Kids Notice...

If you ever get a chance to attend a Todd Whitaker presentation.....YOU BETTER DO IT!  

Last week educators in our district had the pleasure to see Todd Whitaker speak.  To us!  In our suburbia district in Kansas!  WHAT!?!  We were so jazzed...I mean he is one of the leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership and principal effectiveness.   And....let me tell you...it was  dynamic!

There were so many amazing statements he made, but the one that stuck with me the most is: "The only person in the classroom that should know you are in a bad mood is....You."  This stuck with me.   Not that I am in a bad mood frequently...but lets face it....we all know we have bad days, and we also know those teachers that CONSISTENTLY have bad days.  BUT, why should the kids know we are having a bad day??

When teachers love their jobs, students notice. When teachers are having fun, students notice.  When teachers are excited and enthusiastic about the content they teach, students notice. When teachers are counting down the days until summer, students notice.  When teachers are are grumpy because of X,Y,Z, students notice.  It turns out student's notice A LOT!  

This school year students will be noticing my positivity and enthusiasm.  What will the students notice about you?

I should also point out that Todd has written over 50 books!! FIFTY!!  I honestly don't know if this man sleeps...

I have had the please of reading two of them.....What Great Teachers Do Differently and School Culture Rewired.  I highly recommend School Culture Rewired for any first year principal--it was a quick and easy read that included strategies on how to define and improve a building's culture.   At this point I don't have any aspirations on becoming a building principal, but if I did...I'd be STUDYING this book! :)

Flashback Friday.....The BEST game!

So this is my last official day of summer.

That picture pretty much sums up how I feel.

So.....since school is quickly rapidly approaching I thought I would have a #FlashbackFriday to a great team builder game to use a the beginning of the year.

It is called The Best Game....because that is exactly what it is.....THE BEST GAME!

You can download the game for FREE at my TPT store by clicking here.....

You can read ALL about it on the old blog post, by clicking here.....

Now, if you don't believe that it truly is THE BEST GAME......look at the smiles on these kiddo's faces...

Or if you want further proof.....check out these reviews.

I'm not lying people. 

You, and your class, should try it this year!

Oh....and happy start to the school year!

The BEST Game--A Team Builder

Many of us have been in school for weeks, while some are just beginning.

Regardless of the amount of time you have spent with your students.....there is always room for team building! :)

One of my favorite team building games to play is called The Best Game.  How great is that title??  I mean the title alone should tell you that you need to play it!

I have played this game with kids AND adults---and everyone always has a great time! The purpose of this game is for students (or adults) to get to know one another and showcase completely random talents and skills.

Here's a quick snapshot of how to play the game. Keep reading for tips and tricks on how to play the game and how to get the game delivered straight to your inbox!

I always pass out the category cards to the teams and let them collaboratively decide who gets what card--this is a great way to get kids talking and becoming a "team."  Side note: Please ignore my ugly index cards....I ran out of time to cut out cute category cards. Ha!

Here is one of the category competitions in action.....It was "The Farthest.....to throw a paper airplane."  

If you are looking for a great game to get kids talking, working as a team and having fun......then The BEST Game is the game for you!

Play it....you won't regret it!