Live, learn and hope

And so it is March 31, the end of the Slice of Life Challenge for this year. I remember at the end of last year, my first Slice of Life, I had a great feeling of exhilaration and relief.

Although I didn't write every day, I felt proud of my participation.

This year was different.  I truly believed that I could indeed write every single day, a bold and challenging yet thrilling prospect.  And I was proud of my progress and confident. Until March 20.  I am not even sure what happened that day.

It was spring break and I had worked every day, and so since it was Friday afternoon I longed for some relaxation and recreation.  I drove to Easton, a local shopping district, entered Brio's and watched some NCAA March Madness.  I thought to myself as I walked around-- Is this what people who are not high school principals do on a Friday? Sit in a bar and drink wine and beer?  What a strange paradigm.

After walking to Nordstrom's, Coach, Clark's Shoes, Crate and Barrel and a few other favorite window shopping stores, I returned home and relaxed prior to going out for a rare Friday night dinner with my husband since I work most Friday nights.

Ahh-- our favorite restaurant, great lobster, chopped salad and potatoes au gratin and back home.

Relaxing on the couch, we watched a few of the TV shows we record, especially Hawaii Five-O and slept soundly. It was just a beautiful evening.

And then when I woke up, it hit me.  I had not written on Friday.  As I became more alert, I reviewed it in my head.  I mentally re-wound Friday and yes, realized again, that after 19 straight days I had missed my first day, ruining my perfectionistic goal of writing every day.

I was simultaneously angry and disappointed in myself.  How could I let this happen?

I had written when I was overly tired, I had written with a high fever from the flu, and yet, in one day, without even thinking about it, I had just forgotten to write.

I actually thought about just ending the challenge there, but I found a way to write again.  And enjoy it again.

Did I write every day the rest of the month? No-- it does seem that once you miss one day it is easier to miss another.  And so on a trip to Indiana and spending four days with the best educational leaders, researchers, authors and educational practitioners in the United States, I then missed four days of writing.  And I was OK with it, whatever that shows.

Graphic from Page-A-Day Calendar.

But tonight, I just could not skip writing on the last day.

Why?  Because the Slice of Life Challenge is just that. A challenge.  And I love a challenge!

Perfect last year?  No. Perfect this year?  No.  Back next year?  Absolutely.

Why?  Because I have discovered that I can enjoy something and be imperfect.

And that is a great thing to learn about yourself.  I learned that on some days, you just have to live. And I learned that there is always hope for tomorrow.  Or for next year's Slice?

 Isn't that the real reason for the challenge?

Hundreds of channels and so little to watch

We have hundreds of channels on our cable service, and I am sure many of you do also.

And yet, night after night we struggle to find something on to watch.  We dislike reality TV-- so what do we watch?

We record Hawaii 5-0 and sometimes binge-watch catching up.  Big Bang Theory is a big hit, both in syndicated reruns and new programs, again set to record.  I love Blue Bloods and also record it to watch later, and do the same with NCIS and NCIS New Orleans.

We don't get Showtime or HBO but will record old movies from some of the other movie channels, especially Indiana Jones, Star Wars and the National Treasure series shows.

During college football and basketball season we watch Big Ten and Ohio State games especially and have it on when we are doing other household tasks and also do the same with some pro football games, especially the Browns.  Yes-- we are long-suffering Browns fans.

I drive my husband crazy going up and down the Guide finding nothing or little to watch.  On the weekends we watch the morning news shows and when I am doing school work I will watch CMT for the country music videos.

Occasionally I record really old sitcoms such as Andy Griffith as it reminds me of watching these wonderful episodes over and over again with my Dad.  Throw in Matlock, Hogan's Heroes and Gomer Pyle for the same reasons.  I can still hear his laugh.

Apparently we are still among the few who watch evening news shows when we are home, mostly CBS, and since we are creatures of habit, follow that with honing family not-so-friendly competition in viewing Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune.

And that is pretty much it for us in the course of the week. We watch very few shows when scheduled and have about 10 regulars.  So glad we are paying for hundreds of choices. :)

Why don't you "google" that?

It is hard to imagine life without Google.  How much do you "google" each day?

When did Google become a verb.  Rather than say we are going to look up something on the internet, we say we will "google" it.  It's become the "Kleenex" of the internet.  Very few people ask for a tissue-- but many of us ask for a kleenex.

We don't research on the internet-- we google.

Since our district transitioned to being a Google district, I have to admit I have become an ardent Google fan.  I love the email and also Google Chrome, easily rotating between personal and work email.

One of my favorite Google tools is Google Forms.  Have you tried it?  In an extremely short time, you can develop a survey with any type of question, choose what kind of answer and whether it is required or not, choose a cute theme background and share it with your entire staff, contact list or even small group.

It compiles the results in two different formats which you can also share with the recipients or anyone else you want for great transparency to survey takers.

Our staff uses Google forms to collect student data and we utilize it to solicit important input and feedback, documenting collaboration and SMART goals for same-subject team or departmental PLC work.  It can be shared among teachers, among teachers or administrators, or even with Central Office, a great documentation tool of teacher and student work.

Don't know how to repair your washing machine?

Don't know how to post a youtube video?

Don't know how to do a Google form?

Just Google it.

"Knee-Defender:" What do you think?

I was reading the Columbus Dispatch before dinner and read an article entitled Viral Victories, how internet fame has helped create riches for small businesses.

Among the examples was the the recent internet-famous dress which viewers couldn't tell whether the dress was blue and black or white and gold. While I never fully understood the furor or the explanation, I am not surprised that the viral attention generated increased sales of over 600% for the small company.

