Summer Reading Bundle for Educators: Keep Reading, Continue Learning

It has been quite a while since my last bundle of books.  So, with Summer upon us here are the latest books to get you reading.

My Professional Choice is Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske. If you are a school counselor then this is a must read.  Sensory Processing Disorder can vary so much from person to person.  Proprioceptive.  Vestibular. Sensory Registration.  Sensory Defensiveness.  And on and on.  These kids are in every school and it has been my experience that we are not proactively accommodating and advocating for them with fidelity.  It is my opinion that the school counselor is the go-to person for this type of information and needs to have a strong reservoir of knowledge from which to draw and collaborate effectively with the school community.  This book is a wonderful resource and will make a significant difference in enhancing your awareness and understanding.  (And this book, too-- The Out of Sync Child-- Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder  by Carol Kranowitz).

Every summer I make an effort to read authors that I probably should have read, but never got around to it.  With the recent death of Ray Bradbury, I decided for my Personal Choice to read a couple of his--Dandelion Wine and Fahrenheit 451.  I just started Dandelion Wine and it is a magically wonderful tribute to childhood summers.  Read this and it will set your mind right for the entire summer.

My Kid Lit pick this time around is This Plus That: Life's Little Equations by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.  This author looks at things we see each and every day and turns them into something fresh and vibrant.  And always with a little bit wonder and a smidgen of whimsy. Click here for a book trailer.   I read this book as part of a classroom lesson and then asked the students to create their own equations.  Here are a few:  Problem + School Counselor = Solution, Good Book + Free Time = Great Adventure, and Hard Work + Determination = Goal Accomplished. Give it a try with your students.  I guarantee you will be showered with creativity and original thinking.

As always, over to the left are the links to these books-- Books To Inspire.

Enjoy. Keep reading.  Keep learning.

The Learning Shoe

My friend, Stephen Hurley, over at Teaching Out Loud put out this fun, thought-provoking post about what type of shoe most represents your style of teaching. I briefly commented, but thought it deserved a post all of its own. So here it is.

Hiking boots most represent my style as a counselor educator.

They are good for Exploring. There is a lot to see, experience, and learn out there in the world… and it is usually off the beaten path. For me, there is nothing like getting out to nature to ratchet up self-discovery, as well as the discovery of what life has to offer. I’ve discussed in the past the importance of being comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Making oneself vulnerable is OK. Taking acceptable risks definitely gets one out of a well-worn rut and can be growth-producing. Hiking boots allow you to put yourself out there and be open to that sort of experience. With a bit of effort there are opportunities and possibilities there for the taking.

They are also durable, reliable, steady…. made for the long haul. Hiking boots are usually not swift of foot, but built to get you through the tough moments. They are meant to get messy, scuffed-up, and dirty. Hiking boots provide Support to get you up the tough climbs and down the steep descents, too. Life and learning is a lot like this.

A good hike in this type of shoe cleanses the palette of the mind and puts things in perspective for objective and meaningful Understanding. Sometimes learning can be confounding. Sometimes we need to reframe our thought process. From confusion comes the A-ha moments. My preferred shoe of choice for educating does just that.

Exploration. Support. Understanding. Effort. This is my approach to teaching.

I just may need to start wearing hiking boots to school!

But what about you? What is the shoe to represent your style of teaching? (By the way, Stephen’s are Hush Puppies).

Learning Is A Leap Of Faith

This short video piece is so awesome I can't help but smile.  Maybe you've seen it.  It's this girl about to ski jump for the first time. She is at the top peering down trying to talk herself through this scary, uncertain moment.

Think about it.  Significant practice and effort led her to this precipice.  Now, here she is.... Can she do it?  Will she do it?  What is holding her back?  What will allow her to go through with the experience?

Watch this: As she says, Here goes something, I guess.

Did you notice the voices in the background of the people teaching and coaching her through this leap of faith?  Encouraging, not hollering.  Patiently talking her through the jump. Totally supportive of her endeavor at this place and in this moment. To me it is beautiful to behold.

For the past few years I have engaged in a lot of thought and discussion about getting comfortable with feeling uncomfortable, the growth mindset, and the process of learning.  To me and my way of thinking, this video encapsulates that:  being flexible and fluid rather than rigid and stuck; being open and willing to take that step into the unknown, as well as nurturing and being fully present for someone.

Hopefully, we have all had such moments.  The first (and only) time I went scuba diving was one. Watching my kids ride a bike for the first time was another.  The moment college algebra equations finally clicked was yet another. How about you?  What leap of faith learning experiences have you encountered?

I believe we all need to hoot and holler (like the girl in the video) over our accomplishments! Let me hear you!

Filter

Filter. 

That is the word I chose to reflect the way I want to live in 2012. 

