Change Ruts - Adopt Life-Changing Habitudes

If you approach teaching and learning more as a detective, what would happen? Angela Maiers explores clues and possibilities in her innovative 21st century approach to Classroom Habitudes. Through detective work, Angela shares collected tools to stir imagination, curiosity, perseverance, self awareness, courage and adaptability, -- the six habitudes.

Twenty-first century students, well-rehearsed in fast-paced video games, can out-maneuver me any day with their dexterity and skill. Sound familiar? They think differently because historically, they're oriented to the world through more visual approaches. In fact teens read less than they did in past. Angela Maiers tosses out practical approaches for teachers craving a lifeline to connect to digitally oriented students.

Intriguingly, Angela's new book, Classroom Habitudes, pitches questions, problem-solving, creating, inventing and collaboration as desired skills of today's and tomorrow's businesses. Students do not obtain such skills by completing worksheets or day after monotonous day. Many teachers today are looking for helps past this disconnect because old methods don't work and actually prevent students from tapping their brains. Here're several disconnects...

Student

bored by worksheet - Bombarding students with information can actually shut down learning. To escape, some children daydream. Getting students to "play with ideas" at any age activates the brain for doing rather than passivity.

turned off by teacher talk with no opportunity to respond - Remember lectures that bored you? No wonder brainpower dies daily in our schools. Move Brainpower into Reconfigured Learning.

cringes and shrinks inside when teacher names him/her to gain attentiveness - Yelling or reprimands can trigger cortisol in a student's brain. Angela provides teachers with several "Anchor Lessons" to provide stimulating classroom conversations that engage students so that students are attentive. This leads serotonin, a brain hormone of well-being to flow in learners' brains.

has no opportunity to use multiple gifts and talents - Angela questions tired practice that shuts down many learners... "Couldn't there be an assignment in addition to coloring shapes that maybe included handing them blank sheets of paper and asking them to invent and name a shape that no one has ever hear of before...?"

To zero in on Courage Angela, takes a closer view - with students. She models strategies teachers can use in classes right away by providing lessons and suggested teacher prompts she uses with students. The five lessons:

Looking Fear in the Face
Taking Action
Get Uncomfortable
Courageous Conversation
Everyday Heroes

Maiers challenges, "As learners, you put yourself at risk of falling into learning traps when you do not expose yourself to challenge and discomfort." As I read this, I asked, "Do teachers also need courage to expose themselves to discomfort as they begin to use 21st century methods by giving up the comfort of worksheets, teacher talk, and pointing out a student to gain attention?" What do you think? Here's a list of brainstormed possibilities Angela shares:

• Talk to someone new today
• Ask a question [maybe several throughout the day]
• Challenge something [respectfully] a teacher or person in authority says
• Try a new genre
• Teach a classmate [colleague] how to do something
• Speak publicly - Teach something to a group
• Learn a new skill or strategy
• Draw something to capture idea
• Become a character

You build your courage muscle like any other in your body-the more you stretch it, the more you work it out, the stronger it becomes. Muscle and brain work require lifelong maintenance. Just because you lifted weights once--does not give you strength for life. Stretching and building your courage is a daily, lifelong workout! Happy lifting!... Angela Maiers

Angela, as you challenge others and me to change past practice, you actually encourage us to give our working memory a workout to override ruts. That can be very discomforting. But, as you point out the more you practice doing different activities, the less discomfort you experience. Good news is that the brain's plasticity enables us to change those tired routines that no longer work well in 21st century schools. Students might also benefit from specific software programs as Resources for Teachers and Students in addition to the excellent selected readings.

Thanks for forging ahead to publish Classroom Habitudes. What a huge leap! You model courage, perseverence, imagination and adaptability. Keep up your excellent work.

Obtain your copy at LuLu.

Spend Time and Save Time Simultaneously

I read a phrase in Liz Strauss's blog yesterday that stuck, Spend Time and Save Time Simultaneously. She added, "Time is a paradox of meaningful or meaningless moments. We can lose track of it. We can waste it or wait for our time to be over. She concluded, "I need to spend more time that I can save as memories." To spend time well, I sense, is akin to creating a great work of art.

Dreams or goals do not come about haphazardly, as if I painted with daubs and splashes as Jackson Pollock. Without planning, the end result's likely haphazard. And, I'd live with regrets rather than the meaningful moments Liz mentions.

Milestones and Memories make a difference in the way you and I choose to spend time. How? Milestones are accomplishments attained...Memories are made by spending precious times with those we love. Balance between the two is critical...

Interestingly, Ellen Weber once shared, "You cannot give to others unless you are filled and happy within yourself." The younger Robyn ran on empty because she gave and gave to everyone and consequently ran on fumes... Do you ever find yourself in this position?

On the other hand, when I began to top off my tank, such as when I took four years out to earn a PhD, I reached a milestone -- that filled a need within and part of a larger dream. And now when I give to others, there's balance between milestones and memories. A work of art in progress...

Rick Cockrum at Shards of Consciousness tagged me to share what habits I have to achieve my goals. Here's how this works for me...

