Encouragement for Running the Race: The Story of Matt Woodrum

Click Here For Race Video
To discuss with your student leaders:
How does Matt Woodrum focus on his circle of control instead of his struggles?
Matt chooses to run the hardest race.  What is the value of choosing to do hard things and deciding that you won't give up?
Matt heads for the finish line and knows where it is.  How is he beginning with the end in mind, and how can we make "finish lines" for our goals?
Sometimes Matt slows down.  How do the other students synergize to keep him going?
By encouraging Matt, the students create a win-win situation.
How does everyone involved end up a winner in this race?

The Power of One

click here for video and watch number 5
There are lots of great ideas of how to use this concept and video in the classroom!
Try making a banner that says, "The Power of One," then have these categories displayed beneath it:
1.  The video starts with phrases such as...
    "One song can spark a moment."
    "One tree can start a forest."
    "One smile begins a friendship."
    Have your leaders write their own "One" phrases.  For those who do best with a scaffold, let them
    try this:  One _____________ can ______________ a ________________.
2.  Another section of the video has phrases that start with the word "Be."  For example...
    "Be bold."
    "Be proud."
    "Be yourself."
    What a great way to start a school year.  Instead of writing a list of "Don'ts" for students, have
    them create a list of how they want to be.
3.  The last section of the video gives verbs...
    "Share."
    "Explore."
    "Inspire."
    Have students find the verbs that they think are the most important for living life.  It is a great way
    to get them paying attention to parts of speech in the dictionary and at the same time, helps them
    think of how to take action in this world.

What do you do to teach the power of one?

Chalk Art Video for Perception and Paradigm

click here to watch chalk art video
This 4 minute video is a great one just to sharpen your saw and enjoy the creativity, but it's a wonderful discussion-starter, too!

click here to see CBS spot on Julian Beever
This interesting 5 minute feature by CBS tells more about Julian as an artist and how he accomplishes his work.

Discuss with your leaders:
*Is the perception of this final picture the true reality?  How is this similar to each person's personal paradigm?
*Why is it important for this artist to begin with the end in mind?
*Could he reach this amazing final product without doing each small step along the way?
*How is persistence important for long-term projects and goals?

Do with your leaders:
*After watching these videos, your students may be inspired to use colored chalk.  Why not give them some and set them loose to create on the playground?  Maybe they would like to write a quote, draw a scene, or decorate a habit.  Having time to create is a great way to sharpen the saw.  You may want to have them begin with the end in mind and create a draft on paper first.

7 Habits on Quizlet

Click here for a set of Quizlet 7 Habits Cards
Are you familiar with Quizlet?  One way my daughter and her friends survived science last year was making flashcard sets together on Quizlet.  After your cards are made, you can test yourself or play games to do some more studying.  The other day I was on Quizlet and found this set of 7 Habits cards.  Give it a try, or make your own set.  Think of subjects you teach where students need to memorize vocabulary words
and their definitions.

Bruno Mars Sings "Don't Give Up"

Click here for the video of Bruno Mars Singing
You've gotta love the street, Sesame Street that is.  Bruno Mars sings a song with the Muppets about not giving up.  I think this would be a great song to have playing on a loop as our students are entering the cafeteria for an assembly.  Even though it is aimed at younger kids, the tune could get stuck in anyone's head!
In case you want the lyrics:
Lyrics and Music for "Don't Give Up" click here
Lyrics with music are a great way to promote reading fluency.
And whatever it is that you have been trying lately - don't give up!

212 Degrees

Click here for 212 Degree Video

Perseverance is not a long race:
It is many short races,
One after another.
-Walter Elliot
This video is perfect to show if students have been turning in assignments that show minimal effort.  At 211 degrees, water is hot.  At 212 degrees, it boils - and can power a locomotive.







Discuss:
*What does it mean that one degree of effort separates the good from the great?
*Who is responsible for the results in your life?
*What does the video say about attitude?
*What does this phrase from the video mean?
            We can never help another without helping ourselves. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
*How does it help to have a clearly defined goal to help us reach the extra degree?
Do:
*Have students write down areas in their lives where they need to turn up the heat.  To help inspire their writing, replay the video again, but only so they can hear the music.  Encourage them to try to keep writing the entire time the music is playing.  Ask if they need to have it played a second time to continue writing.
*Have students redo an assignment that was mediocre

Just the Way We Like It

My son left for Nicaragua today.  I hope everything during his trip is just the way he likes it.  Let me explain...
Last year my sister-in-law taught us that when you are traveling, and things are unpredictable or go wrong, if you say, "This is just the way we like it," you feel better about the situation.  I was fortunate to have a sabbatical that winter, so I took my family to Costa Rica.  At one point we were kind of lost, looking for our lodging, walking and sweating in the heat, rolling our suitcases down the road, surrounded by rainforest.  My son looked at me and said, "Hey mom, this is just the way we like it."  It made us smile.  And truly, it was just the way we liked it - we love the story of how a man found and helped us by carrying our suitcases the rest of the way in a wheelbarrow!  Next time things aren't going the way you want at school or at home, give it a try.  Say, "This is just the way I like it."  (If you want to see the cute open-air bungalow where we stayed, see my earlier post about being off the grid).

Our kind wheelbarrow helper...just the way we like it!

This is just the way we like it - hot, sweaty, a little lost.