Riverstone Place in Downtown Nanaimo

Riverstone Place by Platinum Properties Group is a new 6-storey new residential building development located at 20 Barsby Avenue, Nanaimo. This project will offer 90 market condominiums, features 1- bedroom, 1- bedroom + den, and 2- bedroom homes located close to the waterfront and forested walking and biking trails. A short 20-minute flight from downtown Vancouver, yet with fresh sea air and an abundance of world-class recreation at your doorstep, Riverstone Place feels like a world away.

The post Riverstone Place in Downtown Nanaimo appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Projects – Vancouver New Condos http://bit.ly/2GoBtm0

Where do you focus your attention for the growth of your organization?

Have you ever done a presentation and get overwhelmingly positive feedback but also get the one negative, snarky comment that you just can’t get out of your mind? We have all been there in some form, and although we know it can be irrational we still get stuck on it.  We can learn from negative comments but we can also get lost in them.

You can pay attention to the negative feedback, but you don’t have to dwell on it.

I thought of this as I was speaking with a group yesterday and how they help move their staff forward.  When many people ask this question, they are not thinking about the people that actively want to grow and get better but those that are “roadblocks” to growth.

There are some important distinctions that need to be made here.  We often interchangeably see those that want to grow as the “high achievers,” but that is not always true.  There are some that currently excel in their roles yet do not feel the need to grow. They will eventually be surpassed.

As for those that are “roadblocks,” it is important to note that these aren’t the people who don’t criticize and challenge ideas (which is essential to the growth of individuals and organizations) but are those that have a problem with every solution and provide no solutions themselves.  A question I often pose is, “are you challenging this to move forward or to stand still?”

So why does all this matter?

We spend a lot of our time trying to convince the “unconvinceable,” believe that if we can just get those few to move forward, all of our problems will be solved.  Those people that are wanting to thrive get left behind and lose out on the push and mentorship they crave, which ultimately leads to either their regression or them leaving your organization altogether.

If we spend time nurturing, developing, and pushing those that want to grow, they will.  But those people won’t only improve; they will be empowered to do the same for others and build a stronger culture that helps those that are resistant to grow themselves. 

It is much easier for a culture to move someone forward than it is for any one individual.

Placing an emphasis on those that are eager to learn will lead to accelerated growth of individuals and organizations. You can pay attention to the negative, but it doesn’t mean it should define ourselves, our journey, or destination.

• April 17, 2013 3 Important Trends That We Should Focus On in Schools
• October 28, 2018 Starting With Positive Assumptions
• February 21, 2011 Leading or Getting Out of the Way?
• May 31, 2018 Pushing Past the Organizational Plateau
• June 28, 2018 3 Ways to Develop a Shared Path Toward One Vision

from Connected Principals http://bit.ly/2TMTmhh

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Whether you forgot to get dinner started early or had a last minute craving strike, you can still have pulled pork sandwiches for dinner thanks to the Instant Pot! Instant Pot Pulled Pork is every bit as delicious as the slow cooked version but comes together in a fraction of the time.

We have entered a phase of the year where I feel like I am on an endless loop of running from one thing to another between my own appointments and Elle’s activities.

Maybe it is the gloomy, mostly gray, cold weather we get here in the Midwest this time of year. And the fact that all of the holidays are over and we won’t get another good break from the norm until spring break.

Whatever the reason, I can’t get past feeling like I am simply running from one thing to the next on repeat. When life gets like this, I like to have some last-minute, quick-prep dinner ideas on hand, because you know I don’t have time to do a lot of prep work, ok?

My Instant Pot is perfect for this. Whether I am making a soup, chili or this Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe, I know that I can throw dinner together last minute and still have it taste like it spent the whole day cooking away.

(more…)

The post Instant Pot Pulled Pork appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

        

from My Baking Addiction http://bit.ly/2TLtkv0

The Importance of Not Stepping In

I had a fantastic opportunity to do a student podcast recently, and although the students were there to ask me questions, I took a lot of time to ask them about their own experiences in school. Honestly, I would rather hear from them and their perspectives than I would talk so I tried to get in as many questions as possible.  It was such a pleasure to connect with these students.

We got onto the topic of “empowering” students and why I thought it was so important. Something they said triggered a thought I had about one of my favorite basketball coaches of all time, Phil Jackson.  For those who don’t know Phil Jackson, he is famous for coaching the Michael Jordan Bulls and the Lakers to 11 total NBA championships, the most of any coach in the NBA. His resume is incredible as a coach.

There was something that he would do that was unlike any other coach that was meant for the long-term success of his teams.  Usually, when a basketball team is facing a situation where the momentum is shifting, and sometimes the crowd is getting rowdier or losing interest in their own team, the majority of coaches will call a timeout to regroup their players.  I have watched basketball enough that I can tell when a timeout is about to be taken because you can feel it in the stadium. Phil Jackson would often just let his players stay on the court and let them try to figure out, even when the pressure was high, to get themselves out of a bad situation.  The mentality was that there might be a situation in a playoff game that the team is either limited in timeouts or doesn’t have one at all, and the coach won’t be able to save them. It is better for the team to learn how to figure it out on their own while actively playing in the game.

