Weekly Update - Friday, April 26, 2019

Happy Friday, everyone! 
Another great week of learning at McKinley! 


Words, Thoughts, and Actions:

I had a moment this week that reminded me of one of my favorite quotes (above).  Don't forget about how powerful your words, thoughts, and actions are - and how quickly they become the beliefs that you transfer to your interactions and expectations with students.   That's the power of mindset and words - you can actually "convince" your brain to believe something.  As we close out the year, continue to push yourself.. how are your words, thoughts, and actions translating to students?

Are you a Warm Demander?  
What a great question - do you believe you, as an educator, are a "warm demander"?  Remember, that term refers to a teacher who builds deep, impactful relationships with students and then holds them to high standards.   When I first heard this term, I thought - "isn't this all teachers?"  However, as I dig into this more, I am realizing it's not.  Often, educators are on one end of the spectrum - they build strong relationships or they hold students accountable.   Take a few minutes to read the article below and truly do some self-reflecting... are you a warm demander?  If not, what can you do to become one? 

Article - The Teacher as Warm Demander

Class List Subout:
Just a reminder, our 19-20 class list subout is Friday, May 10.  This is a time for teachers to meet to develop class lists for next year.  Please have your placement cards completed before this subout.  Below is a schedule for the day:  

	Grade Level Subout:	Internal Sub to cover fifth section:
7:50-9:00	1st Grade	Gia Davison
9:05-10:15	3rd Grade	X
10:20-11:30	4th Grade	X
11:30-12:00	Subs eat	X
12:00-1:10	Kindergarten	X
1:15-2:25	2nd Grade	Sami Nelson

There's No Such Thing as a Bad Kid:

This was originally an article in the Self-Reg Parenting Magazine Vol 1 Issue 2

Children have such different ways of responding to being over-stressed. Some get physically ill. Some get nervous and anxious. Some become manic and hyperactive. Some have trouble going to sleep and others don’t want to do anything but sleep. Some won’t say a word and others won’t stop talking. Some become emotionally volatile and some shut down. Some get clingy and others become distant. Some can’t focus on anything and others have problems with hyper-focus. And some kids get very angry and aggressive.

 What all these children have in common is that they behave in a characteristic way when they are over-stressed: what becomes a sort of patterned response. But what markedly distinguishes between them, is how we react.

Seeing a child suffer brings out the nurturing side in all of us: except for the child who responds to his distress by becoming angry or aggressive. He’s the one who is seen as having a “character problem.” The one who is yelled at, punished, restrained, shunned. The one that we automatically react to harshly: never asking “Why?” or “Why now?” when he lashes out.

The “bad kid” is the one who gets labelled as having some “personality flaw”: the one who is said to have “low frustration tolerance”; to be “unfeeling” or “oppositional.”  He’s the one who is seen as having poor self-control; a lack of empathy; no sense of right or wrong. Just hearing a child labeled with one of these terms is enough to determine how you will always see that child.

The worst part of all this is not that it completely misses the mark: it is that it often brings about the very thing you dread. Treat a kid as if he’s bad and before you know it he’ll start to see himself this way. He’ll be the first one to write himself off; the first to be upset by behaviour that he no more understands than you do; who sees all adults as threats. Before you know it, he’s behaving in the very ways he’s been told he’s likely to behave.

Recognizing the difference between misbehaviour and stress-behaviour is the first step to helping a child who is subject to angry explosions or aggression. Like all children, he needs to feel safe and secure with us. But that is not going to happen until we realize that there is no such thing as a bad kid.

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week:
**I forgot again - Danielle, we will get a pic today! 

The McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week goes to 2nd & 3rd Grade Special Education Teacher, Danielle Nystrom!  Danielle is an educator who believes in meaningful relationships, collaboration, and supporting the whole child.  One of the things that impresses me most about Danielle is her advocacy for our learners - she puts in the time and effort to create an environment where all students are successful.  Keep being #mckinleystrong, Mrs. Nystrom! 


Even though there's snow on the way, make it a great weekend!  Take some time to enjoy yourself and those you love!  
-Justin