Let Nature Take Its Course at Christmas

I often underestimate nature when I start decorating for the holidays.  I get sidetracked by glitz and glimmer, and so when the next year comes around and the glamour theme has changed, I feel like my decor is outdated and I start down a new rabbit trail.  Not to mention, I quickly run out of places to store it because I tell myself, "I spent all this money, so I don't want to get rid of it." It can get a little frustrating and exhausting.

And then, lo and behold, I heard someone (I don't remember who it was or I would give them credit!) recommend using an article from nature in every room in the house when you decorate.  It automatically makes you come alive when there is even an illusion of nature and living things. And since I have natural decor already, I can spruce it up for the holidays and keep it classic. So much easier. (Side note: Faux nature counts, so don't be hating on silk flowers, lifelike evergreens and scented potpourri just because I didn't pick them out of my backyard. They stay pretty for.ev.er.)

Love me some scented candles on a woven tray. Christmas
is in the air.

Now, I am not going to say I haven't purchased anything new, because that would make me a horrible liar- LOL!.  But, I AM getting really intentional about incorporating nature and not starting completely over every year with a new theme.  My husband has converted me to upcycling whenever possible and that gets my creative juices practically overflowing. Another cool thing I am getting brave about is mixing styles.  I love modern farmhouse, but I also love peacocks.  Modern farmhouse is very neutral. Peacocks are bright with jewel tones.  I wouldn't have thought that my flashy peacock ornaments would work with my new love of simple and rustic, but kudos to my sister for saying to try it- because when I look at my peacock inspired Christmas tree in the middle of my white, ivory, and gray living room, it truly rises up to meet me!

The tree is all decked out and winter throws in place for getting cozy on Christmas morning.

  So I challenged myself to see if I could tie together kitchen, dining room, living room and entryway with something from nature while at the same time being holiday festive and I landed on... PINE CONES.  Stay with me now.  I have proof that it works! I have posted some photos of my PCL (pine cone love... I just made it a thing). Just so you know, photography is not my expertise, (how DO you photograph a mirror anyway?), but if I waited until I learned everything about photography, then I would never take risks by inserting pictures in a post! Without further ado, are you ready to play "I Spy the Pine Cones"?!

My upcycled white door is always there, but
add a rustic sign, snowflakes, and a throw, and
it is winterized!

Entryway- doesn't have to be fancy to be welcoming.

Love this windmill Mike picked up at an auction!
All I had to do was top the crate with some festive greenery
and faux snow balls- let's go!

This was an old wreath that had seen better days with cracked ornaments I found
in the garage when we moved.  I just glued some cotton picks
I had in another display with some lights and and a new bow and it's back in the game now!

My favorite accessory in the kitchen is this scale.  Never underestimate the power
of fresh cranberries to inject some holiday spirit anywhere you have a container to hold them.

For the first time, I have room for a kitchen tree- yay!

More is not always better, you know.
One big bowl on the coffee table is easier to style than a bunch of little knick-knacks.

This view calms me like nothing else.  The magnolia wreath is always there, but
I stuck a few evergreen picks and pine cones in between the leaves so it looks Christmas-y
without buying a new one.

I am in no way a professional decorator, but I thrive on creating environments with purpose. Letting nature take its course in decorating for Christmas has taken me to a new level of peace and joy this season. (Remember that "what makes you come alive" thing?) I hope you can grab hold of the fact that you don't have to be perfect or a professional in whatever you value to be inspired.  And it is not self-promoting to share inspiration.  The world needs people like you adding to its beauty, not taking away from it.  Sometimes I wonder...what if the people that have inspired me had decided they weren't good enough to have a voice?  I have drawn huge amounts of encouragement and wisdom that improved my life from the most surprising people and places.  I am glad they didn't allow self-doubt or fear of the opinions of others keep them from sharing! We all benefit from dispensing ideas, opportunities, and life-giving experiences along this journey. I wish you a blessed time preparing for Christmas as well as an extra measure of inspiration. Remember, you create the joy that makes your life better!

