 students, my assistant and I took five Marvel themed puzzles (48 Pieces), labeled them one through five, and removed six individual pieces from each puzzle. We attempted to select pieces that looked most like others in hopes of making it equally challenging for all teams. Then we placed one piece from each of the puzzles into a bag labeled with the corresponding number. This piece would need to be earned by solving a riddle. The other five pieces were placed into one giant bag from which students would pick pieces. Perhaps they would be lucky and select their pieces or perhaps they would receive pieces from players that they would later have to barter with to find all of the pieces that belonged to them. 
The Game: 

Each team selected a puzzle at random. (Little did I know, but I had dropped one piece from one of the puzzles. Technically one team would not be able to win this challenge, no matter how swiftly they moved or wisely they negotiated). Then they received five pieces at random. After attempting to complete their puzzles, they evaluated what was needed to finish their puzzles. The first group to complete their puzzle would win the game. The game moved quickly. Students raced to assemble their puzzles and deliberated about what was missing. Making plans and communicating as small groups were essential for their ability to break apart tasks and to mingle with the other groups. Time was certainly limited, and they needed to effectively communicate as they exchanged information and pieces with the other 40 speech team members. Overall, the game required much less time than I thought. Students did not withhold as much information from each as I had anticipated. Goal-oriented and determined, these students seemed to focus on task one - completing their puzzles without worrying as much about the progress of other teams.

The Implications: 

In terms of strategizing, teams often divided into smaller factions - seeking specific pieces each. They realized that giving away a piece necessitated a reciprocal exchange. They needed to use the pieces of others to trade for their own pieces. Also, students realized that they need to be careful with what they revealed to others. Showing all of their spare pieces could put them at risk for not being able to trade with others. While many resorted to cunningness and a little bit of "thievery" to complete this task, students also realized that they needed to work together to find mutual success. This activity was designed to challenge students to communicate under pressure. Students need to determine how to finish a task while using problem-solving strategies. Watching students share ideas and brainstorm with their small groups, interact with their competition in the larger group, and find success was not only fun but also paved the way for strong connections for the season. While my fellow coaches and I were hoping that a "piece summit" would emerge in the midst of the hustle to fill in the final holes in each team's puzzle, I am proud to say that students approach this activity with fervor and a great sense of humor. Poking fun at one another while trying to complete a task can create lasting memories and even inspire a little collaboration from time to time.

Lessons from Speech Camp

Another week of Speech Camp has swiftly passed. The first full week of August (the CG annual Speech Camp) is filled with excitement, the promise of another great season, and organized chaos. Every year, I end the week weary from an exhausting yet fulfilling experience and also encouraged, excited, and ready for another fantastic year teaching great kids.

Leading up to the start of camp, I am often filled with trepidation and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. It is natural to approach the unknown with apprehension. Even now as a seasoned veteran, the idea of gearing up for another year seems a little daunting. Preparing, planning, and creating a positive environment for 49 young and spirited high school students, takes a significant amount of energy and creativity. Honing public speaking and leadership skills is not an easy feat. Communicating with others requires individuals to be vulnerable, open, and confident, which are not the most natural characteristics for teenagers to embody, but what is so rewarding is watching students discover how to cultivate these skills, which will help them well beyond the coming speech season. This year, the week went so quickly, and we were so happy with the results.

Every year, I leave camp grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this community. Working with this group of students and adults teaches me a great deal about teamwork, collaboration, and becoming the best versions of ourselves. While there is so much to unpack from this week (a few team building games that yielded some impressive results, a few more lessons in public speaking, leadership growth, etc.), I have a few takeaways that I will carry with me into the 2016-2017 school year.

1. Organization is a time-saver, expectation setter, and can create more time for fun. 

I am obsessed with Google, Google Drive, and all things digital. Being a Google school for nearly four years, I have spent time reorganizing my Speech Team files. My naming convention is six layers deep (folder by event, word count, title, gender (if applicable), year used, name of student used), and it is my hope that this naming convention will help future head coaches to utilize years of files created to help our students access the best material available. With great material comes the opportunity to learn about important issues, grow as performers, and have chances to break into finals. Yes, going back and organizing files has taken time, but it has also allowed me to reflect on my practices, remember the good, and will allow me to save time for someone else in the future.

