• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
Teaching Tips to Try Newsletter June 28, 2009From Linda The Math Coach
 What I Did On My Summer Vacation
Part 2
This is the second of a series of six articles to get us all focused, organizedand energized for your best ever summer!
Hello Everyone. In case you missed the first of this series, I am including it at the end of this letter. Lastweek we began a process to make this summer the summer that you always dream about, but never gotaround to having.
Relax, Reflect, Recharge
This is the summer. Now is the time.Here it is Sunday. The first week is under your belt. Are you relaxed? Let’s reflect.
Review
First of all, we brainstormed all the things we wanted to do in a number of categories. Did you find that asyou brainstormed, your categories began to modify themselves? I did. For example I began to notice thatmany of the “fun” things I wanted to do included my family, spouse, and me time. So I dropped “fun” as aseparate category. I also decided to combine health with “soul nurturing”. Now I just call it “Me”.Our next step was to take our brainstorm list and plan for the week. Ok, gotta get honest now. After fillingin the first two days I started to feel pressured. This is not what I wanted. Did this happen to you? This iswhere goal setting and systematic planning begin to fail us.We get too caught up in trying to follow a system and forget to keep it simple. We forget flexibility. Weforget our original idea to USE a tool to serve OUR purpose. Hmm. This means we have the right to takethe tool and modify. Have you ever used a book to hold a door open, or the heel of your shoe to drive a nailinto the wall?
Modify!
You may find it more useful to end each day by looking over your brainstorm list. You may discover thatyou have more great ideas to add on to the list. Check off what you have done. Celebrate. Whoo hoo! If itis a daily or weekly recurring event, then just put a tally mark by it. Then fill in your planner with all thethings you want to do for the next day. Upon waking the following morning, look at your list for the dayand enjoy your morning routine.
Get It Started. Keep It Going.
If you are just starting, if you got frustrated or overwhelmed and gave up, or if you just procrastinated andare willing to start now, do it! Sometimes we start a plan that we know will benefit us, but we just can’tseem to keep up the momentum.This is a natural and understandable law of change. Learn to understand and leverage such laws. Use them
 
to your advantage.Our summer process we’ve undertaken requires establishing a habit. You can find much research aboutforming habits. Most the research tells us that it takes practice to establish a habit. I remember readingsomewhere that we have to do something 30 times to establish a habit. Well, I’m sure it varies from personto person, but the idea of repetition is the key.You must decide right here and now that any life change takes time and practice. You may falter, you mayforget, you may let other things take priority. Remember, however, keep practicing. Your faltering,forgetting, and prioritizing will subside until your habit is securely in place. Know that this is the nature of forming habits. (By the way, understanding and allowing yourself to experience this kind of habitdevelopment now will later unleash your master ability to guide your students to powerful habits of mind.)So get started, and keep it going.
Make a Commitment.
Your brainstorm list is important to you. No doubt, accomplishing even 25% of your brainstorm list would have a long lasting positive impact onyour life.Are you serious about your brainstorm list?Do you really want to stick to this plan?Are you committed to making this your best summer ever?Is this your time?
Do This:
I am inviting you to make a commitment to yourself. Take the next step and invest in yourself. Join meand others who are committed to unleashing the best within them self. We support each other, offeringinspiration and encouragement to achieve our plans.For the next six weeks we take time each day at the same time to check in and share our daily success andour plan for the next day. Wow! What a wonderful way to connect and commit to ourselves and others. Itis amazing how this measure of accountability super charges our efforts and keeps us focused!
We welcome you to join us! Here’s how:
Visit http://www.lindathemathcoach.comand click on the “Coaching Options” link. Select the first option, “Keep Informed” and click on submit.Follow the directions from there. I will then contact you with the information you’ll need to join us.Is this something new for you? Do you want to participate, but feel uncertain about joining? Give me acall. I would be happy to talk with you and answer your questions. If you decide to join us, great! If youdon’t, that’s okay too. At least you’ll know you took the time to check it out for yourself. Take that step.
Here’s my number: Linda Cordes (816) 739-7923 or toll free 877 YO LINDA
Hope to hear from you. Until then, have an excellent week!Your Coach,Linda
 
Remember toJoin Us For the Free Tele Conferences in August!
Coming Soon
Dinah Zikes
, The Queen of Foldables
Norman Webb
, The Daddy of DOK If you are a subscriber to this newsletter, you will be invited via email to these upcoming and all other conferences.If this email was forwarded to you from a fellow colleague, go to http://www.lindathemathcoach.com andsign up for the newsletter. Then, I can notify you of how to get access to these conferences.http://www.lindathemathcoach.com Last Week’s Newsletter is below:
Teaching Tips to Try Newsletter June 21, 2009From Linda The Math Coach
This is the first of a series of six articles to get us all focused, organizedand energized for the best ever summer a teacher could have!
Hello Everyone. This is my first official “week off” for summer vacation and am I lovin’ it! This is how italways starts out for me. How about you? I hope you have a few minutes because I want you to consider a few questions.1.Do your vacations fly by too quickly? You know, you’re just starting to develop a tan line andthen you hear the radio blaring about “Back to School Sale on…”2.Do you know where your summer to do list is right now?3.Do you feel pressured by all the should do’s and the stacks of Teacher Guides and Resources you brought home to “work on,” but you’re just not ready to crack them open?4.Are you thinking by now that summer vacation is just never long enough to get it all done?5.Wouldn’t you like to wake up every morning from now on feeling excited about the day ahead of you ? Would you like to meet the end of the day with the satisfaction of accomplishment?Well here’s a fresh new way to get the most out of this summer.We’re going to base our plan on the three R’s (of summer).
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...