How was your week?

Do me a favor.  Look back on your week and write down the three best things about the week.  Only one must be school related.  Here are mine...

Lauren had her final class in Oshkosh (but she still has student teaching).

Two of my cousins from Connecticut made a surprise visit to see my parents.

I was able to coach a group of 8th grade girls, and they are one of my favorite teams of all time.

Why am I asking you to start this list?  I think that often we look back on a week and don't notice the good things that we've done or that we've been a part of.  I witness you doing great things every day.  Some of them are "big" things and some are "little" things.  The list you make should make you happy.  Imagine the list you'll have if you do this daily instead of weekly.  It makes me think of the quote below.

(from Inspiring Quotes)

Now go make this the best Friday of the week!

This week's family smore

I'll be adding some pictures from today a little later, but here it is for now.

Calendar

Friday, May 13th    Career Day in the AM/ District Celebration after school

Friday, May 13th-Sunday May 15th    PTO Scavenger Hunt

Tuesday, May 17th    7th and 8th grade Mega Math Meet in Madison

Wednesday, May 18th    Content meetings 7:45AM (BLT is in charge)/ PTO Culver's Night

Thursday, May 19th    5th and 6th grade Mega Math Meet in Madison

Monday, May 23rd    Student Achievement Committee 4:30PM/ School Board meeting 6PM

Tuesday, May 24th    Final Band Concert 6:30PM

Wednesday, May 25th    NJHS induction ceremony 5:30PM

Monday, May 30th    Memorial Day (No School)

Thursday, June 2nd    Celebration Day

Friday, June 3rd    Celebration Day rain date/ 4th to 5th grade transition afternoon

Monday, June 6th    8th grade Day Away/ 5th, 6th, and 7th grade Day Away from 9AM-2PM

Tuesday, June 7th    8th grade graduation

Wednesday, June 8th    Last day of school (half day)

Tweets, quotes, and blogs

(from @teachergoals on the Twitters)

"It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."

Mahatma Gandhi, lawyer, social reformer, independent movement leader

Increasing Confidence to Accelerate Competence from George Couros

(from Inspiring Quotes)

"Most of the time, everyone deserves more than one chance."

Celeste Ng, writer

(from Inspiring Quotes)

"Everything was worth looking at more closely."

Celeste Ng, writer

(from Todd Nesloney's blog)

"We are a landscape of all we have seen."

Isamu Noguchi, sculptor, designer, landscape architect

(from Inspiring Quotes)

"We are a landscape of all we have seen."

Isamu Noguchi, sculptor, designer, landscape architect

(from @teachergoals on Twitter)

We Are Teachers

I get an email from this group a few times a week and thought this was too good to keep to myself.  Check out all of these teacher giveaways.  Good luck!

Jon Gordon email (I get these almost daily, and the BEST just caught my attention.)

9 Things The Best in Business and Sports Do

I’ve been very fortunate over the last two decades to work with many of the best leaders and organizations in business, sports, healthcare and education. I’ve found that the best in these different fields implement the same principles and practices. Here are some of my findings: 1. The best know what they want. They have clarity that drives their actions. When you are on a mission with a vision you won't give up when faced with challenges. It’s essential that everyone in the organization is clear on the vision and mission and knows how they can contribute to it. 2. The best build a great culture. Culture drives expectations and beliefs. Expectation and beliefs drive behaviors. Behaviors drive habits. Habits create the future. If you want the fruit you must invest in the root. Culture is the root. Culture creates sustained success. 3. The best do ordinary things better than everyone else. Success is all about the fundamentals. Vince Lombardi once held a 4-day coaching clinic and spent 2 full days on one play: the power sweep. Opponents knew it was coming but still couldn't stop it. 4. The best are mentally stronger. Through adversity their belief is greater their circumstance. Research at Duke University shows that optimists work harder, get paid more and are more likely to succeed in business and sports. Because they believe it, they take the actions necessary to create it. 5. The best overcome their fear of failure. Everyone has fear but the best overcome it. They don’t allow it to control, limit or paralyze them from taking action. The greatest success strategy is to focus on the love of what you are doing instead of fearing the outcome. 6. The best build great relationships and teams. No once creates success alone. We all need a team to accomplish something great. The best leaders and teams utilize the 4 Cs. They communicate, connect, commit and care. 7. The best transform negativity. They allow negativity to sabotage their team and mission. One person can’t make a team but one person can break a team. Great leaders and teams feed the positive and weed the negative.

8. The best think like rookies and overcome the curse of experience. They don’t expect a bad outcome because it happened before. They don't long for the good ole days. They work hard, believe anything is possible and create the good ole days right now. They innovate, adapt and turn challenges into growth opportunities. 9. The best care more. In a world where most don’t care those who care stand out and perform better. They put more time and energy into their product, design, service, and/or craft. Joe DiMaggio said there’s always some kid seeing me for the first time. I owe him my best!

"'Til You Can't", a song by Cody Johnson

Coming back to school from my mom's appointment on Wednesday I heard this song.  There have been too many coincidences that have happened in the last 10 days, I'm thinking they were Godwinks, that make me know that I chose the right time to retire.  If you have a few minutes, please listen to this song.

I am so looking forward to being with you after school tonight.  Let's promise not to talk school but instead let's talk about our summer plans, our families, or the book you're reading.  It has been an exhausting week, both physically and mentally, and the weekend couldn't be happening at a better time.  I hope to see you at Ironwood after school, the Bucks game will be on, and the first one is on me.

Have a great weekend!

Jay

Take care of the kids.  Take care of each other.  Take care of yourself.- John Gunnell