My Word of 2017

Posted on January 1, 2017 by Amy's Reflections

CHALLENGE

This word came to me late in 2016, around the time of the presidential elections. Before I knew it would be my word, I was searching for a new direction. Mindfulness and rejuvenate treated me well in 2015 and 2016, respectively, but I was ready for something new and different.

Here is what challenge means to me and what I hope it will bring in 2017.

  • Professionally, I want to challenge myself to continue to expand my skills and grow as a leader
  • Personally, I want to challenge myself as a writer, to get more focused on writing a book and using my writing as a form of action
  • As a citizen, I feel we will face many challenges in the coming year and I am ready – I feel like these challenges will be a call to action and I’m prepared to take action

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I loved the questions I wrote to help me choose rejuvenation when needed. Here are some questions I will use to ground me in the idea of challenge this year.

  • Will this experience help me learn and grow as a leader?
  • Am I avoiding a challenge that I need to face?
  • Is this struggle really just a challenge in disguise?
  • What experiences would enhance my life this year?

Do you have a focus word for 2017?  If so, what is it? How will it support you? I love to connect to others who have chosen a focus word for the year. As always, my original inspiration comes from Susannah Conway and her creative process. I hope to blog about how challenge is inspiring me throughout the year.

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What I Read in 2016

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Amy's Reflections

I really enjoyed looking back at everything I read in 2015, so I knew I wanted to capture my list again at the end of this year. I also wanted to beat my record of 44 books read last year, because I enjoy competing against myself!

During 2016 I read a range of professional, personal and YA literature. I actually read the first book on this list twice, once in January and again during #IMMOOC in September. In each of my monthly updates, I shared a list of the books I read and the experience of the reading. At the time, that felt authentic and easy to write. However, looking back at those updates now annoys me! I can read the experience I had and still have no idea, or memory, of what the story was about. I am notorious for forgetting a book as soon as I finish it. This is making me think that in 2017 I will do a little more summarizing for my aging memory!

I’m putting *** after each of the books I can remember LOVING this year!

  1. The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity by George Couros ***
  2. Defending Jacob by William Landay ***
  3. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
  4. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
  5. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
  6. Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell
  7. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
  8. Dumplin‘ by Julie Murphy
  9. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
  10. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Hunt
  11. Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
  12. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
  13. It’s All Your Fault by Paul Rudnick
  14. Raising Ryland– Hillary Whittington
  15. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear – Elizabeth Gilbert
  16. Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology– Leah Remini
  17. Zebra Forest by Adine Rishe Gewirtz
  18. Eat- Taste- Heal by Thomas Yarema, Daniel Rhoda, Chef Johnny Brannigan
  19. Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris
  20. City of Beasts by Isabel Allende
  21. Better Conversations: Coaching Ourselves and Each Other To Be More Credible, Caring, and Connected by Jim Knight
  22. Field of Prey by John Sandford
  23. The Affair by Lee Child
  24. Crash and Burn by Allison Brennan
  25. Explore Like A  Pirate: Gamification and Game-Inspired Course Design to Engage, Enrich, and Elevate Your Learners by Michael Matera
  26. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
  27. A Wanted Man (Jack Reacher #17)by Lee Child
  28. Deep Down by Lee Child
  29. Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom by Kristin Souers with Pete Hall
  30. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
  31. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
  32. Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner
  33. Well Spoken: Teaching Speaking to All Students by Erik Palmer
  34. Untwine by Edwidge Danticat
  35. Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
  36. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
  37. Never Go Back by Lee Child
  38. High Heat by Lee Child
  39. The Art of Coaching Teams by Elena Aguilar ***
  40. A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
  41. When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr ***
  42. Revolution by Deborah Wiles
  43. Launch: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani
  44. *The Classroom Chef: Sharpen Your Lessons, Season Your Classes, Make Math Meaningful by John Stevens and Matt Vaudrey
  45. Coherence: The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts, and Systems by Michael Fullan and Joanne Quinn ***
  46. Personal by Lee Child
  47. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
  48. Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand
  49. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
  50. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Shumer
  51. Make Me (#20) by Lee Child
  52. Adnan’s Story by Rabia Chaudry ***
  53. in a dark, dark wood by Ruth Ware
  54. Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben
  55. Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde by Jennie Garth
  56. Find Me by Lisa Gardner ***
  57. Home by Harlan Coben
  58. Sting: It Takes a Crook to Catch a Crook by Jude Watson
  59. Heartburn by Nora Ephron
  60. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
  61. It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff
  62. Interference by Kay Honeyman
  63. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
  64. Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
  65. Superficial by Andy Cohen ***
  66. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris ***
  67. Takedown Twenty (Stephanie Plum Series #20) by Janet Evanovich
  68. #68 was a secret book I read as a favor to the author (my friend)!
  69. Sycamore Row by John Grisham ***

*44- The number of books I read in 2015 – I think I beat my 2015 list!

