50 of My Favorite Books: The Finale

I know I missed some books.  A twirl through my reading past has been such fun, and has me thinking I need to revisit some of my favorites.  And I will.  Who knows what 2017 will hold?  So I'm closing out November with my final favorite ten books.  Some of the books I've picked are favorites because they were my first introduction to serious subjects.  Others are silly, and make me smile.  They all have a special place in my heart and remind me of who I was, where I was, and what the world was like around me when I read them.  

Here they are, my final ten (in no particular order):

Western fiction at its best.

Laugh out loud stroll through the 20th century

My first chick-lit book

Read this in high school and became fascinated by the moors.

Toni Morrison.  No one matches her brilliance.

Makes me grin every time I read it!

A childhood favorite.

The story of a house that stays the same while the world around it changes.

Historical fiction about immigrants in America. 

Wherever you go, make the world a beautiful place.

 

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Holiday season…keep your head above water with these 3 tips! (And a give away!)

Have you ever felt like things were moving too fast? Like things weren’t getting your full attention? Like you were overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start? Three “strategies” I’ve employed this year to help me “manage” the workload have made a difference in keeping up with my whirlwind of a world. The first mental [...]

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10 ways for leaders to build trust in schools

Trust and trust-building qualities frequently top polls and surveys that attempt to show the most important qualities of a leader. A 2016 McQuaig Global Talent Recruitment Survey places trust as the second most important quality of an effective leader while a PewResearch Center survey shows honesty to be most important. More recently in the run up to the 2016 US election a Fortune poll showed that of the 2000 American voters surveyed, honesty and integrity were seen as most important qualities for leaders to possess. In the area of school leadership, Gary Hopkins, editor of Education World, writes that from a survey of 43 Principals, trustworthiness and credibility were viewed as highly important qualities for school leaders.

Trust, as a quality for being an effective school leader, is appropriately discussed in Dr Anthony Muhammad’s book, Transforming School Culture. This book examines in detail some of the challenges school leaders face when it comes to building trust. In one particular section of the book, Muhammad uses the work of Karl Weick, on the lessons learned from tragic wildfire disasters, to illustrate the challenges that leaders face when building trust in schools, which include:

• Without providing a clear rationale for making decisions / changes, or operating in a certain way in our schools, leaders will not be trusted.
• Leaders need to show the ‘right’ motivation for why they make certain decisions in order to be trusted by staff and faculty. For example, leaders that make decisions based on what is right for the school, its staff and students will be trusted more than one who is perceived to be in a leadership role for their own benefit.
• Past experiences and perceptions about leaders are difficult to change, never mind how good the new leader may be. Teachers moving to a new school may not instantly trust the new school’s leaders, if they have had bad prior experiences with leaders in their previous schools. Similarly, a new leader coming to a school where trust is at a low point because of the actions of a previous leader, then the new leader will have a big challenge of re-building trust.
• If a leader’s actions do not back up their words, then they will not be trusted. Teachers not only want to see leaders do what they say they will do but they want leaders to exert a high degree of fairness when there is inconsistency between teachers with bottom line, non-negotiable tasks and requests.

So, what are some simple steps to build trust in our schools? The list of actions below suggest some ways that leaders can work to build trust in their school communities:

1. Be clear, open and honest with the decisions that we make. Provide the rationale for change and plan for it properly. Schools cannot afford to have failed change efforts, as it is then difficult to trust the next change that is asked for.
2. If consultation is going to be occur before making a decision, then do it properly. Be open to respectfully disagreeing when consensus cannot be reached.
3. Give timely, appropriate and honest feedback to others about how they can improve and provide opportunities for others to give you feedback, as a leader and as a colleague. Act on feedback given to you, otherwise why seek it.
4. Do not promise something that you cannot deliver upon and if people mistake your intentions then be quick to correct them before it is too late. Where promises are made, ensure that they are fulfilled.
5. If tasks are assigned to teachers, then make sure the tasks are completed property and appropriate conversations occur with those that may struggle, with the offering of support. Follow-up and follow-through.
6. Engage in professional learning with teachers and join them for the journey, especially if what is being learned is pivotal to the success of a school initiative. If something is important, then teachers expect to have leaders present and actively involved.
7. Put others first but do not be a martyr about it. Actions speak louder than words when it comes to servant leadership.
8. Leadership is not about you, its about others, so there’s no need to seek credit for what you do. Keep acknowledging the role that others play in making things happen and celebrate their successes even though you may have had a big role to play
9. Avoid double standards. If a rule, or norm, is set / agreed in our schools, then leaders must model the way. If it is too inconvenient, then consider getting rid of the rule / norm, if you can.
10. Finally. Take an interest in all colleagues beyond just professional interactions. Working together is about building healthy relationships. Teachers and leaders are human too, so it is good to ask one another about family, recreation and life in general.

Connect with me @richard_bruford

Originally posted on Ed Leader

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Holiday Gift Guide : 100 Gift Ideas for Entrepreneurs

Finding the perfect gift is never easy. That’s why I’ve compiled a Holiday Gift Guide for entrepreneurs with ideas for all sorts of things… Like electronics, fitness equipment, [...]

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PMP Bonus Track: Focusing on the Simple Joys of Life

Today I’ve decided to take a break from a focus on school leadership and share some simple joys of life. During Thanksgiving Break, I took time to record a couple of songs that I decided to include in today’s bonus podcast track. My wife and I have four children: 3 girls and 1 boy. This […]

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50 of My Favorite Books: Part Three

Laura's real life story. 

