A Look Back: ADHD Diagnosis, Bullet Journal, Cube Timers, Brain Dump, Growth Mindset, Katie's Teacher Tea, & Encouraging Words

At the beginning of 2018 I had the goal of trying to a monthly post, but I had such a difficult time trying to keep up with posting on the last day of the month...whenever I do blog, it takes me a long time, usually several different times of sitting down and working on the photo collages I make, the subtitles, writing, and adding links.  I got so very discouraged...this post was originally started back in April, but wasn't close to being ready to publish...then I thought I would combine April & May, then I just abandoned it...I want to put it out there though, even if just one person benefits from it, then it is worth it.  I am sorry for my lack of consistency.  I hope to share a few more things as I look back at the 2017-2018...if nothing else I will have a record for me to look back at in the future.

April 2 I got my official ADHD Diagnosis...so what does that mean now?  Well, I have been watching lots of videos on YouTube, these are all channels that I have subscribed to...

listened to podcasts, these are some I subscribe to...

I subscribe to ADDitude Magazine's email...they send multiple great articles a week...

I also have been reading several books as well Answers to Distraction is by Dr. Hallowell {two of the podcasts above are his, & I have heard him as a guest on other shows} The Healing Power of the Breath was recommended by Dr. Hallowell, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is mainly because I teach at  Leader in Me School, but it fits with so much of what I am learning about my brain & more...now, I did also buy Taking Charge of Adult ADHD by Dr. Russell A. Barkley, but ....hmmm...not sure where it is!! {very ADHD}

I am learning all I can about ADHD, how my brain works, and how to make my life better/how to address the challenges I have struggled with my whole life...so, these are some of the things I am doing/using....

I had seen on Instagram & Pinterest pictures of Bullet Journals & I thought it seemed like way too much work, but then I watched the How to ADHD episode about Bullet Journals and saw them in a whole new light...it has structure & flexibility...everything is in one place...it can be simple or creative...I first started with a 70-page spiral binder to see if it would work for me...I really liked it and switched to what you see above..I have my mission statement taped to the inside cover, the next picture is of my index {the beauty of the Bullet Journal...you can put things anywhere, you just list it in the Index so you can find it easily}, next is a picture of half of my weekly/daily log {including my tracking of being In the Word before in the World}, next I have a page about my Word for 2018~Joy, as I shared above, I am reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & as I was reading I was struck by his idea of there being 'Lighthouse Principles' & so I did my own sketch note for that idea, one of my traits that seems to be a common ADHD trait is that I get really excited about things...for me frequently it is something new I have discovered, usually tied to learning &/or technology...I decided to periodically write down what I a currently excited about and date it, at the back of my Bullet Journal I am keeping a Book Log & Tracker...so far I am really liking my Bullet Journal & I feel like it is the right balance of organization/structure & creativity/freedom for me.

I can't remember where I first learned about the cube timer, but I started purchasing them as a part of my subscribe & save with Amazon, and I am loving them...for me it is a great tool to keep me on track for short amounts of time before and after school {more about that in the next section}...I like that they are tactile & I am not focused on the countdown like I sometimes am with a digital timer...I also love using them with my class!

I created this in the fall to help me get focused on what I need to do RIGHT NOW...I tend to use this before & after school, and at home on the weekends...I try to list only a few things at a time on the left with how much I want to accomplish {grade 5 papers} or for how long {7 min. organizing a specific area of my classroom}...as I am tempted to pull away to another task or when something pops into my mind when I am working, I list it in the brain dump~right side and that way I can come back to it later.  It has been a simple helpful tool for me.

I have been fascinated by Growth Mindset for several years, I love ClassDojo's video series about Growth Mindset is one of my favorite things about ClassDojo!  This board is a hybrid of two different sets that Amie has to offer...the first is from her store Glitter Meets Glue...I saw the glittery brain & got so excited that I bought it...I didn't take the time to READ the whole title...

then I found in her other TpT store PhotoClipz she had one for any classroom, but I couldn't resist using the glittery brain from the first set!...also, our school is a Leader in Me school & with Habit 1 we talk about using Proactive Language which fits with Growth Mindset perfectly!  This is one of my favorite boards in my classroom! {Amie has given permission to share this on my blog post...there just may be a new glittery version coming for regular classrooms ;-) I will add a link for it if and when that happens}

Katie Knight is one of the sweetest and kindest people I have met in the online teaching community...this spring for the third year she hosted a lovely tea for Southern California teachers in her beautiful home...it was wonderful to visit with old friends and meet new ones...and the food was incredible!  Such a wonderful afternoon!