I’m so happy that I rediscovered some of my favorites fiction writers from many years ago, such as Harlan Coben and Janet Evanovich. I continue to enjoy listening to celebrity audiobooks and have no shame about that! I look forward to more reads in 2017 (and I look forward to the #Read17in17 community shares!).

 

 

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December Reading Update

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Amy's Reflections

The final month of the year. I love updating this list each month.

  • Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham – Have I mentioned how much I love audio books written and read by celebrities? I do (as evidenced in November, October, September, and April to name a few!). This book was written by an actress I have loved for years, from Gilmore Girls (old and new) and Parenthood. I loved hearing secret little details of her life and the cast from each of these shows. I believe if we met in real life, we could be friends. Lauren, call me, maybe?!
  • Superficial by Andy Cohen- Yet another celebrity autobiography that I listened to read by the author. This is the diary Andy kept for a year and a half and it is a ridiculously superficial look into his celebrity-filled, name-dropping, House wive-managing life and I loved it!
  • Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris – I have no idea how I ended up buying this book, but I’m so glad I did! It was a fast-paced mystery told half in past tense and half in the present. The story was horrifying (about a psychopathic husband who tortured his wife) but the race to see if or how she might escape was fun to read.
  • Takedown Twenty (Stephanie Plum Series #20) by Janet Evanovich – I haven’t read a book in this series in YEARS, so it was nice to revisit old friends Stephanie, Lula, Morelli and Ranger. The never-ending love triangle continues in this edition, as Stephanie quits her job as a bail bondsman yet again. It was a fun, simple read!
  • Shh! This one is a secret! – I read an early draft of a professional book that I am so excited to see out on bookshelves later this year. It was a fun experience and I was honored that the author, who is a dear friend, asked me to read the draft and provide feedback.
  • Sycamore Row by John Grisham – This is a follow-up to A Time to Kill, which I read many years ago (and of course saw the movie too!). As I read this, I visualized all of the actors who played these familiar characters in the movie, which made the story more fun to me. The story is about a hand-written will a white man left just before he committed suicide. In this will, he cut out all of his family and left 90% of his $20 Million estate to his black housekeeper. Even though the story takes place in the late 1980’s, this quickly becomes a battle about race and money and class, with Jake Brigance as the lawyer hired to defend this highly contested will.

 

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A Year of Blogging – 2016

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Amy's Reflections

December is often a time for Top Ten Lists, reflections, and preparations for goals and aspirations for the new year. Last December I picked my favorite posts from 2015. This year, inspired by the Five Survey I did earlier this year, I’m changing up my reflection on this past year of blogging (and four seems to be the number that works with this personal survey!). Feel free to play along in the comments!

My favorite blog topics this year:

  • Taking Action/ Black Lives Matter
  • Collections and Strengths
  • Motivation & Engagement
  • IMMOOC

My most read blog posts from this year:

The blog series that have carried across multiple years:

The top countries where my blog readers live (outside of the US):

  • Canada
  • Australia
  • Brazil
  • United Kingdom

 

wordcloud

A word cloud generated from my blog’s URL

 

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A Year of Rejuvenation

Posted on December 11, 2016 by Amy's Reflections

This is the second year I have chosen a focus word. 2015 was all about mindfulness.  2016 was about rejuvenation.  In February  I vowed to ask myself:

  • Will this rejuvenate me?
  • Will this bring more or less energy into my life?
  • Will I feel better (mentally, emotionally, physically) after I do this?
  • Do I need rest more than this?

Sadly, I haven’t looked directly at these questions since I wrote them. I have, however, considered the ideas of them throughout the year.

I can’t say that I am healthier than I was a year ago. But I can say that I am more in-tuned with what I need to feel rejuvenated. I no longer stress about making choices that will make me feel better mentally, emotionally and/or physically.  After the November elections, this became more necessary in my world and the world we all share.

I’ve already begun the process of contemplating what my word will be for 2017. I love following the process outlined by Susannah Conway and I look forward to unraveling a new year!

 

Rejuvenate 2016

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November Reading Update

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Amy's Reflections

This month I read a random mix of books!