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Good Intentions

Why is that first bite of a warm, homemade chocolate chip cookie just so delicious? Truly a simple pleasure I never get tired of. I always have the ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies on hand, but my good intentions to follow through on actually baking them doesn't happen as often as I'd like.  Turns out that having the right ingredients does not necessarily translate into having my favorite dessert on any given day. Because good intentions and being intentional about doing it are not the same. 

Isn't it amazing how two words so closely related mean completely different things? We've all probably said something like "I had good intentions with that, but I ran out of time/money/space/motivation/energy..." etc. Gah! It is soooo frustrating when good intentions don't become reality.  How does that happen? It all comes down to a simple truth. What we intend is never realized unless we are purposeful in our actions to that end. In other words, being intentional.

Being intentional starts with a strategy, design, approach, blueprint... whatever you want to call it, but it doesn't end there. You have to put your ideas into actionable steps that will lead to the place you want to be. You might be thinking "This is simple- everyone knows that!" I got you. But is that how you and I really live?

See if you can relate to this example- I intend to enjoy a peaceful and meaningful holiday season. I intend that every year, don't you? But how many times in the past did I let my schedule be dictated by ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS without being purposeful in what that would look like and how I would achieve it? Too many. And what happened to my good intentions? Not so much peace, more stress, little patience, and (this is so sad), breathing a sigh of relief when it was over. That is NOT what it was supposed to be. Something had to change!

My first step was to begin with a game plan. (Because when you live in a majority male household, the fantasy football talk and sports lingo become a second language.) I want my family to experience a meaningful and joyful holiday. I owe a big thank you to Kendra at TheLazyGeniusCollective.com for her encouragement in choosing three words that describe my hopes for the holidays. They are the things that make me come alive. Lest that sounds selfish, consider this: coming alive personally is what allows me to share life with others...my dear family, my wonderful friends, my precious students, the harried retail workers, the tired grocery store clerks, frantic fellow shoppers, the less fortunate that need compassion...you get my point. If I have no joy, how can I share it with those around me?

My game plan this year is to create an atmosphere of joy, welcome, and peace for those in my circle of influence. That's the what. Now for the how. That's where the playbook comes in. (Long live sports metaphors!) My playbook is simply identifying opportunities to intentionally put joy, welcome, and peace into action. My joy play is listening to music that lifts my heart and decorating where I live and work for the season. It is amazing how something as simple as decking the halls lights me up inside. I have a new house to decorate this year and it is taking extra time and I. Am. Having. It. 😁
My welcome play is inviting people to share in the spirit of celebration at my home and sharing gifts with those that I sense may need extra love and blessing this time of year. Welcome extends to my students by showing ways we can all be more kind and thoughtful to others.
The peace play takes the most time and thought, but is so worth it!  I plan the family calendar for November and December taking into account holiday events plus the normal winter activities and schedule margins (little breaks for rest and reflection) and set boundaries so that background hustle and bustle does not encroach on what is precious to me and the most important. *Setting boundaries allows you to take care of your family and yourself. So set those boundaries without apology!* If I am saying YES to joy, welcome, and peace, then that means I am saying NO to comparison, fear of rejection, and stressful business (read: busy-ness).  And that, my friends, is the ultimate WIN!  (My last football analogy- you're welcome.)

The results of being intentional versus just having good intentions have been life-changing for me. And not just at Christmas time.  There is a purpose and depth of meaning in daily living that was lacking before.  It is like leveraging an advantage to make the most of the moments I have been given and I am so glad to have realized what a difference being intentional makes before any more time passed by. You create the joy that makes your life better. I hope all of my friends reading this enjoy the fresh outlook and fulfillment of an intentional journey.  For some reason, I now feel the urge to go bake some chocolate chip cookies. 😉

LAUNCHing into Learning

Have you ever watched a rocket launch?  It really is one of the coolest, most awe-inspiring events I've witnessed. The whole idea of streaking off into space and experiencing the universe in such a unique way boggles the mind.  But catapulting into the cosmos isn't the only exciting kind of launching happening these days.
I had the pleasure of working with a fantastic group of third graders as they engaged in the LAUNCH process this year.  As you might guess this has nothing to do with space travel in our elementary school! Rather, it is a framework they followed in design thinking that allowed them to use their choice, voice, curiosity, and creativity to learn and develop skills that ultimately led them to share with an authentic audience.