This task of figuring out my 50 favorite books has proven to be more difficult that I expected!  If anything, I've learned that keeping track of what I've read makes life for a bibliophile much easier.  I won't let a year pass by without making a list of every book I read.  Here's my next batch of favorite books--in no order of fondness:

A favorite historical-paranormal novel.

Packed a punch.  Fantastic.

I became a fan of Paula Brackston with this book.

Smart, sexy, and brilliant trilogy.

Magical realism at its best.

Combines history, archaeology, and paranormal.

Oh, this book.  Love it.

Read it as an adult and loved it

Always a favorite.

Required reading that became a memorable read

Powerful

One of my all time favorites

Had me on the edge of my seat

Love this series about Charleston and ghosts

 I think it's pretty clear I've always been drawn towards books that have an element of magic and other-worldliness to them.  I do enjoy non-fiction, and I've made an effort this year to read more of it.  What can I say?  Books are my escape from the world, and when I escape, I like to take flights to far away places.  I guess behind my everyday exterior lies the kid who still wants to lay on the floor and read all day.

Tomorrow will wrap up my 50 favorite books.  In the meantime, I hope you've started thinking about the books that have a special place in your heart.  Please comment and share some of your favorites!

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The Emotional Roller Coaster of Being a Teacher

This time of year can be emotionally exhausting, so here is something that might brighten up your day.

Watch this GIF of a dad teaching his son to hit a baseball and tells him to “keep his eye on the ball”:

“Keep your eye on the ball son”

I laughed hysterically at this when I first saw it, and then thought about how hard it is to be a teacher. The emotional roller coaster that a teacher can go on in a single day, hour, minute, is exemplified in this post.

Watch it again:

“Keep your eye on the ball son”

What do you see in a short span with the dad?

I see the following…

Frustration

Annoyance

Acceptance

Love

All things teachers can feel in a matter of seconds.

Thank you teachers for all that you do. I know that this is insanely tough job, but I appreciate all that you do to not only get your kids better, but to become better yourselves.  The hardest part of being a teacher is knowing that you will never truly know the full impact of what you do. Just know that the best teachers make a difference.

Continue to be the positive moment that kids will remember years from now.

• February 27, 2016 Giving 100% When You Are Running on Empty
• January 22, 2012 You Should Read…(January 22, 2012)
• November 16, 2014 3 Assumptions We Shouldn’t Make About Educators
• June 28, 2013 The Prophets In Your Land
• November 29, 2010 Why Classes Should Blog (Reason 1)

Source: George Couros

from Connected Principals http://ift.tt/2fJwZ7J

The Emotional Roller Coaster of Being a Teacher

This time of year can be emotionally exhausting, so here is something that might brighten up your day.

Watch this GIF of a dad teaching his son to hit a baseball and tells him to “keep his eye on the ball”:

“Keep your eye on the ball son”

I laughed hysterically at this when I first saw it, and then thought about how hard it is to be a teacher. The emotional roller coaster that a teacher can go on in a single day, hour, minute, is exemplified in this post.

Watch it again:

“Keep your eye on the ball son”

What do you see in a short span with the dad?

I see the following…

Frustration

Annoyance

Acceptance

Love

All things teachers can feel in a matter of seconds.

Thank you teachers for all that you do. I know that this is insanely tough job, but I appreciate all that you do to not only get your kids better, but to become better yourselves.  The hardest part of being a teacher is knowing that you will never truly know the full impact of what you do. Just know that the best teachers make a difference.

Continue to be the positive moment that kids will remember years from now.

• February 27, 2016 Giving 100% When You Are Running on Empty
• January 22, 2012 You Should Read…(January 22, 2012)
• November 16, 2014 3 Assumptions We Shouldn’t Make About Educators
• June 28, 2013 The Prophets In Your Land
• November 29, 2010 Why Classes Should Blog (Reason 1)

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Common Questions about Timber Frame and Log Home Joinery

There’s more than one way to join two timbers. When it comes to timber frame and log home joinery, strength is priority number one and then it comes down to your own personal style. The joinery and fasteners you select will depend on engineering specifications, structural needs, your budget and, as always, the look you want for your home.

Below, we’ll answer the four most common questions that we get asked about timber frame and log home joinery.

#1 Is joinery a major consideration when building my log or timber framed home?

Joinery is what holds a home together, so we’d say that it’s pretty important.

Nailing a couple of two-by-fours together is pretty straight forward, but joining two 10” x 12” timbers is a different story. Regular 3” framing nails won’t exactly do the job. As the size of timbers increase, so does the size of the fasteners and joinery needed to keep them in place. This makes them an even more important consideration for design.

#2 What types of joinery and fasteners are available?

Steel joinery and fasteners are your first option and will make your home’s engineer happy since steel is very strong, making their calculations easier.

Wood to wood joinery is your other choice and has been put to the test over hundreds of years of traditional building. There have also been great technological advancements in wood fasteners and new ways to join massive timbers created over the last decades. Selecting wood to wood joinery will mean more cost for added labour during the cutting process, but costs less in materials since it requires fewer fasteners.

#3 Can joinery and fasteners impact the look of my home?

Definitely. You’ll want to consider these questions: Do you want strictly wood to wood joinery for a traditional and more natural look? Are fasteners a requirement to support your home’s structure? Would exposed steel joinery and fasteners suit the style you prefer?

Joinery can be exposed or concealed depending on the look you’re going for, your home’s design, and your budget.

#4 How does joinery impact the structure of my log or timber frame home?

Besides the obvious support joinery can add to a home’s frame, it’s also used to ensure a tight fit between timbers. This is important for your home’s
longevity because a tight fit minimizes movement, reduces shifting and cracking, and adds energy efficiency by minimizing heat loss.