Three other examples were also highlighted: the Cronut, a cross between a donut and croissant; a Ti-shirt with three wolves howling at the moon, and the Knee Defender.

I am not at all familiar with the Cronut or the Howling Moon T-Shirt, but I clearly remember the media fervor by a brawl on a commercial jet over the Knee Defender.

If you remember, the Knee Defender is a $22 device that a passenger can attach to his/her airline tray table to prevent the person in front of them from reclining the seat in front of them.

It caused a huge blow-up on the jet and tons of publicity, with many people siding with either the guy who invented it or the passenger who wanted to recline her seat.

Apparently US airlines prohibit its usage but it is not illegal.  I never understood that if the airline prohibits it why didn't the flight attendant ask the person using it to remove it, but that is a different story.  Obviously the publicity generated more business for the Knee Defender company, but I think it also launched a debate among air travelers.

I have to admit that when I fly I rarely recline my seat and when I do I do it only slightly.  I try to be very cognizant of the person in back of me.  I also hate it when the person in front of me reclines it as far back as it goes, as I really feel they are infringing on my space at that point, especially since the airlines have greatly reduced the seat size and leg room on flights to make more money.

However, I don't feel it is right to completely use a device that prevents someone from reclining at all.

What do you think?  Would you use a Knee Defender?  If you were in the front seat and tried to recline and couldn't, what would you do if the person was using the Knee Defender?

Hats, hats

Everyone collects something.  At our house we have developed an unintentional collection of hats.  I say unintentional because it wasn't a collection that we focused on developing such as many other people intentionally develop, such as collections of fine art, patches, or golf balls.

No fine art adorns our walls, but our closets boast hats.

My husband and I both like hats, and as we traveled we would see hats that we liked and each purchase them, whether we were traveling together or separately.  Over the years it has turned into a collection of hats focusing on some of our favorite places, concerts, and teams.

Is this a valuable collection of any kind to anyone else?  No.  But to us, our hats are filled with great memories of some of our favorite times.  And that makes each one special to us, and when we wear the hat, some of those memories are with us.

Fast Food possible effects on academics

It's a slow start to the day on a Saturday morning and I am glancing over the The Ohio University Alumni Association magazine.

One article catches my eye, a nationwide study on the effects of fast food.

I expected to see stats on obesity and how fast food may be contributing negatively to our nation's overall health.

But this article was different, quoting instead the negative effect that eating fast food could have on reading, math and science test scores.

As an educator, I find it extremely interesting to be aware of all of the external factors that affect students' ability to do well academically since we work very hard to foster a professional learning community culture and climate focus on learning.

According to this study, the more frequently students report eating fast food in fifth grade, the lower their growth in reading, math and science test scores by eighth grade.  In fact, students who ate the most fast food had test score gains up to 20 percent lower than those who never ate fast food.

Another starting statistic in the article stating the 10 percent of students in the survey reported eating fast food every day and another 10 percent ate fast food four to six times a week.

Think of the students in our classroom every day and think that at least 20 percent of them eating fast food at least four times a week or more often.

Now think of the possible negative effect on their academics.

The study did not articulate what kind of food is designated fast food or any certain fast food brand, but certainly we can most likely name the fast food restaurants in each of our geographical regions.

In fact, look at some of the fast food breakfasts that our students come into school with every morning, driving through on their way to school.

Although certainly we have all been aware of the negative effects of fast food on overall health, it is interesting to now be aware that fast food may also have a negative effect on academics.

How tired are you? Does it really matter?

As a high school principal I see it on the faces of our students.  They are tired, really tired.  AP courses, IB courses, athletic practices and contests, community service, plays, concerts, homework. With seniors, throw in college applications and essays and our students suffer from sleep deprivation.

We have all read the research on sleep and teenagers and how they would benefit from delayed school starts.  In fact, our district has adjusted high school times with first period starting at 7:55 AM.  While students would like it even earlier it has helped students.  On our one-hour delayed starts on Wednesdays for staff PD, students greatly enjoy classes starting at 8:20 AM and it is clear on their faces how much another 25 minutes benefits students.

But what about everyone else, even adults who consistently get insufficient sleep night after night?

How much sleep do we all need?  The National Sleep Foundation  recommends seven to nine hours of sleep a night in order for the body and mind to function well.

What does that mean? What is function well? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared insufficient sleep a public health epidemic, affecting negatively every aspect of our lives, from our relationships, to our work performance, and our health.

Car accidents, hypertension, diabetes, depression and early death are all related to a lack of sleep. Cancer in mice, weight gain and other health hazards are also related to a lack of sleep.  The University of Rochester research states that during sleep the brain does maintenance, clearing itself of chemical waste products.

Do you want your child taking the ACT on sleep deprivation? Driving home from a waitressing job? What about the surgeon doing your heart surgery?  Your child's teacher supervising them on the playground?  Grading their essay? Valeting your car? Testing your child's car seat as an automotive engineer or testing your air bags? Monitoring your house alarm?

One 2003 study showed that losing two hours of sleep in one night had the same affect of drinking two to three beers.

"Cyber-loafing" is a new term, referring to people with inadequate sleep affecting their ability to do their job, instead visiting entertainment or social media sites instead of being able to be productive and engage in professional decision-making.  Is that you? One of your colleagues?

Are our students tired?  Yes.  But what about our staffs? What about us as parents? As doctors? Truck drivers? Bankers? Engineers? Architects?

If a lack of sleep negatively affects all of our performances what can we do to be more productive and make better decisions at work?  Research states we need to get healthier by getting more sleep every night.  And encourage our children to get more sleep also.

Leave our electronic devices out of our bedrooms and focus on our sleep health.  According to the research, our lives depend on it.