Reaching out to an authentic audience adds so much more meaning to the learning process because there is a purpose behind the project.

 I love teaching through project-based learning (PBL) and had a great experience in using the framework during enrichment last summer with students this age, so I was really grateful when third grade teachers Ms. Hayes and Mrs. Cole shared their classes with me during the spring semester.  These teachers also worked with groups on PBL dealing with other topics, but for this article, I'm sharing specifically from the experience of the students in my group as they are the reason for this blog and the contributors for this post!

Meet the Fluffy Slimers: Scott S. , Phoebe Z. , Lily H., and Myleah G .

Meet the Slippery Slimers: Josh H., Dominik V., Kyle J., and Morgan S.

The group of students I worked with shared the interest of learning about blogging.  So our project/product was creating a blog post.  But where to begin? That's where the LAUNCH cycle comes into play.  It's an acronym created by educators John Spencer and A.J. Juliani from their book LAUNCH: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student help guide students as they delve into design thinking. 

L- Look, Listen, and Learn

A- Ask Tons of Questions

U- Understand the Problem or Process

N- Navigate Ideas

C- Create a Prototype

H- Highlight and Fix

LAUNCH your project!

Through their research, the third graders discovered there is much to be learned before becoming a blogger. I mean, it was a big deal just coming to a decision of what to blog about!  As they engaged in the steps of the LAUNCH cycle, new skills were learned and new concepts were explored.  

"I liked having a choice about what project to do because you got to pick what you want to do instead of what everyone else is doing. I learned that when you research on the internet, you need to have three sources that say the same thing so you know what you read is true." -Madysen E.

These creative souls came to a unanimous decision to conduct slime experiments as their topic because that was one thing they all agreed was "awesome". When thinking about who could benefit from their experiments, I offered to let them lead science centers in my pre-k class.  We learn about liquids and solids in preschool, but what if the bloggers got to introduce them to a substance that doesn't fit the rule of normal solids or normal liquids?  They decided that would be a fun win-win experience for a blog topic!

"My favorite part was working with the kids." -Lily H.
"I liked doing the research and then having fun with what we learned." - Phoebe Z.

"Playing with the kids with the slime was really fun." -Scott S.
(I can't help but grin every time I see the above picture!  This has to be one of the best expressions of enjoying a learning experience and teaching someone something new that I've ever seen!)

 Both groups executed their experiments with the skill of  'slime experts' and enjoyed different aspects of leading the science demonstration. They had to exercise their organizational skills in finding the ingredients, their math skills in measuring, their reading skills in following the recipe, and their communication skills in explaining their experiments. They learned about chemical reactions and the how and why of what makes these fluids unique. PBL is a great way to integrate all of the concepts and skills we want our students to understand and show mastery in as they perform.

The third graders learned that creativity is a key in engaging your audience.  The Fluffy Slimers'  idea to hook their audience's attention was coloring it a pastel pink and giving each one a plastic Easter egg to keep their slime inside so they could take it home. That idea was a big hit! The Slippery Slimers went above and beyond just conducting an experiment when they found out the preschoolers were learning about farms.They decided to connect their demonstration to what would be relevant to their audience by hiding little plastic farm animals inside the slime as they passed it out so the students had to find and name the animals. So clever!

Another takeaway the LAUNCH groups mentioned was that it takes a lot of time to research and choose what will make the best experience for the audience.  They were impressed with how curious the preschoolers were to try out the slime and how many questions they asked about the process. It's a good thing they did their research so they could answer those questions!  

Each time I lead a group in PBL, I end up learning just as much as the students.  I love the quote Spencer and Juliani write in their LAUNCH book about the role of the teacher in this process.  They call it being "the guide on the side".  It's so true!  As I work alongside the students and allow them to make decisions, I become better equipped to act as a guide in the next design thinking project.  During this particular project, I learned that establishing a fully functioning student-created website blog takes more time than I allotted.  So we had to go with plan B and use my blog platform with the third grade students as contributors instead of the primary authors.  The next time I undertake a project like this, I will know to budget more time for brainstorming and developing the presentation. I also found out that designing a blog in a school setting has to be done differently than a blog I design myself in order to manage it within the technical parameters of the school district. It ended up being a good example of persevering through difficulties to get to the end product (even if it looks different than you planned) without giving up!

