It's the Music!

So, Kole has had his driver's permit for a month now.  As with Ky, I am doing the "gradual release model" of driving with Kole--Kev will tell me when I can handle it!  So, 2 weeks ago, I was given the "go".  I don't recall me driving with Ky this quickly, but I trust the former driver's ed instructor.

There have been only a few "blunders" so far--hitting the curb, not yielding in parking lots ("But there wasn't a stop sign"), being asked "So, I don't need to stop at this red light do I?" (turning right on a red).  Most of my experiences with him have been driving to/from Sandlot on 290.  Today I discovered, it's not his driving that makes me not want to partake in the experience--rather, it's his choice of music!  Our rule is the driver controls the radio station.  I'm thinking we might need to revise that rule.

DMC. BCD.

Today I was called into a KGN room.  This teacher had been trying to explain an additional consequence of not following directions.  She was trying to explain the DMC (detention management classroom) to the stident, but the student thought it sounded like fun.  She had asked me to try to explain it so it didn't sound so much fun!  Now normally I'd give them a tour of the DMC, but today that class was being used for voters.  So I instead started explaining what happens in the DMC room, trying to make it sound miserable!  When I get all done, I asked the student what they learned from our conversation.  Student's response:  "Well I better follow directions because the BCD room doesn't sound fun!" 

Gotta love them!

EFFORT

OK, my brain goes off on tangents sometimes, and I guess this last week has been one of them, so bare with me! 

I just completed an online course today about effort.  Providing students specific feedback about their effort can increase academic achievement.  This reiterated a presenter I heard a month ago speaking that recognizing students' specific effort can increase their academic achievement by 30 percentile gains--that's HUGE!  So, that got me thinking about effort.  Here are my "effort" thoughts that I've seen become a reality over the past few weeks:

~When you receive a grade lower than you want, it takes EFFORT to bring that grade up to the desired standard--Take that PoliSci and Geometry!
~Going to the cages night after night, takes EFFORT to increase the power of hitting--but the pay-off is huge!
~Trying to come up with a menu and grocery list each week requires EFFORT, unfortunately I'm not giving enough effort in that area.  Still can't figure out why I'm struggling so much with that this year!
~Working with the most challenging children who "push their teacher's buttons" takes EFFORT, but it is so rewarding when I see the changes being made!
~Thinking about the holidays ahead and NOT getting stressed about it requires EFFORT, but it'll all be good!  It always is!
~Riding with the newest driver in the house and biting my tongue requires EFFORT--that's why it's still Kev's task mainly!

So, where will I challenge my effort this week?  Maybe try to blog more than once a month, try for at least 3 "real, home-cooked meals", recognize at least 5 staff members for their efforts,  try to make Kev's last football game (missed everyone this year), giving equal or more effort to my family as I do at work.  Think I'll be busy!

What a Great Family Weekend!

WOW--what a fabulous family weekend!

Ky had her first water polo tournament at A&M.  Her first few weeks of college water polo weren't exactly what she was hoping for--no real coach and having to clean up Kyle Field after football games (especially the beer bottles) was not making it a win-win for her!  4 practices a week, 2 hours each night was putting a cramp in her studying so her goal was to make 2 practices a week.  She qualified for the Florida trip, but had a lab she couldn't reschedule.  So we were a little unsure how SAT was going to go--would her heart totally be in it?  After reading a blog she posted earlier in the week, I knew she'd be "game-on"!  It was so exciting seeing her play again.  And of course, we were the loudest parents cheering the Ags on!  She had to play her second to least favorite position (goalie being her very least favorite position!)  but she did so with passion!  She got beat-up quite a bit and ejected once in the first game and twice in the second game--Dad was so proud of her physical attitude!  (3 ejections and she would have been thrown out of the game!)  Her Ags team won 1 and lost 2, but she came out a winner.  It appeared her "is this all worth it?" question about polo was answered--Yes, it is!

While Kev and I were at A&M, Kole stayed in Houston with the Hettiger's to play in a tournament.  Anne and Steve were texting us play by play what was going on.  The Sandlot Swarm split the day 1-1.  But today we were back in town to watch him play.  He was so on--great hitting and dominating second base.  Superman was back making some of the plays he did!  What I'm most proud of is his effort--he's been working really hard lately trying to get out to the cages every night to hit, even when he's super-tired.  Hopefully this weekend he realized all his effort is paying off!

A weekend filled with watching our kids "do their thing"!