1. Fulfill a Dream. Begin here. When reading Natalie Goldberg's books on writing, she suggested that readers write details about a dream. I discovered I didn't have a dream. So, I prayed for one that would bring meaning. It took time and the answer came unexpectedly. But when I caught hold of the dream, I began to organize to save and spend simultaneously my minutes, hours, days, weeks... I tapped gifts and talents that had shriveled.

2. Make an Action Plan. By having an action plan to reach a goal, I break down steps, which I jot into a daily planner or calendar. In past, that was missing and I "winged my days" so to speak. When I began to see the big picture, I did not get caught in the moment by pressing circumstances. This only happens when I...

3. Create a Daily Checklist. That includes time for tasks such as, work priorities, exercise, family events, reading and writing, well-balanced meals and fun, too. There's a sense of accomplishment as I scratch these off. The secret's not to include more than is humanly possible to accomplish in a day.

4. Plan a reward system. To accomplish major milestones, rewards along the way work well. I'm very human. The milestone can seem very distant and it's so easy for a person like me, who built procrastination into her basal ganglia for years, to fall back. Rewards are a great way to stick to the path. Plan times and kinds of rewards... Here's a hint -- avoid food rewards.

5. Reflect to adjust and change. Daily reflection helps me see where I am, what is working well and what needs changing.

6. Celebrate. Share share plans and dreams with others who care about you. These folks then encourage you along the journey. And because they're very much aboard, celebrate with them as you reach milestones. Because you are filled, you'll spill over to others in meaningful ways.

Rick, these are the steps that made a dream a reality for me - that lifted me from a place of merely flowing with the tide. I've learned to spend time and save time simultaneously...by setting goals and having a system to insure I follow through with them...as in a realistic painting.

Why Do It Today?

At times, I have problems buckling down to start work on major projects. The immediate begs for attention and I let go of the bigger picture. Do you experience this, too? Procrastination is a problem that plagues many... Unfortunately there's consequences to pay, just as in the fable, "The Grasshopper and the Ant." Here's a closer look..

Hall of Procrastinators
Just look at this lineup! Note any patterns?

Perfectionists Sense that if a task can't be done perfectly, there's no great incentive to even start.

Peter Pans (Never grow up) Syndrome Seek to maintain a childlike world without responsibilities or unpleasant tasks. You're only young once, but you can remain immature indefinitely.

Adrenaline Addicts Like the rush of meeting last minute deadlines. They're thrilled by putting their all into a project that must be completed by midnight!

Bit Players fear success since they will be in the limelight and will be called on to accomplish and beat past records. Thus, success should be avoided.

Baby Boomers expect much. The Boomers had much given to them and many were raised without personal obligation. They sense they're owed.

Buck Passers hope someone else will do it. And if someone else does not take charge, maybe it doesn't need doing after all. Many of these folks let outside circumstances dictate their lives. They're not at the helm of life.

People Pleasers can't say "no." Pleasers have an overbooked calendar and they just can't do all they've committed themselves to do.

Cowardly Lions fear criticism, embarrassment and disapproval. Their nonassertive behaviors perpetuate procrastination through lack of confidence and activity.

No American Idols pull back so they don't damage self worth. Many people see self-worth in the ability to perform well. Procrastination provides an out - so they don't have to perform.

Try this...Keep track of how you spend time...how much you daydream, talk on the phone or converse with others at work during a day. Results reveal where minutes fly away.

How do proscrastinators bust barriers that halt them? Procrastinators've programmed their brain over a lifetime to let tasks go 'till near deadline. Changing a lifetime habit isn't easy but it can be done...Consider recent research about the brain...

Our brain has amazing plasticity. And just by practicing different approaches, people form new routines. How? Each time folks use one of the strategies listed below, for instance, they rewire their brain differently. And potential's here to become the person you really want to be...

Plan Backwards and set starting times Use a planner and jot down times and tasks for each day as you take on bite-size pieces.

Check off Daily Tasks When Complete There's satisfaction to cross off tasks accomplished.

Select Work Space with Ambiance and No Distraction Create an environment to work alone...where others can't bug you. Maybe that means turning off the phone and deactivating computer games and email. Fix surroundings so they are pleasant and tidy.

Use a Time Clock Try to work really hard for 20-30 minutes at first. That's not too long and you will be surprised at what you accomplish when you put your all into the project for that short space daily. Sandy Renshaw recommends working with a time clock.

Reward Yourself at Increments When you reach "milestones along the way," buy that sports jersey, game ticket, new shoes or spa treatment as a reward.

Discuss Specifics with Others Share progress with others and capture new insights and perspectives.

Let Mistakes Go So you miss a day. Don't beat up on yourself. Let it go and forge ahead as if it didn't happen.

Just Do It As NIKE and athletes proclaim! Begin. And like the Little Engine that Could, give your brain new self-talk, I think I can, I think I can...and before you know it, you will complete it - on time.

At times, I battle procrastination. And writing this post was great review to put myself on the right path. I'm about 85% there. You?