In addition to organizing files, I also spent time planning and linked team building activities, videos, and resources into a Google Sheet. Scheduled by the day, hour, and beyond helped us to be present, at the moment, know what goals we had for students each day, and also gave us options to change activities to meet the needs of our students. I used the sheet from last year to help me create this year's sheet. Next year, coaches will have this sheet to use as a template and resource to plan significant and meaningful experiences for future students. When we can spend less time inventing the wheel from scratch, we can focus on fun, too.

2.  Set high standards. 

We work hard, and we play hard on the speech team. It is a place to bond with friends and be oneself, but it is also a place to develop skills and grow academically. Students really do rise to meet challenges. I am so grateful to students who are open to learning and laughing at the same time. When we presented students with challenges and tasks, they were happy to fulfill them. They did not back down or question what was being asked of them. Led by our amazing seniors who served as excellent examples for our new students, the group actively participated, learned, and worked to be successful. Whether students were completing relay races, writing scripts, or creating videos, they did so with great effort and utilized their skills.

3. Be willing to fail big.

Failure is such a taboo topic, especially in education. We often approach education with the notion that no child will be left behind for a myriad of reasons, but on occasion leaving a few behind is the right motivation to complete a task, learn a lesson, or sparks a conversation that can lead to significant realizations. Failure is a powerful learning tool. During improvisational games, students are asked to jump into scenes, make up stories on the spot, and are told never to say "no." At times, this yields some silly and ridiculous results. There is always a solution to the scenes that do not go the way we anticipate them to go. What we learn from these moments would never occur if we feared and avoided failing on occasion. It is okay to make mistakes - as long as we grow from them and solve whatever problem or situation we encounter.

4. Trust others. 

We can learn so much from each other. Trust in one another, in the process, and in the idea that any situation can be a learning experience is crucial in communicative situations and academics. When we support each other, we can take more substantial risks, we can embrace failures, we can recognize and celebrate the best in others, and we can discover more about ourselves in the process. Establishing trust creates that positive environment which is necessary for any team to find success. I am so grateful for the students, parents, and colleagues that trust in the team and trust in the process to commit to the week and commit to growing as speakers, performers, and people. Teamwork relies on trust!

5. "Yes, and..." has a powerful impact on group dynamics.

"Yes, and..." is a fundamental rule of improvisation. When completing an improv scene, all parties involved should always say "yes" and add additional ideas to the scene to keep it moving. It is a method used to support performers and provide a positive outcome.

The idea of saying no is not one that is easy for me. The world often encourages individuals to take on less responsibility as to not overwhelm oneself or do too much. At the same time, saying yes can lead to amazing opportunities and experiences that one might never think to approach. While we should find work-life balance and not take on more than we can complete, it is okay to say yes and embrace the beauty of what can come. (Shonda Rhimes has an amazing TED Talk on saying YES! For parents and anyone who works a great deal, it is a great message!

Speech Camp 2.0: The Power of Social Media

This week, I'm in full fledged speech team mode, running around a high school with a team that has grown so much since I started five years ago.  At the start of every August for the past five years, I have had the joy of hosting Speech Camp - a week long camp with the goal of setting the tone for a very long, yet rewarding Speech Team season. With a crew of incredible individuals, I've worked with 20-ish to now 45 kids, taught them about speech team events, developed team/leadership skills, and challenged them to find their voices through a variety of highly interactive activities.  Every year I seek ways to take the camp to the next level, challenge students further, and facilitate experiences that will remain lasting memories in the minds of the kids I encounter.  This year, my goals have remained the same, yet my inspiration to captivate 21st century students ignited ideas that have taken this camp even further than the cinder-block walls of the high school.

