Mo Physics Mo Problems

Our 3rd EdCamp Elmbrook is coming up on March 2nd. From communication to organization, the planning of this event has required me to grow in many different ways. The biggest area of growth for me has been asking for help. Not simply asking for help from colleagues in the district. Part of hosting the event has been asking for help from potential sponsors. Seeking out sponsors used to mean going from business to business asking for donations face to face.  Or, getting a list of phone numbers and calling them one by one with a prepared script. Oh how times have changed. In the age of social media and email, it has become so much easier to reach out to and find potential sponsors. Sponsors of events no longer need to be local. The ability to connect with companies digitally has been a great boon for our EdCamp. It creates a wonderful two way street where they can help us with support for our event while we can share out their presence at our event and help build brand awaren...

I have been reading Tamara Letter's new book A Passion for Kindness . Although I am not finished with it yet, it has created a lot of space for personal reflection and action. When I finish the book, I hope to speak more on the actions. But for now I'd like to use this space for a bit of reflection. When Tamara outlines creating a culture of kindness, she describes the process as CULTIVATE Kindness. It is not a simple creation, it is an intentional process that is multi-faceted. The word cultivate brings to mind a gardening metaphor.  As an avid gardener, I understand the many variables that play into a successful harvest. Tamara outlines the variables that play into being able to cultivate kindness in her book. C–Compassion (desire to act to improve another's situation) U–Understand (understand rather than making assumptions) L–Listen (listen for meaning behind the words) T–Take Time (sacrifice your time for another's needs) I–Inspire (actions can lead ...

As a professional I take great pride in the freedoms I have in terms of implementing state standards and designing a curriculum with the goal of reaching all learners. But these things that are expected of my. The one professional accomplishment I have been most proud of the last two years is the EdCamp I helped found in my school. It has required the work and support of many other people to make it happen. But, I realize that without my first step of putting up the following post on my blog and sharing it through our district's Google+ Community , it never would have happened. As we gear up for our 3rd EdCamp Elmbrook on March 2nd, I wanted to share some reason's why YOU should come to Brookfield Central that day and be part of the EdCamp Experience. The reason I champion the experience is for all of the great learning that I get from other educators in my content area and beyond. More than learning from them, they become a part of my personal learning network. I know that...