As you can see, there are many different ways you can fasten and join timbers together. Most log and timber frame home designs incorporate a mix of the options above. We hope this guide helps you to select joinery for your home that’s strong, lasts long, and looks fantastic, too.

If you’re considering building a log or timber frame home and have any questions about joinery, feel free to contact us at info@artisanlog.com.

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The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

This is a book that I've picked up numerous times over the past ten years, but I never could read it  for one reason or another.  I was finally compelled to read it because the sequel The Fifth Petal, is coming out in January, and I wanted to read the sequel.  Reading reviews online had me all set for a novel that I was sure to enjoy.  I was wrong. 

I'm really bummed I didn't much like The Lace Reader.  I so wanted to enjoy it, and rave about it.  But I can't.  It took me weeks to finish it, which is usually not a good sign for me.  I wasn't pushed to really sit down and dive into the story of Towner and her mother May and Aunt Eva no matter how hard I tried.  And this book takes place in Salem for pete's sake!  A book set in Salem, MA is always a winner for me.  But not this one.  

So why didn't I like The Lace Reader?  I felt like I was doggie paddling in a circle most of the time.  I couldn't tell what the story was trying to focus on:  was it a potential mystery with the puzzling drowning of Eva, or was it a family drama?  Was it a weird contemporary/historical novel?  Who is this creepy Cal guy, who is basically a cult leader who terrorizes Towner and her family?  Oh, that's right.  He's Towner's relative.  Towner herself is a mixed bag of confusion.  Returning to Salem to investigate the disapperance of her Aunt Eva is actually an opportunity for Towner to come back and confront her past.  Sounds pretty straightforward, right?  But it's not, and I found myself paging back through to try and understand just what the heck was going on--and nothing was clear until at least 3/4 of the way through the novel.  And no surprise here, but that's where you find out just how unreliable a narrator Towner actually is--she's one confused woman.  

You may put the pieces of the puzzle together much quicker than I did; I found myself bored with it all, and that's not what I was expecting from a novel that took me 10 years to finally get to, only to be disappointed.  I will, however, read the sequel The Fifth Petal just to see where Towner's life has changed.  I hope to understand her better.  There are themes of abuse, both physical and sexual in this novel, and lots of drinking and smoking pot, so keep that in mind if you're trying to decide to read it.  Don't let me review stop you.  I am certainly in the minority of people who weren't thrilled with this novel.  There is a lot of subplot/plot whirling through this novel, so you need to pay attention.  I'm deliberately leaving much of the plot out of this review to not give anything away.  Plus, it's just exhausting to think of everything moving through the pages. 

Rating:  5/10 for a confusing plot and a main character that didn't capture my emotions or attention for very long.  The sequel to The Lace Reader, The Fifth Petal, will be out in stores in late January, 2017.  

Available in paperback, e-book, and audio. 

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“Telling will never be as effective as experiencing.”

 

In my consulting work with Winnipeg School Division (#WinnipegSD), we have developed a program in which we develop “Innovative Teaching and Learning Leads” (ITLLs). The purpose of this program is to focus not only what innovative teaching and learning looks like, but also to develop teachers as leaders to support the process within their schools.

When we asked schools to designate a person for this opportunity, there was only two things that we shared as criteria:

1. They have influence with staff.
2. They are open to new learning.

That’s it.

Unfortunately when many organizations hear the word “innovation”, they see it as synonymous with technology.  Now technology can be crucial to innovation, but it is not innovation in itself.  Innovation is about creating new and better opportunities. Simple.

In our last session, we started by asking the following three questions:

1. What is one thing that has challenged you in this program?
2. What has been reaffirmed?
3. What are you doing moving forward?

Using these questions as a basis of conversation, sparked some great learning with small groups and the larger group as a whole.  Because of this, the original plan for the day was shifted to meet the needs of the group.  I threw out plans and we redirected to dig deeper into portfolios, what they could look like, and how they can make an impact on learning. Here are some things that we did to change the shape of the day.

1. We started off with an extended lunch break to blog. Instead of giving an hour for lunch, we gave two hours, with the expectation that a blog post for their portfolio was done at the end of the time. We also told the group that they could leave the premises and go to a space that would be most conducive to them writing a blog post.  Accountability was built into this process because they had to be effective with time management as we were all going to look at each other’s blogs when we reconvened.
2. When they came back, they added their blog to a google document, that put their name, twitter handle, title with a link to their blog, and the topic, along with any other comments that they had.  Now everyone in the group could see what the other wrote.
3. After they added their blog to the google document, I added a column at the end that said “commented on”.  They were now tasked with commenting to three other participant blogs, but after they were done, they added their name to show where they commented.  The rule was to NOT comment on a blog if you already saw three other comments. This way, we did our best to ensure that everyone had a comment.  We also clarified that comments like “great job!”, were not enough.  The comment should encourage discussion and have the author write more.
4. We then took time to discuss the process with each other in our groups. Both the good and the bad.  And although it was mostly good, there were some negatives as well. This is also important to understand through the process as you can further understand this process with students.
5. To end the day, I gave the group a few minutes to pick a blog post that resonated with them, and to talk for 15-20 seconds about them in the group. The first name would be called out randomly, they would acknowledge another person’s blog, and then that person, would acknowledge another person in the room.  This meant that people were not expected to only read each other’s blogs, but try to understand them.

This process (developed on the fly because of the group), was a beautiful thing. It was also a reminder that some of the best learning can happen in a session if you are flexible and open to the organic process of learning.

Two things that are really important to understand through this process that was connected to the ITLL program. First of all, they understand the power of portfolios by using and learning in their own process. I have long contended that education is not using digital portfolios to anywhere near their potential because you have a lot of people trying to teach something they have never learned! Talking to some of the teachers, they were deathly afraid of putting their thinking out into the world, and then they were so excited to get a comment on their blogs. It was fascinating to see their change in the process just by giving them embedded time in the day.

This leads into the second point. I wanted to make the explicit connection to how the day probably looked a lot different from your usual “staff day”, as we wanted to not only engage, but empower learners, and by giving them control of how they used their own time, that was embedded into the day, how did this help them in designing learning time with their own staff?  I have long believed that one of the best ways to change learning in the classrooms, is to change learning in our professional learning days. This is something that I have written about extensively in “The Innovator’s Mindset“, but my friend Katie Martin also articulates so beautifully.

When teachers have ownership over their learning, and experience what powerful learning can look like, it changes things in their classrooms.  The amazing thing is that changing this learning changes me as a facilitator as well, because I see the power of embedding this time, which to some can seem “non-structured”, but is very deliberately planned and thought out. Telling will never be as effective as experiencing. If we believe this, we have to change what professional learning can look like in our staff days, not just the conferences we attend.

• May 4, 2016 Educators as “Guinea Pig” of Learning
• September 8, 2016 The #InnovatorsMindset MOOC Starting Soon! #IMMOOC
• May 13, 2016 Never Losing That “Look”
• May 11, 2016 The Power of the Process
• May 16, 2016 Meaningful Change is On All of Us

Source: George Couros

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“Telling will never be as effective as experiencing.”

 

In my consulting work with Winnipeg School Division (#WinnipegSD), we have developed a program in which we develop “Innovative Teaching and Learning Leads” (ITLLs). The purpose of this program is to focus not only what innovative teaching and learning looks like, but also to develop teachers as leaders to support the process within their schools.

When we asked schools to designate a person for this opportunity, there was only two things that we shared as criteria:

1. They have influence with staff.
2. They are open to new learning.

That’s it.

Unfortunately when many organizations hear the word “innovation”, they see it as synonymous with technology.  Now technology can be crucial to innovation, but it is not innovation in itself.  Innovation is about creating new and better opportunities. Simple.

In our last session, we started by asking the following three questions:

1. What is one thing that has challenged you in this program?
2. What has been reaffirmed?
3. What are you doing moving forward?

Using these questions as a basis of conversation, sparked some great learning with small groups and the larger group as a whole.  Because of this, the original plan for the day was shifted to meet the needs of the group.  I threw out plans and we redirected to dig deeper into portfolios, what they could look like, and how they can make an impact on learning. Here are some things that we did to change the shape of the day.

1. We started off with an extended lunch break to blog. Instead of giving an hour for lunch, we gave two hours, with the expectation that a blog post for their portfolio was done at the end of the time. We also told the group that they could leave the premises and go to a space that would be most conducive to them writing a blog post.  Accountability was built into this process because they had to be effective with time management as we were all going to look at each other’s blogs when we reconvened.
2. When they came back, they added their blog to a google document, that put their name, twitter handle, title with a link to their blog, and the topic, along with any other comments that they had.  Now everyone in the group could see what the other wrote.
3. After they added their blog to the google document, I added a column at the end that said “commented on”.  They were now tasked with commenting to three other participant blogs, but after they were done, they added their name to show where they commented.  The rule was to NOT comment on a blog if you already saw three other comments. This way, we did our best to ensure that everyone had a comment.  We also clarified that comments like “great job!”, were not enough.  The comment should encourage discussion and have the author write more.
4. We then took time to discuss the process with each other in our groups. Both the good and the bad.  And although it was mostly good, there were some negatives as well. This is also important to understand through the process as you can further understand this process with students.
5. To end the day, I gave the group a few minutes to pick a blog post that resonated with them, and to talk for 15-20 seconds about them in the group. The first name would be called out randomly, they would acknowledge another person’s blog, and then that person, would acknowledge another person in the room.  This meant that people were not expected to only read each other’s blogs, but try to understand them.

This process (developed on the fly because of the group), was a beautiful thing. It was also a reminder that some of the best learning can happen in a session if you are flexible and open to the organic process of learning.

Two things that are really important to understand through this process that was connected to the ITLL program. First of all, they understand the power of portfolios by using and learning in their own process. I have long contended that education is not using digital portfolios to anywhere near their potential because you have a lot of people trying to teach something they have never learned! Talking to some of the teachers, they were deathly afraid of putting their thinking out into the world, and then they were so excited to get a comment on their blogs. It was fascinating to see their change in the process just by giving them embedded time in the day.

This leads into the second point. I wanted to make the explicit connection to how the day probably looked a lot different from your usual “staff day”, as we wanted to not only engage, but empower learners, and by giving them control of how they used their own time, that was embedded into the day, how did this help them in designing learning time with their own staff?  I have long believed that one of the best ways to change learning in the classrooms, is to change learning in our professional learning days. This is something that I have written about extensively in “The Innovator’s Mindset“, but my friend Katie Martin also articulates so beautifully.

When teachers have ownership over their learning, and experience what powerful learning can look like, it changes things in their classrooms.  The amazing thing is that changing this learning changes me as a facilitator as well, because I see the power of embedding this time, which to some can seem “non-structured”, but is very deliberately planned and thought out. Telling will never be as effective as experiencing. If we believe this, we have to change what professional learning can look like in our staff days, not just the conferences we attend.

• May 4, 2016 Educators as “Guinea Pig” of Learning
• September 8, 2016 The #InnovatorsMindset MOOC Starting Soon! #IMMOOC
• May 13, 2016 Never Losing That “Look”
• May 11, 2016 The Power of the Process
• May 16, 2016 Meaningful Change is On All of Us

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12 days of giving…kindness! Paying it forward, #taketwo

Instead of my usual 12 days of giving, this year I’m taking a page from the ever so smart Matt Arend, and focusing on being kind and paying it forward. There are a million different things you can do to brighten someone;s day and if we can help model that for our students, that would [...]

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Sometimes the Answer is More Obvious Than You Think

I saw this following math problem for a grade 1 admissions test to a school in Hong Kong on the site, 22Words, and I struggled to get it right away (I may have looked at the answer ahead of time).  Take 20 seconds to figure it out below.

Go…

How did it go? If you are like the majority of people that I had in my session today, you didn’t get it right away. But once you see the answer, it seems so obvious.

From 22 Words:

It’s upside down, so the answer is 87.

The numbers go 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91— but from right to left because it’s upside down.

Maybe as adults we’re just so used to things being straightforward whereas kids get more creative with their thought process, or maybe we’re all just dumber than a first grader — at least one from Hong Kong.

The one line in bold resonated with me.  Sometimes we say things like, “How do we get people to move forward?”, yet our approach is really along the lines of “tell them harder”.  The hope is if we keep looking and approaching a problem the same way, that eventually we will fix it, instead of trying to look at things differently.

What is often holding others back is not them, but us.  Our approach is usually the thing that people are struggling with, so we need to step back and see things in a different light.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ” Albert Einstein

This puzzle was a nice little reminder that if we look at things in a different manner, the answer can sometimes be a lot simpler than we make it to be.

P.S. My wife figured it out in about 3 seconds because she said as a teacher, she is so used to the learning of her students upside-down. I am sure there are several lessons in that in itself.

• December 27, 2012 The #Georgies2012
• May 15, 2010 Believe in the Kids
• December 11, 2010 Success
• November 6, 2016 Grades and Test Scores Should Not Be Your Driver
• June 25, 2011 Continuous Learning

Source: George Couros

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Synchro Vancouver in Mount Pleasant

Synchro by Bold is a gorgeous 5 storey mid-rise building coming to the up and coming Mount Pleasant area. This exciting new development will consist of 13 1-bedroom suites ranging from 532 – 653 sq ft and 16 2-bedroom suites ranging from 724-1062 sq ft.

Within walking distance of Synchro you will find lovely Brew pubs, Cafes, Boutique shops and great restaurants. Experience the convenience of Mount Pleasant and the surrounding areas such as Olympic Village and False Creek.

Pricing has not yet been determined.  Please register and join our VIP list to be one of the first to receive information.

 

The post Synchro Vancouver in Mount Pleasant appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Where did November go?  Wow--it zipped by so quick I'm scrambling to get my thoughts on Christmas in just 4 short weeks!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  It was a peaceful day filled with tasty food and good company. 

Lo Blacklock, the narrator in The Woman in Cabin 10, however, cannot say she experienced good company or good food during her time spent on a luxury cruise.  As a matter of fact, poor Lo was either completely exhausted, drunk, or seen as slightly crazy throughout the novel.  I have to say I was disappointed with her character, and not terribly impressed with this novel. 

I've read plenty of novels where I didn't like the main character.  Usually it makes for a pretty compelling read, but Lo just completely irritated me.  She suffers from a chronic lack of sleep because of a break-in at her apartment, where she came face to face with the robber.  Locking Lo in her bedroom, he ransacked her place, and left her severely shaken and unable to relax long enough to sleep.  Using booze to help her cope keeps her pretty off balance.  She's given a chance to prove herself at work (she's a travel writer) by taking her boss' place on a inaugural luxury cruise on a boat that is the height of high class, and only has ten cabins.  This is her chance to finally get a promotion--if she snags the right interviews and proves herself.  Only problem is she's running on no sleep and keeps getting offered champagne that she just can't refuse.  Oh yes, and there is the free mini-bar in her cabin. 

On her first night, Lo manages to finally fall asleep, only to be awoken in the middle of the night by a splash.  Moving out onto her balcony, she sees what looks like a smudge of blood on the glass partition between her cabin's balcony, and the balcony for cabin ten.  Convinced that someone was thrown overboard, Lo sets out to notify the boat's head of security. 

Only problem is, there was no one in cabin ten.  But Lo insists that yes, there was--she borrowed mascara from the woman in cabin ten just the night before.  But a thorough search of the boat, along with interviews by every employee on the boat comes up with nothing.  Lo's deepening sense of something being horribly wrong is at war with her doubts about what she may have seen and heard.  That smudge of blood?  It's gone.  That cabin that was strewn with clothes and personal belongings from the night before?  Spotless.  Is Lo imagining things, or did someone go overboard?  Who is hiding the truth? 

Dang, I wanted to like this novel so much.  I can't get past Lo.  I found myself saying out loud "For the love of God, take a nap!"  It drove me nuts.  The whole mystery I found a bit confusing to untangle, and it just seemed to be a thin plot to me.  I had to suspend my belief quite a bit, and I didn't feel the ending was worth the effort.  Boo.  I'll give Ruth Ware's other novel In a Dark, Dark Wood a shot, because I think she certainly has potential, and I've heard a lot of good things about her debut novel.  This one, however, left me wanting my own mini-bar.

Rating:  4/10 for an annoying narrator, and a thin plot.  Just wasn't my cup of tea. 
Fans of The Girl on the Train may find this a good read. 
Available in hardcover, e-book, and audio.

Don't forget to enter to win a trio of romance novels by Kate Noble!  Contest winner will be announced December 1st:
Kate Noble Romance Giveaway

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Sometimes the Answer is More Obvious Than You Think

I saw this following math problem for a grade 1 admissions test to a school in Hong Kong on the site, 22Words, and I struggled to get it right away (I may have looked at the answer ahead of time).  Take 20 seconds to figure it out below.

Go…

How did it go? If you are like the majority of people that I had in my session today, you didn’t get it right away. But once you see the answer, it seems so obvious.

From 22 Words:

It’s upside down, so the answer is 87.

The numbers go 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91— but from right to left because it’s upside down.

Maybe as adults we’re just so used to things being straightforward whereas kids get more creative with their thought process, or maybe we’re all just dumber than a first grader — at least one from Hong Kong.

The one line in bold resonated with me.  Sometimes we say things like, “How do we get people to move forward?”, yet our approach is really along the lines of “tell them harder”.  The hope is if we keep looking and approaching a problem the same way, that eventually we will fix it, instead of trying to look at things differently.

What is often holding others back is not them, but us.  Our approach is usually the thing that people are struggling with, so we need to step back and see things in a different light.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ” Albert Einstein

This puzzle was a nice little reminder that if we look at things in a different manner, the answer can sometimes be a lot simpler than we make it to be.

P.S. My wife figured it out in about 3 seconds because she said as a teacher, she is so used to the learning of her students upside-down. I am sure there are several lessons in that in itself.

• December 27, 2012 The #Georgies2012
• May 15, 2010 Believe in the Kids
• December 11, 2010 Success
• November 6, 2016 Grades and Test Scores Should Not Be Your Driver
• June 25, 2011 Continuous Learning

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Kindred Moodyville by Fairborne

Coming soon to the up and coming Moodyville Neighbourhood of North Vancouver,  Kindred Moodyville is a fine collection of 96 homes consisting of 1 bedroom, 1 plus den and 2 bedrooms suites. Each home is is exceptionally designed with bright, spacious and modern interiors for the best livability in mind, complete with overheight ceilings and efficient floor plans

Moodyville Neigbourhood of North Vancouver is going under a massive transition. Currently consisting single family homes, this area was targeted by the City of North Vancouver as community to redeveloped into a new walkable pedestrian friendly neighbourhood.  Once completed, Moodyville will have 1500 homes within walking distance of Lower Lonsdale, with easy access to transit and trails to get you where you need to.

The post Kindred Moodyville by Fairborne appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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4 Things We Need to Always Remember in Education

Education is an extremely tough profession.  Spend any significant amount of time in a classroom or a school, and you will see how complex the profession is, and the many roles that educators serve in the work that they do.  Each year, it is only becoming more and more complex.

With countless initiatives, either new or outdated curriculums, higher public scrutiny, the job can be overwhelming.  That being said, there are some things that we always need to remember that can help us navigate the complexities of the work that we do as educators.

1. Education is a servant profession.  This is something that I try to focus on daily in my work, as this can be easily forgotten, and even sometimes, we turn it around and act like students serve us. Questions such as, “What is best for students?”, and, “Would you want to be a learner in your own classroom?”, are ones that we need to answer daily, not with a simple yes or no.  Yet servant leadership goes up the chain. Simplifying, teachers serve students, principals serve teachers and students, superintendents serve principals, teachers, and students.
   
   Yet we often act the opposite way. More and more is piled upon the plates of principals and teachers, that make it harder for them to serve students and the community.  We want teachers to be “researchers”, but give them such little time to do so.  I learned that the higher you go up in any profession, the more people you serve, not the other way around.  Really understanding and focusing on serving those in front of us, will make a major difference on what the experience looks like for our communities.
   
   
2. Learning is the goal. Curriculums are shifting away from content only in many spaces, and developing skills, but the bottom line is that we develop learners. As the world becomes more complex, change is thrust upon all of us, our students will not always have the access to a wise teacher.  They will need to figure it out themselves.  If kids walk out of school only being good at “school”, we might look good in the short term, but the damage long term is something that will have a negative impact for a time to come.  Ask yourself, do our students learn stuff when they walk out of your class, or do they know how to learn with or without you?  Someone once said that “we cannot learn in the absence of a teacher”, yet if we believe that, we are creating too much of a dependence on others, and not learning to figure it out themselves.
3. We are developing people. I remember one time I was talking to a teacher and a student came up to us with an emergency, and the teacher turned to them and said, “Can’t you see that we are talking? Wait until we are done.” It was said in a harsh manner and I was really uncomfortable with the moment.
   
   Now we don’t want students to be rude and interrupt conversations, but every moment in schools, is a moment that can last with a student forever.  Will you be the positive or negative memory that they have ten years from now?  Treating our students with respect, modelling it in how we interact with other adults, is something that is (in my opinion) much more important long term for our students.  This does not mean we shouldn’t have conflict with one another, but it does mean we have to learn how to challenge one another in a way that is respectful, students and colleagues.  
   
   Kids are very observant; what do they see and what do they eventually become because of what we model?
   
   
4. “Never let an 8 year old ruin your day.” This one is harder to articulate so I will do my best.  One year on opening day, there was a speaker who made the comment, “never let an 8 year old ruin your day.”  It stuck with me, and it is something that I have thought about often.  I remember in one case, a student was swearing and yelling at me, saying some of the most horrible things to me, and I stayed calm the entire time, and continued to stay with them until they calmed down, and we had a conversation, eventually talking in a rational manner about how the things that I just heard were not acceptable.  
   
