Automatic

 A friend discussed her teaching schedule with me. It was a good structure to follow. Educators know that the more that all the details of teaching and learning are on automatic, greater depth and personalization are possible. 

The same is true for any aspect of life--the more we have the nuts and bolts of living on automatic, the greater opportunity exists for richer, more meaningful living. 

What elements of living belong on automatic?

• Chores/Basic Needs: Most of us grew up in homes with some kind of daily schedule that made sure all the needed chores for a clean house, clean clothes, proper nutrition, and good rest occurred. Making a schedule to complete these chores and meet basic needs is positive.
• Time for Reflection/Decision Making: It's also important to carve out time daily or weekly to reflect, make decisions, and revise as needed. A reflective life is a more fulfilling, positive life.
• Commitment/Investment in the future: As I mention often, my dad would say repeatedly, "A little for today and a little for tomorrow." You have to make time to work for your positive future in ways that are meaningful. This is the work you do to invest in the dreams you have for your life and the lives of your loved ones. 
• Relationships, Rest, and Recreations: To avoid becoming a dull person, you need to invest time into relationships, rest and recreation. These areas need to be mainstays of your schedule.

Making a weekly schedule that includes these categories creates a positive pattern for living--the kind of pattern that ensures more happiness which helps to support good living. 

Teachers, Stay Safe!

 I am worried about some of my loved ones who are headed back into the classrooms this week. I am worried for the following reasons:

1. Loved ones who are teachers have faced increasing illness in poorly ventilated schools over the past few years--these loved ones have had numerous respiratory illnesses when teaching, but not when school is over.
2. Loved ones who are teachers have to use poorly ventilated restrooms shared by many.
3. Loved ones who are teachers are working in classrooms with poor ventilation, windows that don't open, and little access to the outdoors.
4. Loved ones who are teachers are working increasingly with children who are homeless and living in homeless shelters. Homeless shelters tend to have more transience with regard to who lives there and where they are from. This transience matches elements that lead to greater COVID spread.
5. Loved ones who are teachers are still working with relatively large groups in tight classrooms with children from all kinds of families and all kinds of contact--the potential for virus spread is great in these small, poorly ventilated places for multiple hours a day.
6. Loved ones who are teachers have to be in classrooms with unmasked students who are eating their lunches.
7. Many schools are not providing masks or shields for teachers--this puts these teachers at greater risk.

I cannot understand why most schools think their environments are safe for teachers. In some very specific cases there is enough space, ventilation, and just-right numbers and little contact. These places may be safe, but in many, many school systems, I don't believe teachers are safe for in-school teaching. I am worried about my loved ones who teach. 

Life lessons from Scrabble

 Scrabble like any contest or sport offers lots of life lessons:

• The more you play, the better you get
• You play better when you give the game 100% focus
• When you doubt yourself or get stressed out, you don't play as well
• There are many strategies for successful play
• Pay attention to the opportunities that exist
• Don't hold on to your valuables for too long--put them to use when you can
• Don't squander your valuables, use them with intention
• Overplay leads to less value--there's a just-right amount of play that's positive, and that quotient is different for everyone
• Doing what you love relaxes you
• When you do what you love, you meet people with similar mindsets, interests and that brings joy
• Healthy competition is good for you
• Have fun, don't take it too seriously

Make a loss a win

 As I listen to news reports about the challenges educators, students, and families face during the pandemic, the only advice I can offer is to make these losses wins in the following ways.

Where do you want to grow?

Think realistically about the current circumstances, and choose a few areas that you can use to grow students' academic foundations and your practice at the same time. For example, simply to inspire students to spend more time finding, reading, and reflecting on awesome books is a win-win during the pandemic. With lives and connections less busy, there is more time for reading or listening to books online. If the whole country could uplift reading, that would be a tremendous win during this pandemic. 

Numeracy

One problem we face in the world is that many cannot correctly interpret data and statistics. This hurts us as a people because it leads to poor choices wth respect to the leaders we choose, the policies we support, and the work we prioritize. Simply using news articles with stats and data is a good way to help students understand numbers better. This can be done from K-12 with articles that relate to students' interest and developmental levels. 

Student relations

Challenge yourself to listen to students, hear what they say, and respond with love and care. Virtual learning, in some ways, gives greater voice to individual students. Educators can develop their child-centered teaching skills and abilities with care at this time. 

Teamwork

Pandemic teaching requires that educators, parents, and students work closely together. This is positive and there is room to elevate this teamwork during COVID-19.

Lifelong learning

Identify the key skills, knowledge, and concepts students need to work on, and demonstrate to students why these skills, knowledge, and concepts are vital for their entire life. Then work with students to strengthen their learning paths in those areas--teach students how to learn, how to be flexible, and how to strengthen these vital elements to good lifelong learning. Let students know that their ability to be flexible, open minded, and hard working during this time will serve them well throughout their lives.

Our losses can ultimately be wins if we take time to see the promise in the problem, and reflect about what we can do at this time to hone our craft, serve our students and selves, and do good work that brings strength and happiness today and into the future. 

Decision Making with Equity in Mind

 Shana White posted a profound tweet this morning. She created a shortlist for people to consider as they work for equity. This is a powerful shortlist that might be used in any situation where you are working to make an organization more equitable, just, and positive. As an educator, I often sat at a table with decision makers, working for greater equity and opportunity. Shana's list would have helped me a lot in this regard. 

I used her list to create questions that might help people in their organizations work for greater success for all stakeholders--these questions can be used when planning programs or other endeavors.

Access

• Will all stakeholders be able to access this program, event, or opportunity?
• Which stakeholders may be distanced from this program, event, or opportunity?
• What can we do to create access for all stakeholders? 

Opportunities

• What opportunities are needed so that stakeholders are successful in gaining a meaningful, productive, and inspiring experience now and into the future?
• What opportunities do stakeholders desire or need?

Funding

• Who profits most with regard to opportunity, access, and experience with regard to current funding?
• How can we analyze funding with an equity lens? 

Quality Resources

• Does every stakeholder have access to quality resources?
• What quality resources are essential for all stakeholders?
• What resource inequality is at the center of inequity? How can we ensure that all stakeholders have access to quality resources? 

Decision Making Power

• Whose voices are represented in decisons?
• Do the voices represented demonstrate some groups more than others?
• How can we change decision making processes and analysis to represent the voices of all stakeholders?

I can imagine this initial thinking to result in an equity analysis process that organizational leaders and workers use to make sure that their efforts represent all stakeholders in promising, positive ways. I will think more on this in the days ahead.