What I am coming to understand about technology is really the capabilities it has to connect us all.  Students love their smart phones, and they love being able to "share" their experiences.  So far, this week students have encountered many team building activities and challenges, focused their attention on listening and improvisation, and today they will encounter their first Genius Hour.  The question I've been asking myself through all this is: how do we keep the conversation and momentum going throughout the week in fun, yet meaningful ways? How do we create excitement to learn?

The natural platform to allow students to extend and "share" their experiences is Social Media.  They're already using it to share and interact, but if they are prompted and given a purpose to use it, Social Media can become more than just an outlet for "Truth Is" posts and "selfies".

On Monday, during my welcome to Speech Camp pep talk, we talked about making "good choices", digital citizenship, and the permanence of the internet. We talked about the fact that I had all intentions of sharing what they posted on the back-channel with their parents and with other teachers.  They have shared goals, wrote six-word memoirs, cheered on their teams, added pictures, and posted about the fun they were having via the #CGSpeech.  The conversation has been active on the Facebook, Twitter, and Today's Meet channels.  They're getting involved and making it count.

Unprompted, students have even used their Google Drives to craft their scripts for their student-written performance scenes and they've used the CG Speech Facebook to post reminders to use their Google Accounts to collaborate even further.  They are seeing the advantages of web tools/social media and the interconnected lives they are leading, and they are using its power for good!

Developing Student Leaders

A major focus of Speech Camp week is leadership. Teaching students to be leaders not only impacts their self-esteem and confidence, but it also greatly impacts their ability to learn.  With more confidence, students are more likely to participate and engage in classroom activities.  Students learn to be observers of the information and people around them and learn to interact more effectively with others.  Leadership instills strong communication skills.  By developing students as leaders, we give them the tools they need to succeed outside of the school walls.

During the week, I asked students to engage in a variety of problem-solving and group activities which encouraged them to be active, critical thinkers, and listeners.  They needs to work together to develop strategies and rely on each others strengths.  The more students collaborated, the more meaningful the activities became.

To start the camp, I give the entire group (36 high school students) three small boards.  They need to determine how to Cross the Acid River in a timely manner using only three small boards.   The objective is to get students to work together to get from one side of the river to the next.  Several students were then given handy caps (a few could not see, a few could not talk, and one could not walk). Once students determined how to use the boards, they then stayed active by encouraging each side to work quickly and effectively.  Students loved this challenge, and then debriefed afterward about what type of group member they were (active or passive) and how they contributed to the success of the team.

Blob Tag was another great game that asked students to think critically, collaborate, and create a strategic plan. Playing this game indoors (in the school library), with many obstacles created another layer of challenges.  Students had fun both being part of the blob and avoiding it.

Toxic Waste was another challenging activity that required careful planning and physical skill. Students were asked to remove a small water bottle from the center of a ten foot circle using only rope and other supplies that were meant to distract students from the task.  They needed to work carefully together, communicate with one another to remove the item and deliver it to a safe zone, about 30 feet away.

These three activities, paired with a variety of improv games, acting warm-ups, a scavenger hunt, and concentration activities were just some of the ways that we taught students that being an active group member, listening and sharing ideas, supporting one another, and saying "yes" can help improve their own individual success.  Part of being a leader also means knowing when to take a step back and let others shine.  This week really re-emphasized the importance of teaching students to be leaders in my mind.  Team work and communication skills are essential to success.  I am grateful for the opportunity to help students realize their potential, find success, and make meaningful and fun memories in the process.

There are many places that I got a lot of games and ideas from but here are some comprehensive resources that do a nice job covering leadership activities:

• http://www.leadershape.org/home.aspx
• http://www.leadership-with-you.com/
• http://improvencyclopedia.org/games/index.html
• http://www.amazon.com/Book-Team-Motivating-Games-Spirit-Building-Problem-Solving/dp/0071629629/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_cp_3
• http://www.amazon.com/Book-Team-Building-Games-Trust-Building/dp/0070465134/ref=pd_sim_b_4