©Angela Stockman, 2009 The Dispositions of Practice ©Communities for Learning: Leading Lasting Change®

Building Bucket Fillers on Page 3!

COACHING CONNECTION

Angela Stockman, WNY Education Associateshttp://www.angelastockman.com stockmanangela@gmail.com

OCTOBER 2009 VOL 1 ISSUE 1

New Year’s Resolutions

Welcome Back! The start of the school year always finds me more nostalgic than Juneever does. It’s hard letting go of leisurelysummer days and the time we’ve been ableto invest in our families, our hobbies, and our friends. I remember the first time I put mydaughter on a school bus—how exciting andterrifying and sad that was—in equalmeasure. Back then, I was pretty certain thatin the years that would follow, the first day of school would be easier. It never has been!However, for as hard as it can be to make thetransition back to our school year routine,there is something comforting and familiar about it as well. We miss the structure that itprovides our days, and we miss our friendsand colleagues, and we miss our studentstoo. Fortunately, I get to see

some

of myfavorite teachers in different settings duringthe summer, and I caught up with some of myown learning as well. I’m looking forward tosharing new ideas and resources with thosethat I know!The new year always invites newopportunities, new connections, and newroom for plans to become reality. One of mygoals includes expanding the ways in whichI’m able to support the work of teachers. Thisnewsletter is one simple vehicle for that! I’llbe sharing what I’m learning in this spacemonthly, and I’d like to encourage you toparticipate as well. Take a peek inside for how you can do so.Here’s to a fun and productive year of learning!

-Angela

In This Month’s Issue

In Focus:

New Year’s Resolutions

Instructional Strategies:

Creating Cooperative Learners

Books and Authors:

Have You Filled a Bucket Today?

Carol McCloud

Get Connected:

Establishing a Personal Learning Network

Connecting Kids:

Working Together 2 Make a Difference

Dispositions of Practice:

Courage and Collegiality

Cyber Spotlights:

Mike Fisher Working Together 2 Make a DifferenceAngela Maiers

©Angela Stockman, 2009 The Dispositions of Practice ©Communities for Learning: Leading Lasting Change®

Creating Courageous Writers

Helping students develop courage aswriters will enable them to select writingtopics that are more engaging for their audiences and to take risks that enablethem to grow. How can we accomplish this?

•

Work with students to define whatcourageous writing is and whatcourageous writers do

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Share models of courageous writingusing mentor texts and student work

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Develop and share rubrics thatdefine pathways for those who areeager to grow their courage

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Expect that students set goals,reflect, and assess their progress ascourageous writers

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Celebrate their accomplishments!

Collegiality: More Than Being Nice

True collegiality is about so much more thansaying hello to those you pass in the hall or taking the time to ask how someone’s weekendwas. Collegiality involves our eagerness to workwith others in collaborative ways.even thosewe may disagree with. It’s about co-planning,co-teaching, and co-learning. Collegiality haseverything to do with sharing our expertise sothat we can be of service to others, and it haseverything to do with sharing our work, so thatour colleagues may learn from it.There’s more, too. It’s not enough to listenpolitely to others and to appreciate all that theygive. Unless we are willing to invest our owntime, energy, work, and care in the relationshipswe have with others, we cannot call ourselvescollegial. We must make a contribution, and wemust initiate our own dialogue. All of thisrequires risk, discomfort, and the carefulnegotiation of relationships and behaviors.Being collegial truly requires courage.

How dowe teach this skill to students?

hat is COURAGE?

What does it mean to have courage as a learner?Even the youngest students can begin setting goalsaround this Disposition.

“Cautious, careful people, always castingabout to preserve their reputation andsocial standing, never can bring about areform. Those who are really in earnestmust be willing to be anything ornothing in the world's estimation, andpublicly and privately, in season and out,avow their sympathy with despised andpersecuted ideas and their advocates,and bear the consequences.”

Susan B. Anthony

This summer, kids and teachers in the WNY YoungWriters’ Studio made Dispositions t-shirts that helpedthem explore and embrace these important elementsof learning. See more examples at:

http://tinyurl.com/yccnw2e

Creating Cooperative Learners

Cooperative Learning fosters the development of collegiality, and it also requires students topractice courage. As the new year begins, manyteachers are beginning to establish norms andexpectations that allow for powerful CooperativeLearning sessions. The resources located on thispage can support you in your efforts to createcollaborative and collegial classroom cultures!

http://tinyurl.com/ya9y8bo

Courage, Collegiality, and IdeasMentor Text Pick of the Month:

Have You Filled a Bucket Today?

A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids

by Carol McCloud

Merrill Lundgren, otherwise known as The BucketMan, has inspired a movement aroundCOURAGE and COLLEGIALITY that teachers allover the world are eagerly supporting. Thepremise is this: each of us carries within us aninvisible bucket that stores our feelings. When our bucket is full, we are happy. When our bucket isempty, we feel sad. Bucket fillers are those whoknow how to behave in ways that create joy—filling the buckets of those around them and their own in the process.Children’s author Carol McCloud has captured thevery heart of this in her book

, Have You Filled aBucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids

. As I began reading, I quickly realized thatthis wonderful little book also serves as a greatmentor text for Ideas!There are a number of websites and resourcesavailable online for those who are interested inlearning more and sharing this concept withothers! Just follow the link below. What a fun wayto build a COURAGEOUS and COLLEGIALclassroom environment!

http://tinyurl.com/y9dk795

CYBER SPOTLIGHT:VISIT THESE EDUCATORS ONLINE

Many of you are familiar with local instructionalcoach,

Mike Fisher

. Mike has recently left theWNYRIC to pursue other adventures, but youcan keep up with him online at his blog:

http://www.digigogy.blogspot.com

Angela Maiers

is well-known for her literacyexpertise, which she shares with readers dailyright here: http://www.angelamaiers.com

I’ve recently purchase several copies of CarolMcCloud’s book, and they will be available for loan toall teachers that I work with during October coachingdays! Let me know if you would like to borrow!

Visit Mrs. Walkers FROGTASTIC Website tolearn how she is helping her fourth grade classbecome courageous bucket fillers!Lesson plans included!Photo Credit and Link to Her Site: