Never stop questioning. Think for yourself. Remain ever curious.
Advice from Einstein, to every scholar, and by scholar, I mean every one of us:
“Words started to mean not just something, but everything.”
I’m looking forward to teaching The Book Thief, by Markus Zukas this semester. Reading and writing our way through trauma can save us, sustain us. Not just in the pages of an imaginary universe. In real life, too. I know books saved me many times.
We’re also be reading Fahrenheit 451 this semester. Our discussions will focus around knowledge & education, censorship, power and authority, fear, risk, survival, reading, story and identity. It’s going to be a fun environment with great discussions. There are so many parallels to contemporary events.
Why, for instance, do some people fear words, and books, so much so that they ban them? Why are 62 million girls out of school, globally? Why did the Taliban shoot Malala Yousafzai in the head to keep her from getting an education? What were they afraid of? And, perhaps just as importantly, why was a young Malala so willing to risk so much to go to school each day? Why wasn’t she afraid (or was she?). Either way, she risked her life to learn. To see.
We’re reading and writing about interesting other stuff too. But this is going to shape our semester.
Welcome to Spring 2016! ~Lisa
“Never question ability, always improve strategy.”
Here’s a visual guide to fostering a growth mindset in the classroom. I linked a video to Angela Duckworth’s excellent TedTalk on the subject at the bottom of this post.
I hope you found this infographic helpful. If you need more information on how to foster grit and a a growth mindset in your classroom, feel free to reach out in the comments.
Best,
Lisa, aka The Happy Teacher
Here are “15 Things to Give Up” to Get Happy.
This is good advice all year long, but especially at holiday time and as we look towards the new year.
You have the power to flip this script! It might read something like THIS:
-Believe in yourself.
-Think Positive
-Embrace Failure
-Build healthy relationships
-Engage in meaningful conversation
-Speak highly of yourself and others
-Live in Joy
-Eat to fuel your body
-Get up and go
-Positive Self talk
-One step at a time
-Go after Success
-Live in Simplicity
-Be Authentic
-Become comfortable putting yourself FIRST…or at least work up to putting yourself on the list. Take care of you!
When we give up the things holding us down, we make room for more goodness and opportunity to enter our lives.
Drop us a note in the comments on which of these you are planning to give up in the New Year, or turn the phrase around (flip the script) and tell us what you WILL be doing in the days, weeks and months to come to live a healthy, happy life.
And as we approach the holiday season of light and love, we want to offer our appreciation and gratitude to our amazing tribe (that’s all of you–our readers–from all over the world) who make this community a better, brighter, and more vibrant place. THANK YOU.
All the best,
~~Lisa (aka, The Happy Teacher!)
Want to connect with us on facebook? Do that by clicking right here. If you’re on Pinterest, you can find us right here. Grazie!
The simple but true writing advice I give my students:
![be-authentic[1].jpg](https://image-store.slidesharecdn.com/709829ea-d535-48f2-9e60-30d8edc617dc-medium.jpeg)
Truth! And this is true not just in writing, but in teaching, too. Let students see at least a little bit of the real you. Authentic connections lead to engaged, connected classrooms.
Happy Saturday, friends,
Lisa (aka The Happy Teacher)
College Ready 