   Earlier in my career, I would have been destroyed by these names, and probably would have affected me in a negative way the next day, and moving forward that year.  But now, I have learned to let that go.  There are kids who deal with things as young people, that I do not know if I could handle as an adult.  These moments are often not about you, but about something else going on in their lives.  That being said, I know and understand why many teachers (including myself), can take some of this pain that our students go through onto themselves, and it can be hard.  Ultimately though, do your best to not take things personally.  Easier said than done, but just remember, growing up is not easy, especially with some of the adversity that our students are dealing with.  Sometimes kids feel like the world has given up on them, just make sure you do your best to let them know that you are not willing to do that.
   
   

 

 

As said earlier, education is a tough job, and every year we move forward, there is seemingly more thrust upon educators. As these endless initiatives and things that are thrust upon you, just try to remember why you do what you do.  Starting with this end in mind, helps us remember what truly is the important work that we do.

• April 22, 2013 What Teachers Do
• June 28, 2013 The Prophets In Your Land
• April 17, 2014 4 Types of Leaders You Shouldn’t Be
• April 24, 2010 What Makes a Master Teacher
• February 3, 2013 4 Attributes of a Great Assistant Principal

Source: George Couros

from Connected Principals http://ift.tt/2f8KHWc

4 Things We Need to Always Remember in Education

Education is an extremely tough profession.  Spend any significant amount of time in a classroom or a school, and you will see how complex the profession is, and the many roles that educators serve in the work that they do.  Each year, it is only becoming more and more complex.

With countless initiatives, either new or outdated curriculums, higher public scrutiny, the job can be overwhelming.  That being said, there are some things that we always need to remember that can help us navigate the complexities of the work that we do as educators.

1. Education is a servant profession.  This is something that I try to focus on daily in my work, as this can be easily forgotten, and even sometimes, we turn it around and act like students serve us. Questions such as, “What is best for students?”, and, “Would you want to be a learner in your own classroom?”, are ones that we need to answer daily, not with a simple yes or no.  Yet servant leadership goes up the chain. Simplifying, teachers serve students, principals serve teachers and students, superintendents serve principals, teachers, and students.
   
   Yet we often act the opposite way. More and more is piled upon the plates of principals and teachers, that make it harder for them to serve students and the community.  We want teachers to be “researchers”, but give them such little time to do so.  I learned that the higher you go up in any profession, the more people you serve, not the other way around.  Really understanding and focusing on serving those in front of us, will make a major difference on what the experience looks like for our communities.
   
   
2. Learning is the goal. Curriculums are shifting away from content only in many spaces, and developing skills, but the bottom line is that we develop learners. As the world becomes more complex, change is thrust upon all of us, our students will not always have the access to a wise teacher.  They will need to figure it out themselves.  If kids walk out of school only being good at “school”, we might look good in the short term, but the damage long term is something that will have a negative impact for a time to come.  Ask yourself, do our students learn stuff when they walk out of your class, or do they know how to learn with or without you?  Someone once said that “we cannot learn in the absence of a teacher”, yet if we believe that, we are creating too much of a dependence on others, and not learning to figure it out themselves.
3. We are developing people. I remember one time I was talking to a teacher and a student came up to us with an emergency, and the teacher turned to them and said, “Can’t you see that we are talking? Wait until we are done.” It was said in a harsh manner and I was really uncomfortable with the moment.
   
   Now we don’t want students to be rude and interrupt conversations, but every moment in schools, is a moment that can last with a student forever.  Will you be the positive or negative memory that they have ten years from now?  Treating our students with respect, modelling it in how we interact with other adults, is something that is (in my opinion) much more important long term for our students.  This does not mean we shouldn’t have conflict with one another, but it does mean we have to learn how to challenge one another in a way that is respectful, students and colleagues.  
   
   Kids are very observant; what do they see and what do they eventually become because of what we model?
   
   
4. “Never let an 8 year old ruin your day.” This one is harder to articulate so I will do my best.  One year on opening day, there was a speaker who made the comment, “never let an 8 year old ruin your day.”  It stuck with me, and it is something that I have thought about often.  I remember in one case, a student was swearing and yelling at me, saying some of the most horrible things to me, and I stayed calm the entire time, and continued to stay with them until they calmed down, and we had a conversation, eventually talking in a rational manner about how the things that I just heard were not acceptable.  
   
   Earlier in my career, I would have been destroyed by these names, and probably would have affected me in a negative way the next day, and moving forward that year.  But now, I have learned to let that go.  There are kids who deal with things as young people, that I do not know if I could handle as an adult.  These moments are often not about you, but about something else going on in their lives.  That being said, I know and understand why many teachers (including myself), can take some of this pain that our students go through onto themselves, and it can be hard.  Ultimately though, do your best to not take things personally.  Easier said than done, but just remember, growing up is not easy, especially with some of the adversity that our students are dealing with.  Sometimes kids feel like the world has given up on them, just make sure you do your best to let them know that you are not willing to do that.
   
   

 

 

As said earlier, education is a tough job, and every year we move forward, there is seemingly more thrust upon educators. As these endless initiatives and things that are thrust upon you, just try to remember why you do what you do.  Starting with this end in mind, helps us remember what truly is the important work that we do.

• April 22, 2013 What Teachers Do
• June 28, 2013 The Prophets In Your Land
• April 17, 2014 4 Types of Leaders You Shouldn’t Be
• April 24, 2010 What Makes a Master Teacher
• February 3, 2013 4 Attributes of a Great Assistant Principal

from Connected Principals http://ift.tt/2f8wb0F

4 Things We Need to Always Remember in Education

Education is an extremely tough profession.  Spend any significant amount of time in a classroom or a school, and you will see how complex the profession is, and the many roles that educators serve in the work that they do.  Each year, it is only becoming more and more complex.