  1. Heartburn by Nora Ephron – Although When Harry Met Sally has been one of my favorite movies for decades, I have never read anything written by the screen writer of the film. This is an old book, but I enjoyed reading a few lines that later ended up in my favorite movie. The main character used storytelling to ease her pain of two divorces, sharing recipes all the way. It was a simple, quick read.
  2. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick – This was another celebrity audio book I listened to.  I love this actress but she is young and her autobiography is a small snapshot into her young life thus far, interspersed with her humor and sarcasm and neuroticism. I enjoyed it, but it was just fluff entertainment!
  3. It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff – After hearing Abrashoff speak at the ACSA Leadership Summit, I wen out and immediately bought his book and read it cover to cover. He is a great storyteller. His leadership ideas are often common sense ideas, but his examples remind us of the many ways in which we often operate outside of common sense. I appreciate his simple messages about getting to know people, providing them individual, personal praise, and encourage people to have fun at work. This was a great read with great leadership tips!
  4. Interference by Kay Honeyman – This is a YA novel that was a cute read in between deeper books this month! There are elements of local politics mixed with high school drama (sadly, not so different).
  5. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth – I listened to this audiobook read by the author. This was recommended to me by a colleague recently, though I saw Duckworth’s TED Talk on grit years ago. I like the ideas explored through her research, but this book was very dense and chock full of said research. I appreciated the connections between grit and growth mindset, and how Duckworth wove her research with Carol Dweck’s. I appreciated that a PDF came with this audio book, which I was finally able to access on my computer after finishing the book!

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What did you read this month? Only one month left in this year. Luckily, I’ve gone a little beyond my goal of #16in16

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Early Collections

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Amy's Reflections

When I was in elementary and middle school, I was a collector. I collected stickers, Strawberry Shortcake dolls, charms (on bracelets and necklaces), and pins (on my oh-so-cool 80’s jean jacket). I collected pigs (stuffed animals, glass figurines, and many other forms) and anything related to New Kids on the Block. I also collected book series, such as The Babysitter’s Club by Ann M. Martin.

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In high school I collected pictures – of my friends and family, and of my celebrity crushes from Teen Bop!  My reading tastes graduated to the diverse writings of Stephen King, Danielle Steele and V.C. Andrews.

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When I was in college I was a “collector” of hats (often off of boys at parties!) and journals and quotes. I still have stacks of journals that I filled up during those years.

As an adult I have gone through collections of decorative coasters, sunflowers, books, movies, music, clothes, Coach purses, shoes, and more. I have also gone through periods of cleaning and declutter where I vowed to stop collecting stuff forever.

“Collections and hobbies are features of the imagination and important learning tools.”

Gillian Judson writes this, in “Tips for Imaginative Educators #9: Let Them Obsess”. I never thought about my collections or hobbies as part of my imagination, though it makes sense now. I have always been a writer and many of my early fictional writings included elements of these collections.

How do we tap into the obsessions of our students to spark their creativity? How can their imaginations drive learning?

As a teacher, I often incorporated the music and pop culture references my students loved to grab their attention and motivate them in new ways. Beside this making me the “cool teacher” at the time, I saw my students’ eyes light up when they connected the learning of our class with their own interests. I witnessed this learning joy again while working with teachers to plan inquiry projects for young students.

This idea of learners’ passions driving them reminds me of two ideas I think are critical in a classroom and in professional development: voice and choice.

It is so important for learners of all ages to have a voice and a choice in their own learning. The more we provide options and allow students to select their own learning paths, the more likely the students are to be engaged and self-directed and driven by a purpose behind our grade books or assignments.

I’m going to continue to think about my own early collections and how we, as educators, can tap into this idea with our student and adult learners. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 

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Thank you to this BAM Radio blog post that inspired this post! 

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A Moment of Gratitude

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Amy's Reflections

Research (Greater Good from UC Berkley and Dartmouth) tells us that reflecting on our gratitude has physical and mental benefits. After spending the last two weeks sad and angry, surrounded by negative messages in the news and social media feeds, I am taking a moment today, on Thanksgiving, to be grateful.

I am grateful for:

  • a job I love in a field I have been passionate about for over 30 years.
  • the freedom to express how I feel, to agree or disagree with others, and not fear for my own safety.
  • my friends, who make me laugh, keep me grounded, lift me up, and support me.
  • my family, whether near or far, and the time we are able to spend together.
  • technology and the ability to turn it on and off whenever I want to.
  • the ability to write. Writing is a reflective tool, a catharsis, and a passion that fuels me.
  • the means to travel whenever and wherever I want to.
  • a roof over my head, more than enough food on my plate, my basic health, and safety and security on a daily basis.

 

What are you grateful for today and always? 

 

 

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How I’m Taking Action

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Amy's Reflections

This has been a rough week. I’ve experienced a range of emotions, from hope to sadness to anger to sickness to fear to confusion to helplessness. And I’m a straight, white middle class woman of privilege. I cannot even begin to imagine how other people, people whose life experiences differ vastly from mine, are feeling after this week.

But after a week of these mixed emotions, I’ve decided that it’s time to take action. Here are a few things I am doing to not only pull myself out of this despair, but also to hopefully make a positive contribution to our society. This article, that provided advice we can all take to be an ally for marginalized communities, sparked this post.

