New Years Resolutions 2018
New Year’s resolutions began about 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. For the Babylonians, the New Year did not begin in January but mid-March when they planted their new crops. During this time they would vow to pay off debts and return borrowed farm equipment. Though the meaning has changed, we still make vows for the New Year. New Year's is a good time for your students to reflect on their past year, resolve to improve in areas of concern and to discuss their successes and failures. From a growth mindset perspective, resolutions provide students an opportunity to be reflective learners. Just for fun, have your students share their definitions of a New Year's resolution, and the resolutions they have made with their families, you can share too.
Book of the Month
Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange with paintings by Kadir Nelson captures the Civil Rights Movement and honors Coretta Scott King. As a child, Coretta had to walk five miles to school on the dusty roads of Heiberger, Alabama. Coretta would watch buses carrying white children pass her and learned that separate was not equal. Coretta Scott experienced the unfairness of life in the segregated south and longed for equality. Together with Martin Luther King, Jr., she gave birth to a vision of change through nonviolent protest. It was the beginning of a journey to obtain freedom for all.
Coretta Scott is available in Springfield Public Schools Libraries.
What's In Your Tool Box
A Better Way to Praise from The Growth Mindset by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley.
"You are so smart" we often hear staff say, as personal praise for students who are excelling academically. The problem with this type of praise is it implies the student is successful because of their inherent talent and not their efforts. On the other hand, “process praise” acknowledges the student's effort, strategies, or actions. Process praise can result in students demonstrating positive attitudes, taking on new challenges and developing a growth mindset. As you offer process praise it is an opportunity to interact with the student ask questions about the strategies they used and what they learned from their success and failures. Making these connections develops mindset and habits that will carry them far in the future.