With countless initiatives, either new or outdated curriculums, higher public scrutiny, the job can be overwhelming.  That being said, there are some things that we always need to remember that can help us navigate the complexities of the work that we do as educators.

1. Education is a servant profession.  This is something that I try to focus on daily in my work, as this can be easily forgotten, and even sometimes, we turn it around and act like students serve us. Questions such as, “What is best for students?”, and, “Would you want to be a learner in your own classroom?”, are ones that we need to answer daily, not with a simple yes or no.  Yet servant leadership goes up the chain. Simplifying, teachers serve students, principals serve teachers and students, superintendents serve principals, teachers, and students.
   
   Yet we often act the opposite way. More and more is piled upon the plates of principals and teachers, that make it harder for them to serve students and the community.  We want teachers to be “researchers”, but give them such little time to do so.  I learned that the higher you go up in any profession, the more people you serve, not the other way around.  Really understanding and focusing on serving those in front of us, will make a major difference on what the experience looks like for our communities.
   
   
2. Learning is the goal. Curriculums are shifting away from content only in many spaces, and developing skills, but the bottom line is that we develop learners. As the world becomes more complex, change is thrust upon all of us, our students will not always have the access to a wise teacher.  They will need to figure it out themselves.  If kids walk out of school only being good at “school”, we might look good in the short term, but the damage long term is something that will have a negative impact for a time to come.  Ask yourself, do our students learn stuff when they walk out of your class, or do they know how to learn with or without you?  Someone once said that “we cannot learn in the absence of a teacher”, yet if we believe that, we are creating too much of a dependence on others, and not learning to figure it out themselves.
3. We are developing people. I remember one time I was talking to a teacher and a student came up to us with an emergency, and the teacher turned to them and said, “Can’t you see that we are talking? Wait until we are done.” It was said in a harsh manner and I was really uncomfortable with the moment.
   
   Now we don’t want students to be rude and interrupt conversations, but every moment in schools, is a moment that can last with a student forever.  Will you be the positive or negative memory that they have ten years from now?  Treating our students with respect, modelling it in how we interact with other adults, is something that is (in my opinion) much more important long term for our students.  This does not mean we shouldn’t have conflict with one another, but it does mean we have to learn how to challenge one another in a way that is respectful, students and colleagues.  
   
   Kids are very observant; what do they see and what do they eventually become because of what we model?
   
   
4. “Never let an 8 year old ruin your day.” This one is harder to articulate so I will do my best.  One year on opening day, there was a speaker who made the comment, “never let an 8 year old ruin your day.”  It stuck with me, and it is something that I have thought about often.  I remember in one case, a student was swearing and yelling at me, saying some of the most horrible things to me, and I stayed calm the entire time, and continued to stay with them until they calmed down, and we had a conversation, eventually talking in a rational manner about how the things that I just heard were not acceptable.  
   
   Earlier in my career, I would have been destroyed by these names, and probably would have affected me in a negative way the next day, and moving forward that year.  But now, I have learned to let that go.  There are kids who deal with things as young people, that I do not know if I could handle as an adult.  These moments are often not about you, but about something else going on in their lives.  That being said, I know and understand why many teachers (including myself), can take some of this pain that our students go through onto themselves, and it can be hard.  Ultimately though, do your best to not take things personally.  Easier said than done, but just remember, growing up is not easy, especially with some of the adversity that our students are dealing with.  Sometimes kids feel like the world has given up on them, just make sure you do your best to let them know that you are not willing to do that.
   
   

 

 

As said earlier, education is a tough job, and every year we move forward, there is seemingly more thrust upon educators. As these endless initiatives and things that are thrust upon you, just try to remember why you do what you do.  Starting with this end in mind, helps us remember what truly is the important work that we do.

• April 22, 2013 What Teachers Do
• June 28, 2013 The Prophets In Your Land
• April 17, 2014 4 Types of Leaders You Shouldn’t Be
• April 24, 2010 What Makes a Master Teacher
• February 3, 2013 4 Attributes of a Great Assistant Principal

from Connected Principals http://ift.tt/2f8wb0F

Hottest Posts Everyone’s Reading this Fall #ICYMI

I can't believe it's Thanksgiving break! This fall has absolutely flown by. It's been an exciting few months, and I was thrilled to be named a 2017 NASSP Digital Principal of the Year, along with Darren Ellwein (@DEllwein) and Nicholas Indeglio (@DrIndeglio). I look forward to working with these awesome educators over the next year. It's an honor and privilege to promote the role of technology in learning with the ultimate goal of empowering learners!

Thank you for supporting my work on Twitter and here on my blog. I share my ideas on a variety of topics in hopes that my experience will be supportive and helpful to you. If you ideas for me and or any kind of feedback, I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or reach out on Twitter or Facebook.

Here is a look back at a few of the most popular posts from the past couple of months.

Title	Views
11 Reasons Educators Should Empower Students October 11	3790
Why Your High School Should Teach Computer Science (Guest Post) October 4	3222
One More Reason to Use Social Media in Your School October 27	3106
Five Critical #EdTech Conversations for Your School November 13	3054
Do We Really Have Time for Digital Citizenship? September 3	3010
10 Signs Twitter PD Might Not Be Your Thing September 4	2791
9 Ways to Help Your Students Show Up Well October 20	2590
Not Just Better, But Different September 15	2167
Adaptable Learners Will Own the Future November 17	2086

        

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