Tag Archives: Education

“Alphabet Meditations” by Nancy Oelklaus

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Reviewed 06/27/2009 by  Rebecca Boudin

There are people out there who do not understand what the life of a teacher is like.  They’re not difficult to find.

alphabet_meditationsThey’re the ones who think teachers have an easy job, one that pays far too much for only nine months of work out of the year.

They’re the ones who might not admit it, but really think our educators are nothing more than glorified babysitters.

Only those of us who have gotten a glimpse at a teacher’s life, either by doing or purposefully observing, truly understand how much work a teacher is expected to do.

There are lessons to plan, papers to grade, parents to meet, meetings to attend, classrooms to design and decorate, fights to settle, discipline to be determined, etc.

Contrary to popular belief, a teacher’s job does not end when the final bell rings.

Nancy Oelklaus is someone who understands all the stresses and strains of an educator.  In her book, Alphabet Meditations for Teachers, she provides teachers with a way to refocus themselves and prepare for a new day in the classroom.

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Intergenerational Conversations

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Marge SchillerThis is the title of an article by PCC founder, Marge Schiller PhD.

As Marge says:

Schools and youth are agents of benefit for their communities and the world. They are the future. Sustainability of that future depends on human beings, young and old meeting our responsibility as stewards of the earth.

In this article, Marge talks about the benefits of creating space for intergenerational conversations and explains two of the foundational principles of PCC:

  1. Don’t do anything about me without me
  2. Maximum mix is magic

She shares some thoughts on how to proceed with such a gathering, and suggests three phases for maximum success.

Download  Intergenerational_Conversations

Voices of Learners October 12-16, 2009

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The week of October 12 is going to be different this year.  For an entire week, the eyes of Stark County citizens will turn to schools and youth.

The spotlight will shine on students and teachers, youth organizations and schools that are flourishing, that use their strengths to accomplish great things, and to make a difference in their communities.

PCC is co-sponsoring with the Stark County Educational Service Center an event that is not like anything Stark County has seen before.  Students, teachers, community leaders, parents, and visitors from near and far will convene conversations about excellence.

  • October 12 and 16 will be devoted to field site visits around Stark County and northeast Ohio
  • October 13 is the celebration kick-off at the new and beautiful GlenOak High School in Plain Local Schools
  • October 14 will be at the Timken Senior High School Campus, where students’ graduation rates and achievement are leaping upward
  • October 15 will be at Stark State College, a day to congratulate local schools of higher education for their many contributions to our community and our young people

Sound intriguing? We hope so!

If you’re from Stark County, we need you, your students and staff to help finalize our plans, nominate your outstanding programs, and to come join us as we explore teaching and learning in hands on, intergenerational groups.  It will be fun, join us – you’ll be glad you did!

And to those of you elsewhere in the world, please “Watch This Space”.

We’ll be posting some updates to share our journey with you between now and October – and we know we’ll have lots of news to share with you after the event!

Voices Of Learners Registration Form

Please email Joyce Lemke or call her on 330-705-0793 if you you have any questions or would like further information.

Joseph Renzulli – Words of Wisdom

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By personalizing instruction to match a child’s interests, strengths and learning styles, teachers find that students welcome more challenge and stretch their capacity to learn.

Prescriptive, remedial approaches to achievement are falling short.

Accountability for the truly educated mind in today’s knowledge-driven economy should first and foremost take account of high-end learning skills.

These are the learner-centered skills that grow young minds, promote genuine student engagement, and increase achievement.

Dr. Joseph Renzulli (Director,  National Research Center for the Gifted and Talented. University of Connecticut . Co-founder of Renzulli Learning)

The Power of Commitment

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nancy_headshot_sepia

This is the title of an inspiring article by Nancy Oelklaus, who is a former assistant superintendent of schools in Texas. Nancy is also an executive coach and the author of Journey from Head to Heart: Living and Working Authentically and Alphabet Meditations for Teachers.

Nancy describes ‘the invisible school’ – the billions of neuronal patterns that each of us is carrying around inside our heads. How we think about school. How we feel about each other.

This invisible school has its dark side – our negative responses to others’ imperfections and our tendency to analyse, judge and perhaps condemn.

But as Nancy says:

Since we are susceptible to the phenomenon of mirror neurons-being influenced by another person’s state of mind-we need to protect our brains from invasion by negativity.

A starting point is to write or draw or create in some visual form our commitment to our relationship with ourselves, parents, students, and colleagues. Following are some examples.

My hope is that these words inspire you to write your own commitments, read or write them every day, and have a more peaceful and rewarding experience in education.

Download The Power of Commitment