To end this post, I have this taped into my Bullet Journal, it comes from the end of Jessica McCabe's TED talk and it is a reminder that I frequently need to reread. 

GYTO ~ Get Your Teach On National Conference

Last week I was so blessed to attend the Get Your Teach On National Conference in San Diego.  This conference was started by Deanna Jump & Hope King.  The focus of the conference was student engagement.  There were so many amazing presenters!  The energy was incredible during the whole 2 1/2 days!  2,500 teachers were pumped about teaching and you could see it, feel it, and hear it!

I was so glad to see my online & Teacher Meet Up friend Amy! We were in the 3rd-grade sessions together!  Melissa, my good friend, and first-grade teacher at my school attended the conference with me.  It was fun to spend time together and share about how this could have a positive impact on our school! We have already met once to share our thoughts, ideas, & inspiration from the conference.

I loved the whole 80s Rock Theme of the conference...we were even treated to an Arrowsmith cover band, Arrowmyth, to get us pumped up!  Hope and Wade King {they both teach at the Ron Clark Academy & coauthored The Wild Card} shared/presented together for the whole group as well as presenting in grade level sessions.  

For our grade level time we were in tables of 10, and we didn't just sit and listen, we sang, did call & responses with the presenters, did a breakout, worked with manipulatives, played games, had costumes, {glow glasses, lego glasses, spy hats & glasses, & superhero masks!} & worked together while having a BLAST!  I hope my students this coming year have as much fun learning as I did at this conference!

I loved ALL of our keynote speakers, but I have found myself reflecting on & pondering so many of the things that Michael Bonner said.  He became known for being on the Ellen Show {twice} after a video his 2nd-grade students made went viral.  Michael has such a huge heart for his students and it shows.  He found ways to help them have significant academic growth, but beyond that, seeing the joy & love in his students' faces tells the story I want to learn from! I have bought the Kindle version of his book Get Up or Give Up and have begun reading it. I am now following him on social media & I look forward to learning from him.

I was super excited to learn about Unicef's KID POWER program and I am super excited for my students to make a difference in the world just by getting up and moving to short videos, Kid Power Ups {brain break type videos similar to GoNoodle} & I have the app on my phone that is earning food packs called RUFTs for Guatemalans...if you know me or have been around my blog at all, you will know that my heart is connected to Guatemala & it thrills me that just walking can help others there!

It was great to see and talk to Deanna Jump again, she has such a big heart and touching story, see Hope King again {and although she has now met literally thousands of teachers across the country she did remember me from the previous times we had met} and meet & talk withWade King. Many of the individuals who are a part of Get Your Teach On have written books, presented a numerous conferences, and are connecting with thousands of teachers through social media...for one main purpose to encourage & help teachers so that our students are learning and growing...they are creating an Education Revolution!!  Check out the Rock Your School Event and join in too! (you can start by searching for the Facebook group Get Your Teach On & then you can learn about The Rock Your School Event happening Sept. 20)

Some of the Staff of GYTO included:

Hope and Wade King The Wild Card 

@_wadeking @elementaryshenanigans

Deanna Jump @mrsjumpsclass

Michael Bonner Get Up or Give Up

@michaelbonner_

Chris Pombonyo @chrispombonyo

Todd Nesloney Stories from Webb, Sparks in the Dark, Kids Deserve It!

@techninjatodd

Adam Dovico Inside the Trenches: An Educator's Guide for What You CAN Do in the Classroom, The Limitless School: Creative Ways to Solve the Culture Puzzle

@adamdovico

Lanesha Tabb @apron_education

Joe Dombrowski @mrdtimes3

Nicholas Ferroni @nicholasferroni

I have names linked to their YouTube Channels, Books they have written or co-written underlined (not linked) & Instagram name listed

BTW

@the.apple.basket.teacher is ME! {on Instagram}