Do you see a connection to a classroom?  Often, as a teacher or principal we want to jump in when our students struggle with new learning in a situation, but what does that lead to when they are on their own?  I have talked often about working with students that were sent to the office for behavioral issues, and I would merely ask, “Why are you here?” and then follow the answer to that with, “What would you do if you were me?”  The point of those questions was for the students to develop the skills and mentality to be able to figure out tough situations on their own since we know we will not always be around.

When you look at the situation with school or coaching, when we empower others, we have to realize that what is most comfortable for us at the moment can lead to detrimental consequences in the long term.  Giving up ownership now can help our students figure out their direction in the future. Engagement is more about today where empowerment is about leading to better choices and application both today and tomorrow.  It is not always easy, but ultimately it will be worth it.

• July 15, 2015 Resilience and Innovation in Education
• December 4, 2015 How do you tell your story?
• September 7, 2015 Empowerment Does Not Happen Without Ownership
• August 26, 2018 All Toward Supporting Students
• July 17, 2018 3 Thoughts on Innovation in Education Heading into the New School Year

Source: George Couros

from Connected Principals http://bit.ly/2BtzMQe

The Importance of Not Stepping In

I had a fantastic opportunity to do a student podcast recently, and although the students were there to ask me questions, I took a lot of time to ask them about their own experiences in school. Honestly, I would rather hear from them and their perspectives than I would talk so I tried to get in as many questions as possible.  It was such a pleasure to connect with these students.

We got onto the topic of “empowering” students and why I thought it was so important. Something they said triggered a thought I had about one of my favorite basketball coaches of all time, Phil Jackson.  For those who don’t know Phil Jackson, he is famous for coaching the Michael Jordan Bulls and the Lakers to 11 total NBA championships, the most of any coach in the NBA. His resume is incredible as a coach.

There was something that he would do that was unlike any other coach that was meant for the long-term success of his teams.  Usually, when a basketball team is facing a situation where the momentum is shifting, and sometimes the crowd is getting rowdier or losing interest in their own team, the majority of coaches will call a timeout to regroup their players.  I have watched basketball enough that I can tell when a timeout is about to be taken because you can feel it in the stadium. Phil Jackson would often just let his players stay on the court and let them try to figure out, even when the pressure was high, to get themselves out of a bad situation.  The mentality was that there might be a situation in a playoff game that the team is either limited in timeouts or doesn’t have one at all, and the coach won’t be able to save them. It is better for the team to learn how to figure it out on their own while actively playing in the game.

Do you see a connection to a classroom?  Often, as a teacher or principal we want to jump in when our students struggle with new learning in a situation, but what does that lead to when they are on their own?  I have talked often about working with students that were sent to the office for behavioral issues, and I would merely ask, “Why are you here?” and then follow the answer to that with, “What would you do if you were me?”  The point of those questions was for the students to develop the skills and mentality to be able to figure out tough situations on their own since we know we will not always be around.

When you look at the situation with school or coaching, when we empower others, we have to realize that what is most comfortable for us at the moment can lead to detrimental consequences in the long term.  Giving up ownership now can help our students figure out their direction in the future. Engagement is more about today where empowerment is about leading to better choices and application both today and tomorrow.  It is not always easy, but ultimately it will be worth it.

• July 15, 2015 Resilience and Innovation in Education
• December 4, 2015 How do you tell your story?
• September 7, 2015 Empowerment Does Not Happen Without Ownership
• August 26, 2018 All Toward Supporting Students
• July 17, 2018 3 Thoughts on Innovation in Education Heading into the New School Year

from Connected Principals http://bit.ly/2I4gypV

Mackenzie Park in Port Coquitlam

Mackenzie Park by Redekop Redale Group is a new 4 storey condo development located in Port Coquitlam. This project will offer 40 units, whether you’re a First Time Home Buyer with Studio and 1 Bed + Den options, family oriented with spacious 2 Bed + Dens, or you can have it all in a spacious and luxurious Penthouse suite. Each home features open concept living with high quality, modern finishes combined with thoughtful details.

The post Mackenzie Park in Port Coquitlam appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Projects – Vancouver New Condos http://bit.ly/2MUZSQo

Lilac HAUS on Vancouver’s West Side

Lilac HAUS by Dana Development Inc. is a new 3 storey condo development located on Vancouver’s West Side. This project will offer 4 units, as only 2 of 4 are still available for sale. As the West Side’s first ever multi-family passive house development, lilacHAUS appeals to discerning, climate conscious buyers looking to live in one of Vancouver’s most coveted neighbourhoods.

#100, 845 sq , 1,288 M , 10,000 buyer’s incentive
#101-1990 sqf, 2.988,000 M with 10,000 Buyers incentive and $10,000 to buyers agent
#201-2100 sqf , 3.288,000 M same as above
#301 , sold

Estimated completion: July 2019

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from Projects – Vancouver New Condos http://bit.ly/2BsMJtr