A Whole Lot More COVID

Y'all.

My entire month consisted of one of these things:
- Talking with staff (Love this)
- Preparing for, participating in, or facilitating meetings (Mixed bag of emotions on this)
- Entertaining my tiny clone (Another mixed bag of emotions)
- Researching operational best-practice in times of COVID (Don't love this, but definitely an important task)

When I think of returning to work in July, I feel a sense of apprehension. Why am I telling you this? Because I want to make it very clear how seriously YESS takes everybody's health. I've watched countless webinars, read even more articles, and have basically memorized OSHA's document on preparing work places for a return to the office. Here is what I'm considering at this point in time (this is subject to change)...

- We limit the number of YESS staff to under 10 per day - This means we'll likely rotate between teams (MS on one day, HS on the next)
- Social distancing (at least six feet between people) will be enforced - We will utilize all available space
- We will require masks to be worn while in the office
- Hand washing will be highly encouraged
- I'm waiting to see what the circumstances are before making a decision on whether or not the kitchen will be available for use
- We are not planning to take employees' temperatures, but will have a strict illness policy

Of course, we're also considering continuing to work from home during our office period. This will, however, require much more time on Zoom.

This image is missing face masks, but this is kind of what
our July trainings will look like

In short, we're weighing options and continuing to take this incredibly seriously.

COVID-19 Adventure Time!

I know many of you have gotten to hear me wax poetic about the challenges and opportunities of our
lives right now.

There are three questions I read somewhere and they go something like this:
1. What has COVID taken from you?
2. What has COVID given you?
3. How will you move through this time with grace (ok, I forgot the last one but this is close)

For me, personally, I've lost playground accessibility. I'm dying for time in those precious, wild mountain spaces. I miss having the freedom to tap into my inner 90s girl and wander aimlessly around shopping malls. I crave the ability to go somewhere without my small clone following me.

From Jennifer Lusk -
Psychotherapist & Energy Intuitive

But, you know what? COVID has given me so much. I'm beyond lucky to have stable employment (Jeff, too). I'm saving hundreds of dollars in gas each month. Cosmic Kids Yoga is a lifesaver. I will walk out of this experience with tools and skills to do my job more efficiently. Heck, I'm able to talk to you all now!

Like I said yesterday, I tend to get really anxious when my home is out of whack. You can imagine what our living space looks like with three people, two dogs, and one cat roaming around. Oh, and it's shedding season and I'm a person who buys cream colored rugs. So, how will I move through this time with grace? It's hard. So hard. I can commit to practicing mindfulness each and every day. I have rediscovered a love for Clara Schumann and Philip Glass, two composers that calm my nerves and allow me to drown out the sound of whatever is going on in the background. I'm connecting with the lunch crowd each day. I've gotten access to Turner Classic Movies and am sharing classic films with Katie a couple times each week. I'm spending evenings advocating for stronger protections for frontline workers, petitioning for renter supports, and writing letters regarding saving our USPS.

For now, take time to ask yourselves these three questions. Do it daily for a week, if possible. You may be surprised by how much we all stand to gain.

I've seen this shared widely on social media.
I got this particular image from the FB Group called
Ditch the Drama.

On an unrelated note, here are some resources I've collected:

This is a mindfulness thing kids can do outside -
Thank you to Bluff Lake Nature Center (blufflake.org)

Transitioning into a work from home role is TOUGH, especially on such short notice. Check out this article if you're having a hard time with leaving work at "work."

Are you wondering if students actually *see* the things you're adding to Google Classrooms? Try this.

Need a quick mindfulness/breathing activity? Here is a cool one.

This last article is a list of resources and techniques for engaging youth during this time. Generally, Cult of Pedagogy is an excellent resource for those of us who want to refine our practice.

This just keeps cracking me up. I can't even help myself.

Conferencing and Classrooms and Resources, Oh My!

Over the last month or so, I had the great opportunity to attend the National Mentoring Summit in Washington, DC, meet up with most of you for catch-ups, and collect loads of fun new resources for your classrooms!

DC was great - The weather was mostly cooperative, especially on Capitol Hill Day. During this day, I joined a slew of mentoring advocates from Colorado to meet with our Congressional Representatives. It was really cool to feel a part of the political process and to hype our work here at YESS. We met mostly with interns (it was during the impeachment, so everyone was extra busy) and they were rapt as high school scholars and others shared their stories. We asked specifically for an increase in the amount of money dedicated to various mentoring programs from  $90M to $120M in the upcoming fiscal year.

The main reason I attended the conference was to co-present with two brilliant women from Aurora Youth Options. Our presentation was about how intersectionality affects mentoring matches and how to train mentors and support all matches. It was highly successful and I'm proud of the work we put into this project.

While there, I learned that Derek would be leaving us, so Jamie, Hannah and I embarked on the work of finding our newest team mate. I went back into the classroom, in the meantime. The kids were (naturally) confused, even though Derek did his part in preparing them and I'm so very glad to have Jessica on the team now. She and I co-taught for several days and she's really off to the races!

