Create Some Breakthroughs - 2017 Edition

Sometimes trying new things freaks me out. It can be a new GOOD thing, but because it's something I've never done before, there's a 'fear of the unknown' element involved. But I've decided that fear of the unknown doesn't get to have the final say in forging ahead in my calling. And it doesn't have to have the last word in your calling either.

I know I am supposed to be an encourager to my students. But the longer I teach, the more I realize, my fellow teachers also need encouragement. I want to help those that have lost the joy they once had in teaching to find it again and embrace renewal. It's been my dream to consult with teachers and collaborate with them on how to develop a positive mindset for about a year now. A positive mindset is one that overcomes having a victim mentality that can slowly infiltrate our head space and takes over our spirit unaware, and instead embraces growth and passion for each person's vision for teaching.

After some reaching out and taking a step of faith to make this concept a reality, the opportunity to equip others with a positive mindset has presented itself on a larger scale than I'm used to, and now,  less than two weeks away, I find myself tempted to doubt. The questioning thoughts start to creep in. It's like someone is whispering in my ear, "You are sooooo NOT the perfect teacher. Why would anyone listen to what you have to say?"

I read an interesting quote that has breathed a huge amount of affirmation into my spirit to press onward in this new venture of reconciling imperfection with fulfilling my calling:

"If you wait until you’re “perfect” before you share your stories, ideas, talents, and gifts with the world, no one will ever hear from you."(Marc Chernoff)

How freeing! I may not be perfect, but has God given me a story to share to encourage others? Yes! So I silence the doubt by remembering this: it's just my job to share and it's up to God to do the rest. How others receive the message is on them. But my story will never be received by anyone if I allow the safety of the old and familiar to overshadow the new and unknown.

You see, "The draw of comfort is the biggest dream killer. In the end, you can be comfortable or courageous, but not both at once." (Marc Chernoff)

This is just the sort of tough love I have to show myself if I want to fulfill my dream of being an encourager to teachers on the edge of burnout. It's going to take courage to learn new presentation techniques, to persevere through my nervousness about public speaking in front of peers, and to be honest about my own negative thinking and bad attitudes that have crippled my spirit and limited my effectiveness in the past. I have to be brave in baring my weakness to show where true strength begins. And so I have made the decision to be courageous over comfortable because courage allows me to make a difference. Comfort does not.

As we approach 2017, I'm willing to bet many of you that are reading this are craving a breakthrough in some area of your life. Something new and better awaits on the other side! Another great piece of advice from Marc Chernoff, "If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.  If you want something you’ve never had, then you’ve got to do something you’ve never done.  The bottom line is that you’ll never leave where you are until you decide where you’d rather be." Personally, I'd rather be living in the calling for which I was created, than be left stagnant and unfulfilled because I let fear be greater than my courage. 

The year 2017 is a chance for you to  try something new so you CAN be where you've decided you WANT to be and where God has CALLED you to be. My prayer is that you would open up your heart and mind to take risks, believing that the joy you experience as a result of acting on your calling and the growth of the kingdom will be worth the price of your courage.

You've got this, my friend. God is for you. He would like nothing better than to use your imperfect stories, ideas, talents, and gifts to bring Him glory this year. Adapt, execute, and enjoy....for "The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV

Making Christmas Count- Creating Holiday Learning Experiences

Christmas. It's the most wonderful time of the year in my world. Anticipating the season is a huge part of the wonder and appreciation.  So I make Christmas really count! In teaching, you get the most bang for your buck when you connect new concepts to something meaningful for your students. It doesn't get any easier than connecting Christmas with kids. I take full advantage of this anticipation to help my students learn about celebrating in our culture, the value of giving over receiving, literacy and math in creating holiday projects, and how to measure and budget our time in preparation for our party. (It's never too early to teach students how to plan!)

Introducing... my take on a school holiday version of the Advent calendar called the Christmas Countdown! I got the idea of using a shoe organizer to hold holiday symbols from Pinterest. I was looking for an easy way to teach passage of time and numerical concepts, expand their understanding of seasonal symbols, and connect our learning activities to our Christmas celebration at school and this totally fit the bill.
Here are the fun and easy steps:
1) I printed off some festive looking number cards and attached them to the pockets of a cheap shoe organizer I bought at Wal-Mart. I made sure to count out how many days until our Christmas party so that we are able to open one pocket for each day leading up until then.  It is a countdown of sorts and another way to teach passage of time, which can be a difficult concept for young kiddos.
2) I found some cool mini-Christmas vocabulary picture cards (great literacy connection), cut them apart, put two or three cards with related ideas in each pocket, and stuffed it with tissue paper so that we can "unwrap" each day's symbol(s). This serves as our focus for learning and will be tied to our projects and activities throughout the month. After the symbol is viewed and discussed, I tape the pictures to the outside of the pocket for the students to continue to enjoy and to help us review.

Found on Teachers Pay
Teachers- Clever Classroom

3) Whenever possible, I made sure to include some sort of hands-on activity or sensory experience that the students could be involved in to make the symbol come to life and become a meaningful part of anticipating our celebration with our families later in the month.
For example, on the day we unwrapped the 'bell'  and 'caroling' card, all the students were given jingle bells to accompany our Christmas songs as we practiced singing.  Then I was able to explain how we were going to be sharing our holiday joy with the community when we go Christmas caroling around town. It's a FABULOUS THING to be able to guide four and five year olds in how to be good citizens that show appreciation for others in a holiday service project! One of our stops will be City Hall and most of my students have never been there before. They had no idea what the purpose of such a place was, so this provides a wonderful opportunity to build background knowledge of city government. We also discuss the  characteristics of a good performer and how to dress for the part. There's almost no end to all of the ways an experience like this helps to educate well-rounded students! Our songs will be shared again with our families in a short program in the classroom as part of our Christmas party.

I'm flooded with excitement and fulfillment to be able to share my favorite holiday as the foundation for some awesome learning experiences for my students. Creativity and Christmas just kind of go hand-in-hand in my book. Whether you are a teacher celebrating with your students, or interested in helping your own little ones expand their horizons of the season, I highly recommend using a Christmas countdown or Advent calendar. Make Christmas count! Just look for a great idea to ADAPT, commit to EXECUTE your plan  as part of your daily routine, and ENJOY the good cheer shared with others in your celebration!