Reads and Seeds-Harvest Time

This summer, the children that participated in our summer reading program had the opportunity to work in our new school garden.  Students rolled up their sleeves and planted seedlings.  They also checked on the garden each week.

We have a corn stalk as tall as a 3rd grader with a full ear of corn. Squash and peppers are also growing.  Harvest time is finally here.  Today, Mrs. Delk picked the first vegetables.  Tomorrow, her students are going to have a taste test of the yummy, fresh from the garden vegetables.

 Her students are already planning for the fall planting.  Hopefully, they will be able to plant the fall seeds this week.  They will be tending the garden all year long.

  

The Bucket of Awesome

Our Public Library has an Awesome Bear on the Second Floor that allows children and teens to tweet the awesome things that are happening in their lives.  You can read more about Awesome Bear here: http://justinthelibrarian.com/tag/the-awesome-bear/. Follow Awesome Bear on Twitter @AwesomeBearCha.

Inspired by the Awesome Bear, I decided to bring the Bucket of Awesome to Clifton Hills Elementary School.  I posted a sign on an up cycled clear plastic container with a handle inviting students and staff to share their awesome with me.

I set the bucket on my desk. It was such a busy week in the library, full of stories and teaching procedures, that I failed to say anything about the bucket. On Wednesday, one of my students asked me about the Awesome Bucket. I told her she could share anything awesome that she saw or experienced.  She asked for a slip of paper and then she came back for another slip for her friend. After her class left, I opened the Awesome Bucket and read the slips. Her slip said she had a great day.  I knew that for her, having a great day was a big deal.  I took the slips to the principal and shared them.  We decided to create the Bucket of Awesome shout out during our morning announcements.  It's a positive way to let students share the good that's happening in their lives.  Her teacher told me the next day that she was beaming to have her awesome news shared with the school during the morning announcements.  

Our Awesome Bucket needed some awesome paper, so Jocelyn Delk created Share Your Awesome cards for us.  She has lots of great resources on her Teachers Pay Teachers Store. I can't wait to put them in a basket next to the Bucket of Awesome.

I'll be telling all of my students about the Awesome Bucket this week. Here's to bringing more Awesome to Clifton Hills!

Teacherpreneur Incubator

This summer has been full of opportunities for me to grow as a teacher leader in my school and my district.  It all started in March when I participated in 48 Hour Launch. 48 Hour Launch is a weekend long business start up experience that culminates when the team pitches their idea for judges.  I showed up for the initial pitches and then chose to work with the 36 University Team.  Eight people came together to bring this idea to life.  We collaborated and worked together on to bring the ACT Test Prep App to life.  It was a very rewarding experience.  After the pitches were finished I asked our team mentor about similar opportunities to participate in the start up community. He introduced me to Keri Randolph saying that she was planning a similar experience for teachers this summer. It is probably the best professional connection that I have ever made.

A few weeks later, teachers received an invitation to participate in the first of several meetups for the Teacherpreneur Incubator,  That first meetup only a few teachers gathered to share their ideas.  Keri encouraged us to dream big dreams for our students, schools, and districts.  There were some amazing ideas shared at that first meet up from an internet cafe for students who lack access to internet at home to finding a way to build cross cultural community in our district. The teachers that gathered were quick to offer support and to help each other bring life to each others ideas.  Over the next few weeks there would be more meetups at various inspiring locations all across town.  At the end of May, 60 teachers submitted brief proposals to the incubator.  In June, 28 proposals were selected to move forward to the 48 Hour Launch weekend.   PEF hosted meetups during July for the selected teachers to network and share ideas.

This weekend is the 48 Hour Launch weekend!  Using the Company Lab's 48 Hour Launch Model we will gather with a team to help us prepare our pitches for Pitch Night on Sunday at the Church On Main.  We'll have 4 minutes to convince a panel of judges to fund our ideas. I can't wait to work with my team to bring my Makerspace idea to life.