Ok, here's the good stuff. RESOURCES!

Here's a fabulous TED Talk about trauma and how teachers can support kids who experience it.

This article, Five Best Practices Teachers can Learn from Dungeon Masters, is great too! The best teachers are story tellers and it seems there are some real parallels!

Ok, this one is the one I cannot get off Facebook, but I think it's only a problem if you don't have an account. It's an AMAZING source for Black History resources. If you can't access it, be sure to let me know.

There's an saying that goes, "Teaching is less about having the right answers and more about asking the right questions." Many of you are practicing asking deep questions and this article is perfect for that. I recommend incorporating one at a time over the course of a couple of months. Pick your favorite question and work it into your practice for two weeks (or so), then add a second one for a couple weeks, and so on. If you would like further support in questioning, please reach out.

The last one is just a quick video to encourage self reflection. When we work in such stressful environments (juggling kids, phone calls, meetings, lesson plans, you know...) it's tough to take time for self reflection but it's vital for our growth. Here are some questions that are quick to answer and very handy, especially when our Hot Buttons have been pushed. Side note: I couldn't get this off Facebook either, so I hope the link works.

Have a lovely month. Thank you for reading!

Classroom Time!

Just like old times: I'm sitting in a classroom and writing during my plan period. It's been really fun being in a school, making lame jokes (every kids' favorite) and practicing all the fine points of teaching. Of course, it's also been challenging since the school is doing ACCESS testing this month and the schedule has electives conducting 90 minute classes each day.

Here are some fun things to try if you, too, are in need of a low-stress way to engage students and/or offer brain breaks:

- Black Magic - This is an old summer camp game that blows the kids' minds. I've never done it with kids older than 8th grade. First, send one student out of the room. Next, give the rest of the kids the task of picking one specific item in the classroom. While the class is selecting, you go into the hallway to share the "magic." Instruct your magical student that when they come in, you'll point to a series of objects. They say "no" until they hear the black item, which is the cue for them to say "yes" on the next one. Before bringing the magical child in, make sure you go back and have the class tell you exactly what they picked so you can set up the trick. Example:
     Teacher (talking to whole class): Ok, what did you pick?
     Random Student (points at orange marker)
     Teacher: Cool. So everyone understands this is the item?
                   (point or hold it up)
                   Great! Someone go and open the door.
     Magical Kid walks in
     Teacher: Is it the blue carpet?
     Kid: No
     Teacher: Is it the red ball?
     Kid: No
     Teacher: Is it the black stapler?
     Kid: No
     Teacher: Is it the orange marker?
     Kid: Yes!
     Everyone: WHOOOAAAAHHHH!

- Dollar Bill Mania - In all my years of teaching, this is the one game with a 100% success rate. I've never had a kid complain about playing this one. Well, maybe there was one... Again, I've never played with a group older than 8th grade, but I think this one will work with high schoolers. As an aside, these instructions might not make a whole lot of sense if you just read them, so feel free to inquire if you're interested in trying it out.

You set up by 1. Printing off a bunch of fake dollar bills (search "Dollar Money Sheet" in Box); 2. Cutting them all out; 3. Finding/purchasing enough dice for each person in your class. The kids will 1. Receive 10 fake dollars and 1 die; 2. Challenge as many people as possible to Rock Paper Scissors (aka RPS) or a dice roll; 3. Try to win money. If they win RPS or roll a higher number on the dice roll, they receive $1 from their partner. The rules are simple: 1. Be honest (no withholding money); 2. Be trustworthy (no stealing); 3. Meet new people (don't stalk your friends). The game goes for as long as you wish and you can award a prize to the person with the most cash at the end, if you choose.

- Dots - My dad taught me how to play this as a kid and I used it extensively with my students. It's a perfect small group, sit down game. First, print out the necessary page (search "Dots Game Printable" in Box). Distribute the page to a group of kids (2-5 is a good size group). Then the kids take turns connecting dots. The goal is to complete boxes; the person with the most boxes at the end wins. See the pictures and detailed instructions here.

Sending all of you my warmest wishes for a successful testing season!

The Time Between

The time between holidays is a magical? wonderous? exhausting time. Yep, tiring. The kids have early-onset cabin fever. You've got a gazillion things to accomplish, both in school and out. It can be tough! So here are some tips and resources to get you through until our holiday break.

Keep those Bad Kermits at bay

Stay tuned in - All that stuff we teach our kids about acknowledging emotions and listening to our bodies works for you, too. If you're feeling an unpleasant emotion, take a few minutes to explore why that it. Get to the root of the problem by inviting your inner therapist/coach/good angel/whatever to ask, "Why?" Keep inquiring and answering the questions until you get to the thing that intuitively feels like it's triggering you. Once you diagnose the issue, you can identify a strategy to address it. Here's a cool article about harnessing your internal dialogue, if you'd like to learn more.