  • Get out of the echo chamber: I am working harder than ever to make sure that I do not remain in an echo chamber surrounded by others who say and do exactly what I say and do on a regular basis. I am reaching out to ensure I have more diversity in my Twitter feed, for my own educational purposes. That means I have started reading resources from many people with viewpoints significantly different than mine. I’ve also made sure to read information written by people from all walks of life, to continue to educate myself on the challenges faced by Americans who are not straight, white women like myself.
  • Refuse to stay silent: I credit this to not just the last week in our country, but also my age and leadership experiences. At this point in my life, I refuse to stay silent when I hear offensive, racist, bigoted, misogynistic, hate speech anywhere in my life. This does not mean that I plan to get into Facebook or Twitter wars with random strangers over ignorant comments posted anonymously. But it does mean that when I am interacting with people I know or work with or in personal situations in real life, I will not ignore hate speech or hateful actions. I will speak up. I will share my feelings.
  • How can I show my support for you? I recognize that my life experience cannot possibly make me able to empathize with what so many other Americans are going through right now, from anger to fear to terror for their safety and the lives of their loved ones. What I can do is ask others how I can show support for them. As the article linked above advised,  now is not the time for white people to stand up and try to take the lead on everything, but it is the time to show support. I recently had a conversation with an American friend of Middle Eastern descent who described situations he has encountered, with colleagues (who are educators, by the way), that were beyond horrifying and offensive to me. What I said to him was, “If I had been there, what would you have wanted me to say and do to show my support of you?” It led to a valuable conversation.
  • Contribute where I can: I, like so many others, do not have endless amounts of time to give to various causes. What I have done this week is make a financial contribution to the ACLU, because I believe in the work they do to protect the civil rights of Americans. There is a great quote about the ACLU in one of my favorite movies, An American President, that I was reminded of this week by a colleague (if you’ve never seen that movie, please go watch it ASAP!). I also made a donation to the Southern Poverty Law Center for the same reason. I also plan to educate myself on peaceful demonstrations, actions, and other local events that I might be able to participate in in the future.
  • Unplug and celebrate the positive: Of equal importance to the ideas listed above, I know for my own mental and physical well-being, it is equally important that I practice mindfulness and Rejuvenation. For me, that means unplugging from Social Media, practicing yoga and meditation, taking a walk outside in nature, and spending time with family and friends. That means enjoying music and movies and laughter and love.

These are just some of my reflections. What are you doing to make your corner of our world a more equitable place for everyone?

EDITED TO ADD:

  • Attending the Women’s March on Washington: On January 21, 2017 I will be marching in Washington along with many other Americans who want our new Administration to know that women’s rights matter; that women’s rights are human rights.  This is not a protest. This is a peaceful demonstration. I am honored to be able to attend such an uplifting event at a critical time in our history.
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October Reading Update

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Amy's Reflections

The best part of keeping a monthly/yearly reading log is that I can look back to see what books I’ve already read and when. I did this as an English teacher, as a model for my students, years ago. There is a large gap in between those years and when I began again in 2015.

This is annoying when I rediscover an author I used to love, like Harlan Coben, and I can’t remember which books I’ve read and which I haven’t. So the book I read this month by Coben was new to me and more of his books will appear on future lists too!

  1. Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben-Fun mystery read about Maya, ex-military, now grieving widower, with a number of twists (some surprising and some not-so-much). I wasn’t a fan of the ending, but I appreciate how the author wrapped up key story lines.
  2. Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde by Jennie Garth- Another in my series of audio books read by their celebrity authors. I enjoyed getting to know the background and personal stories from Jennie, as I really only ever think of her as Kelly Taylor from 90210.
  3. Find Me by Lisa Gardner – This was a great, scary, psychological thriller! It’s horrifying to read about the effects a long-term kidnapping can have on the victim. After finishing the book, I realized there is at least one other book by this author with the detective character, D.D. Now I want to go back and read it!
  4. Alone by Lisa Gardner – As mentioned above, I decided to go back to the beginning of the Gardner series with D.D., the detective. This was ANOTHER book about kidnapping, which is such a disturbing topic. The characters in this story were also disturbing. They were so flawed it was hard to trust anything they said or did as being authentic or truthful, which added to the mystery of the story. I like the series and will continue reading it!
  5. Home by Harlan Coben – After reconnecting with Coben’s mysteries, I was happy to see his newest book had just come out recently. I think I’ve read everything in the Myron Bolitar series, starting many years ago. I love the dynamic between Myron and his best friend Win, as well as the secondary characters. This was yet another story about kidnapping, though I’m not sure how I managed to read so many books around the same topic in the same month.
  6. Sting: It Takes a Crook to Catch a Crook by Jude Watson – This is a YA mystery by a new-to-me author. I enjoyed it, though it definitely does not have the same thrill as an adult mystery. The main characters in this are all orphaned teens who are children of thieves; the children pick up their late parents’ skill set to pull of various thefts.

 

What did you read this month? Any good recommendations?

 

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