Finally, our LAUNCH project was the perfect way for us to practice the seven habits and the skills we learn from The Leader in Me. There were many opportunities for the third graders to begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, and find their voice. Even the preschoolers noticed how well the students worked together showing habit #6 during their presentations. I was happy to hear one prekinder say, "Look Mrs. E!  They're synergizing, aren't they!?"  It was genuine confidence-building and leadership practice at its best. 

I still think it is great to watch a rocket launch into space, but my favorite kind of LAUNCH is watching kids blast off into an authentic learning experience that allows them to use their creativity and benefits others in the process!

*If you want to learn more about the LAUNCH cycle, please visit this website <<LAUNCH>> for more information on design thinking.  You'll be glad you did!

Sharing the Joy

There's nothing like the energy you get from connecting with "your people". Those kindred spirits that share the same vision and passion you have for your life's work. I am so grateful for the opportunity last weekend to gather with my people at Conference on the Young Years (CYY) sponsored by the Missouri Department of Education. Truly some of the most caring souls in the world are primary grade teachers! We all embrace new strategies to help us in this vitally important job of establishing a strong foundation and love of lifelong learning in our students.

My friend Mary and I were able to attend Red Grammer's seminar.  What a great singer and
cool cat! (Totally see where his son Andy Grammer gets his pipes!) I am
looking forward to teaching my preschoolers his new Circle of Light songs...so awesome.

This weekend I was reminded once again that CONNECTION IS KEY. Without connection with our students, there is no trust. Without trust, there is no learning. I am inspired (as the busiest and potentially most stressful time of the school year comes upon us) to redouble my efforts and deepen the connections I have to my students and their families. It's an investment that deserves my best efforts because the dividends of doing so are invaluable.

Our students aren't the only ones that we should be reaching out to and digging deeper in an effort to build relationships. Likewise, it is essential that we educators connect with each other. Connection is knowing you're not alone. You have a "family" to share in the journey. And the journey is about making a difference in the lives of kids.

Kudos to Shawna, Karen, and Taylor for rearranging lessons to incorporate STEM Friday!

You just never know when an old bicycle wheel is going to illustrate a
new way of thinking about technology!
Thanks to Jenny for the shout out on Instagram during my presentation.

I have yet to find a profession whose people are more willing to share their ideas and inspirations with their colleagues than education. We don't consider this important business of changing the world by investing in children as a competition where our strategies and successes are to be guarded and only kept for the benefit of the students within our own classrooms. WE CARE ABOUT KIDS PERIOD. So there is this magnificent freedom to disperse anything and everything that might encourage and help our colleagues because we know it will positively impact that many more young lives and make this world a better place. Ergo, we experience an incredible sense of joy when we share our inspirations because we know that great outcomes will result at multiple levels in a variety of places!
<<Click here for bonus view of STEM presentation!>>

So glad to be able to share my vision statement
as a reminder of why we do what we do. Thanks for your
tweet, Ms. Taylor.  Congratulations on winning the door prize!

I was so pleased to see the awesome early childhood educators that I had the pleasure of presenting to embrace sharing the joy. More than just a presentation, it was an opportunity to connect and interact... which is always better than just passive listening! We had such a fun, productive time trading ideas and practicing how to be intentional in developing problem-solving skills through implementing STEM in preschool. And you know what else? Their eagerness to post their take-aways on social media, make notes, take pictures, and share resources with their teacher friends back home had the added benefit of encouraging me. I am more convinced than ever that helping other teachers is another level of education that I should keep
engaging in whenever possible and however creatively I can.
<<Click here for my free STEM Journal resource!>>
This post is dedicated to those special people I got to meet at CYY. Thank you for helping me share the joy and committing to explore and implement new ideas that are going to develop your students into great scientific and mathematical thinkers.  You will love this creative endeavor!

I honestly can't think of a better compliment after a STEM workshop than a participant expressing that STEM is no longer scary.  Abby, you made my day!