Maintain routines - "Belief in one’s ability to exert control over the environment and to produce desired results is essential for an individual’s well being. It has been repeatedly argued that the perception of control is not only desirable, but it is likely a psychological and biological necessity." You've worked hard this semester to implement classroom routines and procedures. You *will* have to revisit these with your kids during this in-between season. It's completely normal and OK to take a day for this! You also need routine in your life. How can you provide yourself order? A weekly class? A regular meditation? Making time for your favorite hobby? Shutting and locking the classroom door between classes so you can get a few minutes to yourself each day? 

Dang, I miss this show!

Accentuate the positive - I know I talk constantly about positive reinforcement, but that's because it works. It works SO WELL. I've personally seen scores of kids turn it around simply because I was a warm demander who acknowledged their efforts. But you don't have to take my word for it. Check out this article or this one. This works for teachers, too. How often do you take time to reflect on the 3 Good Things you've done that day? Or 3 Good Things about working with kids? Or 3 Good Things you notice about your body? 

Make sure your expectations are appropriate - Middle school friends, you will probably not be able to get your squirrelly kids to sit still and be quiet for a whole-group discussion. High school folks, your kids might sit still, but they are likely zoned out. The absolute greatest thing about being a non-profit person in a school is that you can work with it. You don't have state standards. You're not on the big spring tests. Play basketball or soccer! Do teambuilders! Bake cookies (yes, I did this - it was a germ-laden hoot)! Watch a music video! Have a joke contest! Play Kahoot! Be careful to continue holding kids accountable, though. This isn't a free for all and you should be able to get through a few lessons. Like everything else, this applies to you, too. Determine what you can let go of while also maintaining a high level of professionalism.

I never know how to end these things, so goodnight and good luck.

The Power of "Yet"

I'm sure you've heard of Carol Dweck and her research on Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset. If you haven't, click here.

Anybody want a poster? We have a fancy
printer in the office now.

Basically, her theory is that people who have a Fixed Mindset believe they have a very limited capacity to change or grow. I'll out my husband who used to say, "I am who I am" (fortunately, he's come around to the Growth side). Folks who have a Growth Mindset understand that, with support and effort, they can improve in whatever area of their life they'd like to work on.

It's really a wonderful theory and one that is rooted in neuroscience. After all, neurons that fire
together wire together. Not to mention that practice makes better (my old band director used to remind us that perfection is impossible - how uplifting).

Mr. Traini, ca 2000, shouting to go
back to set #1 again because practice
makes better.

I just got back from visiting seven schools and, as I left the final one, I had a thought: I wish I were better at offering support. Why don't I ask my people what they need from me? I suck. That's rather fixed, yes? Happily, Carol Dweck's voice popped into my head soon after and offered me yet. So, now I'm reworking (my therapist would say ruminating) how I interact with other people. I'm setting an intention to ask: "What are your needs at the moment?" during 65% of my future interactions with colleagues.

One of my biggest projects this year is procuring a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist to work with Carlo and myself on systemic changes within our agency. The goal is one I firmly believe in and so I've devoted many hours to research, writing, conversing, updating y'all, and seeking funding sources. Despite my efforts, I'm basically nowhere. I've encountered block after block and I've been intensely frustrated with this entire process. I genuinely want to deliver on this promise and I will absolutely keep working at it. In the meantime, I am setting another intention: To give myself the same grace I offer everyone else. It's going to come in the form of yet. The processes I've tried haven't worked yet. The people I've contacted have failed to get back to me yet.

For every problem, there's a solution. I'm already feeling more hopeful, which almost always leads to creative problem-solving.

Random and relevant

Activities Update

Greetings! I'm going to take a break from dropping resources this go-around to share with you a bit about what I've been up to. In the last month, I've attended several professional development opportunities, co-taught, observed, coached, and (of course) attended a slew of meetings.

Is this not perfect?

One of the highlights was getting to co-teach at Kearney for a couple of days. The kids can be challenging, but I loved being the "Jolly Rancher Lady" and getting back into the proverbial trenches with Michael.

Another high point was attending a course called "Managing Remote Employees" through Employer's Council. Carlo graciously paid for half of this training and I learned an enormous amount about conducting performance planning and reviews, daily communications with staff, giving good feedback/asking good questions, and even how to conduct behavioral interviews to screen for good remote employees. I walked away with loads of techniques and am having a blast rolling out some of the simpler ones. 

I live in that zone.

More recently, I spent a couple of days with Dr. Diane Bassett. We travelled to multiple schools and were thoroughly impressed with the work being done. The kids were, as always, curious, wise, intelligent, and adorable. Visiting classrooms is by far my favorite thing.

The last bit I'll share with you is that I'm working with some CMAMI partners to assemble a presentation for the National Mentoring Summit, which will take place in January. The topic will be all about how understanding identity can strengthen match relationships. I'm stoked to be working with two fabulous ladies on this project!

Coming up, I've got more co-teaching, site visits, and meetings. I'm excited for two of those things - Can you guess which ones? :-)