Nikki Kalcevic @nikkifayk from Arkansas brings us a quote and reflection today to get us thinking about Growth Mindset. We have to admit that growth mindset is a term we’ve been hearing in education for sometime now and it’s one that’s going to stick. It comes from the research and work of Carol Dweck. We highly suggest her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, if you haven’t had the opportunity to learn about Mindset. When I think of a growth mindset, I envision t

“No. I don’t think the Empire had Wookiees in mind when they designed it, Chewie.” –Han Solo to Chewbacca about the Tydirium imperial shuttle they’re flying. How do you take into consideration the interests of your students when designing your curriculum? Being a Star Wars fan, I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this quote and question from our friend Don Masse in California. While school has not started yet for a lot of us, we find ourselves planning for the new year

Reflect 31: Day 9 Jeanne Bjork @bellafiore3 Wisconsin We are given this great question from our PLN’ner, Jeanne Bjork, @bellafiore3 from Wisconsin. How do we maintain a balance and keep the glow we gained during the summer time? “A reflection I make each year is...How do you keep a balanced approach to your own wellness when school often means long hours and much work from home too. I want to stay well and keep the summer glow but it's rough. As teachers, balance is something

Today’s inspirational quote and question come from Samantha Melvin; @smelvin, she is an engaging educator and enlighten soul. I hope all of you follow her. Sometimes when you read something it strikes a chord and there was something particularly personal about today’s reflection for me. Here’s the quote Samantha shared from Old Abe, The best way to predict your future is to create it. ~Abraham Lincoln Matt and I both grew up with parents that were teachers and heard mantras

We could be more excited to share today’s quote and question with you as it comes from one our first twitter cheerleaders, Mark Weston; @shiftparadigm . He’s been so supportive of both of us, #K12ArtChat and art education, we owe him a big thank you. Not to mention that he’s just down right kind and even better today is his birthday! Mark’s quote come froms Ghandi, "My life is my message." Mahatma Gandhi. Today is a day to look inward at self and consider what message you pu

Laura Grundler @GrundlerArt Texas I started teaching in 2000 and as I start my 17th year in education, I’m thinking a lot about change. My life has changed tremendously, back in 2000 my first teaching job was in California, now have family who is rooted in Texas, my role has changed from teacher to campu administrator and now curriculum coordinator, and the world has changed beyond belief (holy cow technology.) Those are really big changes, but it’s also good to look at sm

Reflect 31: Day 5 Nic Hahn @minimatisse Minnesota Think about your students, what do they need? Now reflect on this question from Element ary Art Teacher Nic Hahn; @minimatisse What is the best way/s to create an authentic learning experience for your students? We’d love to hear from you on this, share your reflections about where your ideas and inspiration arise from and how you turn that idea into a meaningful learning experience. What things do you consider while plannin

Having a robust professional learning network has lead us to find so many new professional development opportunities. Matt and I attended iPadpalooza in Austin this June and while we had tremendous learning and inspiration it begs us to ask our PLN a question: How are we going to transfer these summer professional development take-aways into opportunities for students to grow? Summer isn’t over yet but it’s time you begin to reflect on summer professional learning and how yo

Reflect 31: Day 4 Craig Kemp @mrkempnz Singapore (originally New Zealand) Today’s Reflect31 question comes to you all the way from Singapore via Craig Kemp; @mrkempnz He asks us a simple question but one that will be a fantastic share. “What is your favorite educational quote and why? Inspire us!” We don’t know any teachers who aren’t up for a good quote from time to time. They can be uplifting and motivational just when we need them. Consider a time when you were a little

Reflect 31: Day 3 Sometimes we fail, but we always learn. Today’s reflective question comes from our good friend and the creator of #K12ArtChallenge, @smARTisteacher. She’s always pushing our PLN to try new things and asking us to consider what’s best for our students. Sometimes what’s best for kids is failure. Consider her question for us………….. How can you encourage the concept of "failure as an opportunity" for growth in your classroom? Creating is like the scientific pro