Blog 13-T-minus 14 and counting....Where are you at? Due Friday May 4th by 11:59 pm

Beaver Brook Falls, Colebrook, NH (photo credit Bent)

This class is quickly coming to an end.  Your journey after April break may now feel a little like this waterfall, cascasing fast and out of control.....you tell me.  This week the blog is quite simple:

Where are you in your project?

What do you owe me that you still have not turned in, and why are you dragging your feet?

What are you most proud of so far in your project?

Blog 12 - Leadership and Fear-Due Friday April 27th by 11:59 pm

Welcome back.  By now you can see the end in sight....you have approximatley 18 school days left (that is about three weeks without weekends).  Although the end is a good thing, it can also be a little bit scary because your your high school life gives way to a more adult-by yourself-type of living regardless of whether you go to college or join the workforce.  You are your own leader starting NOW!!!!!

Leaders are not necessarily fearless, but they have learned how to deal with their fears.  It takes courage to live his/her convictions, persevere, take risks, tell the truth, apologize, and to admit mistakes.  Courage is about pushing through one's fears to live a most authentic life and do what one believes is right (Myers, 209).

Bristol, RI harbor at sunset (photo credit Bent)

Now that you are beginning your work in the field, I am sure there is some "fear" about your success or failure, and that is normal.  All good leaders, as the Myer's quote states, "learn to deal with their fears" (2011).

Please answer the following questions as they pertain to leadership and fear.  Make sure that the answers are substantial, and are not just "one sentence wonders".

1. Having to move on to unfamiliar territory and/or new adventures is what allows leaders to stretch and grow.  So, does your new project feel fresh, challenging, and engaging?  Explain

2. Sometimes the greatest act of courage is to follow one's heart and do the right thing, even if it is not popular or does not seem politically correct.  What is your "North Star", that thing that most drives you when you have to make a hard decision?  What was the decision, and how did it turn out?

3. Are you willing to risk being wrong?  Sometimes leadership take having the courage to make hard decisions based on the best information you have, knowing that you could be wrong.  Do you have an example of this? (Share)

4.  Do you give yourself credit for those tough decisions that nobody else sees? Explain.

5. Do you give yourself permission t omake hard decisions without necessarily having it all figured out?  Are you willing to step into ambiguity whe the occassion calls for it?  (Once you summon the courage to take this step, it often opens up wonderful new possibilities that otherwise might have remained closed or hidden.  Share your answer, thoughts, and examples.

Blog 11-Respectful Leadership - due April 13th by 11:59pm

The calm before the storm...(photo credit Bent)

So this is the last full week in the classroom.  If you do not have a place to be first period, you will be expected to arrive to school for first period after vacation, and work in my room.  You can be doing any of the following here:
-prepping for work on your project
-working on blogs
-responding to emails
-making further connections for your project
-planning



For this blog I want you to think about RESPECT.  To be a respectful leader you need to keep your eyes open to people around you and making sure that they feel truly heard.  It means approaching everyone you meet from a perspective that says people matter.  Take the time to really talk with people and become conscious of what is going on in their lives...this is more than just being nice, it also gets results (meaning people who are respected or feel respected are often more receptive to work for you, or with you).

Please read, consider, and react to the following questions:

Are you willing to listen to others and let others have their voice, even when it might be inconvenient, difficult, or painful to do so?

When you find yourself in disagreement with someone, do you focus on making your own views heard, or doyou stay open to the other person's point of view?

In situations of conflict, do you try to win agreement, or do you seek first to establish trust?

Do you sometimes feel unheard?

Do you take care to keep your relationships alive?

**Please take note: these are not meant to be one word answers, instead I want you to reflect, explain, and share.**

Blog 10-Procrastination due April 6th by 11:59 pm

The road to procrastination (Photo Credit Bent)

There are two weeks to April break...if you remember way way way back I gave you a cute little piece of paper with deadlines on it...do you still have it?  Here is a piece of it that might interest you.

Independent Work the weeks of January 26^th through May 18^th

(50% project proposal, research paper/ 30% assignments, weekly annotated bib)

·         One journal article read and added to a working annotated bibliography to be shared with Dr. Bent on Google Classroom.  To be clear, this means that the student (you) will read add to his/her (your) annotated bibliography each week.  (This annotated bibliography will be completed by week # 10, aka March 30^th  and represent no less than 10 journal articles )

·         Outside reading: find a book to read that is connected to his/her (your) topic.  It cannot be a textbook.  It must be a piece of nonfiction. Completed and a review written by April 6^th

·         Research Paper: focused on some aspect of your work in the community. Completed and turned in by April 12^th

Notice the pieces in red?

NEW DEADLINES.
The book review is now due on April 12th and the paper April 23rd.  This gives you an extra week for each one. USE THIS GIFT WISELY. and turn the work into Google classroom. At this point, there are no more excuses, no more snow days, and for those of you who are routinely late...pick up the pace and finish strong (all of you).


Now on to the blog this week.  I would like you to watch  Tim Urban's TED Talk "Inside the Mind of a Procrastinator"

https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator#t-812

1.Once done, write a short reflection on if you see yourself in this talk.

2. He makes an interesting point at the end what is it?

3. How did the boxes strike you?

4. Why would I think it is important for you to watch a rather funny video on procrastination?