The Cardinal Way

Our habits, not outcomes, define our success. This is not only an important lesson in life, it is also a very important lesson in our schools. As educators, do we put our self-worth in school grades or test scores? Or, do we let our daily work define us? Which is going to be more beneficial, focusing on providing great classroom environments and learning opportunities or chasing pass rates? You may be thinking, doesn’t one lead to the other? Sure, great teaching will result in better outcomes, but the difference is where you place the importance. We can control the effort we put in on a daily basis. We can form great habits which lead to success in our classrooms.

If you are still not sold on this idea in your classroom, think about what each idea teaches our students. If the test is what you see as most important, we are teaching our students results are the only thing that matter. We are teaching them that unless they measure up, they are not successful. On the other hand, if we teach our students that our daily work is what matters most, regardless of the outcome, we are teaching them some very important character traits. Effort matters; hard work matters; giving your best every day matters. In Angela Duckworth’s book Grit chapter two is titled: “Effort Counts Twice.” In this chapter, Duckworth writes: “Without effort, your talent is nothing more than your unmet potential. Without effort, your skill is nothing more than what you could have done but didn’t. With effort, talent becomes skill, and, at the very same time, effort makes skill productive.”

I challenge you to evaluate where you place your focus this upcoming week. Is your focus on outcomes and performance or is your focus on forming habits that will help you and your students become great? Look at your work and the work you value from your students - what are your habits of success?

Be a Cardinal; Change Lives; Put a Mission into Motion

Thank you to:

• those who helped cover classes this week. We were extremely short on subs this week and without everyone's extra efforts, we would not have been able to keep students in classrooms!

Week 21: Grateful Friday Challenge

1. 21 in Roman numerals is XXI.

2. 21 is a triangle number – it is the sum of the first six whole numbers (1+2+3+4+5+6=21).

3. 21 is the eighth number in the Fibonacci sequence, where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones.

4. A shape with 21 sides is called an icosikaihenagon.

5. Today is the 21st Day of the month-- and it’s also FRIDAY!!

I bet you would agree that the last one has the most meaning.

It’s the most wonderful Friday of the week! In the hustle and bustle of the COVID, plus Cold and Flu season, let us remember that we are people whose calling is to lead students in all aspects of life…. whether in content or being a compassionate human. We often forget that what we do matters long past the time that students sit in front of us in class.

Here is a great 6-minute video on never knowing your impact and what you do for students.

Everyday Leadership (If you don’t have a full 6 minutes, skip the backstory and listen to the conclusion at minute 4, but the backstory is pretty good.)

Today, your #SHSGFC is to take a moment to recognize that you are a difference-maker and you have lollipop moments all the time. The unfortunate part of teaching is that you might never know the impact you have had on a student, or that you delivered a lesson that will one day mean something so much more and help someone out in an intended or unintended way. Today we can pay this lesson forward and tell a colleague or student that they have influenced us and they too “have fundamentally made our lives better.”

Make today a day to celebrate the “lollipop moments”.

We need to remember that it is up to us to redefine leadership, and we should strive to think more about creating, acknowledging, paying forward, and saying thank you for these moments in our lives. If you can find the time, tell someone a lesson that they taught you, possibly without them knowing. Bring up a memory of them doing something and tell them how their actions impacted you. Pass on moments that let people know that they make a difference in many lives, yours included.

Happy Friday, With banners flying as we go! #FlyAsONE

Hope you enjoy this weeks 180 Days of Learning Posts

Mrs. Boone and Mrs. Marshall took a group of mentors to the middle school this week to begin building connections with our 8th-grade students and to help answer questions about scheduling. These mentors were selected to the new LAMP (Latinx Advocate and Mentorship Program) to intentionally provide extra support from many of our Latinx students. Our Latinx population has quickly become our largest EL population in the building and Mrs. Boone and Mrs. Marshall have been working this school year to provide additional support for this population.

Mr. Corwin's Biology students are studying cell division. After learning about the process of cell division, students had the opportunity to participate in different virtual activities to help deepen their understanding. Some of the virtual activities were informational and others were games that students could play. The students worked through their choice of activities as they created a better understanding of the cell division process.

Mrs. Al Awadh is now at SHS full-time. This week, she is working with her EL students to help prepare them for the upcoming WIDA test. Students participated in different training programs that helped them understand the process and structures that they will see in the coming weeks as they work through the Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing portions of the WIDA test.

Ms. Frantz and Mr. Eilliott took their ICP students to the Early Childhood Academy on Thursday and Friday to teach Perry Township's youngest students about measurement. The students prepared presentations and games for the pre-schoolers that taught students about different measurement topics and tools. We have a great partnership with our Early Childhood Academy and they love when we send SHS students to work with the pre-schoolers!

Website: http://websites.msdpt.k12.in.us/sh/
Location: 971 E Banta Rd, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Phone: 317-789-4800
Twitter: @SHS_Cardinals