Why Filter?  Some foods have been giving me wicked headaches and I decided it was high time to be mindful of what I put in my body.  Food-related headaches were wiping me out.

As I pondered this I also decided to Filter what/how I thought and the manner in which I spoke as well.  Sometimes I find myself fretting over that which I have no control.  Other times I found myself wanting to be more mindful with how my words were being received by others. 

Filter seemed to be a good fit for the word I selected to emulate in the the year 2012.

So,  as Fate would have it, just as I began to acquire a comfort level with my blogging voice and used that as a springboard to Twitter and picked Filter as my word for 2012 you will never guess what happened next. I was diagnosed with left vocal fold paralysis.  I literally lost my voice. 

No one wants to hear the word paralysis applied to oneself. 

Not ever.

This got my attention.

On the day of my diagnosis, I came home to find this on my NPR feed:  How My Voice Went Silent.

What a coincidence.  The same day I learn of my left vocal fold paralysis an NPR reporter writes an article about his own diagnosis with it.  Small world. The timeliness of reading his article was uncanny and helped so much to realize I was not the only one to experience such a thing.

Naturally, going though something like this provided the opportunity for me to learn about myself very quickly.  There is no ignoring or putting it off for later.  One thing I learned-- no matter how I try, I do not think I truly appreciate something until I no longer have it.  Everyone is probably like that.  I took my voice for granted-- the sound of it, the laugh, a whisper, a shout, everything...

Another thing I learned, crazy as it seems, is I did not worry over it.  It did not cause me to be afraid.  Nor did I have any anger regarding it. I accepted it from the get-go. That definitely helped me to move forward.

My word for the year is playing a part in my Voice coming back.  I Filtered-out the words and patterns of habit that could be unhealthy and negative and Filtered-in thoughts and beliefs that were positive and healing.  It is definitely an on-going challenge, but one that is making me better.  Isn't that what it is all about? 

What is your word for 2012 and how is it progressing thus far for you?  If you have yet to select your word I encourage you to do so. It could make all the difference.

Make Your Day

Watch this short film, Caine's Arcade.  It will make your day. 

Creativity. (check) Imagination. (check) Passion. (check) Engaging. (check) Charming. (check)

The story of Caine and his arcade has spread like wild fire.  If you have yet to watch this, please do.  It is something to behold. 

To me, Caine is the epitome of the saying, "Do what you like, like what you do."

Enjoy.  I am off to buy a Fun Pass.

Set Your Intentions #6

The sea is dangerous and its storms terrible, but these obstacles have never been sufficient reason to remain ashore...unlike the mediocre, intrepid spirits seek victory over those things that seem impossible...it is with an iron will that they embark on the most daring of all endeavors...to meet the shadowy future without fear and conquer the unknown.
                                  ~Ferdinand Magellan

Flashbacks to Good Grief

I've been devoting some time connecting my dots as a Counselor by reflecting on the path that has taken me to this point.  If you have missed the previous posts here they are-- Flashbacks to a New Counselor and Flashbacks to the Pirate Counselor.

Flashback
Shock and numbness has found its way to you as a consequence of these deaths which have occurred within the school community.  At the same time a hyper-awareness and heightened sensitivity is also present.  The impact of the deaths, the media scrutiny, and high degree of need by the student body/community is overwhelming.

Words to live by to the Rookie Counselor Me: Death and Dying. There is no preparation for this. Not really. You'll read plenty of books on the subject. You will go to workshops about critical incident stress management and attend conferences about suicide and the like.

People are going to die. You will genuinely try to support the people they leave behind. Mostly you need to be there for them. Listen.  Let their voices be heard.  It is important that they feel as if you truly hear their story of grief.

I think you will know what to do by the feel and instinct of the circumstances.  You will need to measure the moment, for this is a sensitive subject.  Every person, every family has their own beliefs on how it should be dealt with and what customs to follow.  Some do so very privately.  Others quite publicly.  Some want support.  Others insulate themselves from it. There is no one way.  No correct way.  Just the personal way; the way that finds you and nestles close to your heart.

All this leads to what this post is really meant to convey--Self Care.  Caring for Yourself is all about You.  And, if you think about it, that is about the last thing a Counselor does day-in and day-out while in the school house.  Self-care is easier to do then you may think and yet harder to realize when you need to do it. 

So, if you are reading this I need your assistance. I would like you to help all our Future Selves. I have created a google document where you may list what works for you.  Consider sharing your passions, that which gives you joy, activities which recharge you or puts you in the Flow (Mihaly Csikszentmihaly/Flow).  Anything that helps you care for yourself.

Here is the Google Document: Self-Care for Your Future Self. Thanks for your support and contribution.  I am curious to learn what self-care looks like for you.