MRVED Update - October 27, 2021

MRVED Business

MRVED Meetings

October 29, 2021 - Principals' Council

November 12, 2021 - Title III Teachers (Virtual)

November 18, 2021 - Teachers' Advisory Council and Principals' Council

November 19, 2021 - Title III Paraprofessionals

November 24, 2021 - Superintendents' Council

October 20 Recap and Evaluation

The MRVED hopes that Jon Gordon's message resonated with each of you. There certainly was something there for everyone!

If you haven't already filled out the evaluation on the day, please be sure to complete that by the end of the week. The MRVED takes all feedback seriously. Our Teacher Advisory Committee combs through the survey results and makes suggestions for future professional development. Our Principals and Superintendents also review the evaluations and make suggestions and decisions based upon the feedback.

Deadline Extended for MELT 2022 Call for Presentations

The MRVED is excited to announce the return of the MELT (MRVED Educators Learning Together) Conference on January 17, 2022 to be held in-person at LqPV High School. It has been 2 years since we were last able to get together as a MRVED and we are so excited to have this opportunity to learn and grow together. There are so many talented people in the MRVED and this is your opportunity to share those talents with others. We have learned so much since the 2020 MELT that I am hoping to have a record number of local teachers presenting this year. Presenters will receive a small stipend and be able to register for sessions early to ensure they get to attend the sessions they want to attend. Please consider presenting by filling out the form linked below. The deadline has been extended to the end of the day November 3rd.

2022 MELT Call for Presentation Proposals

**Please Note: You are not committing to presenting by filling out the form. You are providing your name and idea to be considered to present.**

Resources

Empathy Maps

Empathy maps are a great way for teachers to get to know their students personally and academically. In education, an empathy map is a simple visual that captures knowledge about the behaviors, attitudes, needs, strengths, struggles, emotional states, and other key attributes of a particular student or group of students. The template and more information can be found in this Edutopia article or video by Jorge Valenzuela.

Professional Learning

101st National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference

The Centennial Celebration continues with the 101st NCSS Annual Conference. The conference, which was slated to be held in Minneapolis this year was recently moved to a virtual conference. Even though the conference was moved to a virtual one, participants can still access 100's of great sessions from some of the greatest social studies minds in the country.

You can register for the conference HERE.

Book Study

The Power of Positive Leadership - Chapters 5 & 6

Chapters 5 & 6 in The Power of Positive Leadership go hand in hand. Chapter 5 is about leading with optimism and chapter 6 is about confronting, transforming, and removing negativity. In a nutshell, its about leading with optimism and not allowing pessimism and negativity to thrive in your culture.

Jon talks about building a team that optimistic and has the same set of beliefs as the leader. He provides the example of Donna Orender, who was once the commissioner of the WNBA. Her job was to grow the WNBA. When talking about putting her team together, she says this, "You have to give people excuses to say yes. Some will be all in based on what you say. Some you need to show. For those who still didn't believe, she had to help them leave, letting them know they weren't in the right place." (Gordon 49) Think of a time in your life when you were trying to get people to follow you. You had some people with you from the start, they needed no convincing. Once you got started, you would gather a few more, because they could now see your vision. And you also had some people that didn't want to join you. In an organization, especially when trying to establish a culture, the same thing is going to happen. It's how you work with those that don't get on board that will make or break things for you.

Sometimes we have little voices in our head that tell us something can't be done, or we should quit. Dr. James Gills, a famed triathlete when talking about how he learned to complete 2 triathlons in less than 24 hours says, "I learned to talk to myself instead of listen to myself." (Gordon, 52). This is a very powerful quote. We have the power to feed ourselves positive thoughts instead of listening to the negative voices in our head. Learn to talk to yourself, not listen. Control the conversation with yourself! Jon Gordon says, "The story we tell ourselves determines the life we live" (Gordon, 55). Then, "when you see that the world has no power over you, you will lead more powerfully in the world" (Gordon, 60).

Chapter 6 talks about the "energy vampires". These are the people in the organization that suck the energy & life out of an organization. Jon Gordon says, "You must address the negativity. Confront it, transform it, or remove it." (Gordon, 71) Energy vampires and negativity can be like a cancer in your organization/classroom. Once you see it, address it before it spreads. Give the energy vampires an opportunity to change or transform before fully removing them. After all, nobody really wants to be an energy vampire. Jon Gordon also talks about his no complaining rule. It's simple, if you want to complain, provide 2 solutions as well, otherwise don't bring it up.

It also should be noted that, as a leader, you shouldn't just be getting rid of all the people that don't believe in your mission and vision. Sometimes it takes time for people to see your vision as a leader. Your job as a leader is to help these people grow & learn. Remember, some people will willingly hop on your bus needing no explanation or picture of where you are going, these people trust you as a leader fully. Some people are going to need to see the flyer or postcard explaining where you are going. They may need to ask some questions, but eventually they will get on the bus. Some people need to hear from others on the bus before they grab their seat. Some people need help making the big first step to get on the bus. Some will refuse to get on the bus. Just remember, it takes a whole team to build up a culture, but only one person to bring it down. How will you handle the few that won't get on the bus?

Think about:

1. Are you an energy vampire? Do you know an energy vampire?

2. Has there been a time where you let the energy vampires roam freely for too long?

3. A time when you overcame the voices in your head with positive speak.

MRVED Update - October 13, 2021

MRVED Business

MRVED Meetings

October 20, 2021 - MRVED Common Inservice (Virtual)

October 27, 2021 - Superintendents' Council

October 29, 2021 - Principals' Council

November 12, 2021 - Title III Teachers (Virtual)

October 20, 2021 Common Day

Jon Gordon will be our keynote speaker starting at 9:00 a.m. A link to the live presentation will be sent to your school a week prior to the event. If you are watching the keynote in your own classroom, please contact your administration for the link and ensure that Zoom will work on your computer. You can ensure Zoom will work on your computer by joining a Test Meeting Room.

October 20, 2021 Networking Groups

Following Jon Gordon, there will be virtual networking groups within grade levels or content areas.  The networking groups will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and will be hosted on the platform choice of the teacher hosting the meeting. To register for a networking group, please complete the Google Form:  Networking Group Registration.  Please complete this form by Friday, October 15, 2021.

The links for the networking groups will also be sent to your administration.  Once you receive the link for your networking group, please test your compatibility with the platform being used PRIOR to October 20th.  MRVED will not be able to assist in technical difficulties on that day. 

*Please note that we could NOT find facilitators for 1st Grade Math, 3rd Grade Math, 6th Grade Reading, and Elementary Social Studies.

MELT 2022 Call for Presentations

The MRVED is excited to announce the return of the MELT (MRVED Educators Learning Together) Conference on January 17, 2022 to be held in-person at LqPV High School. It has been 2 years since we were last able to get together as a MRVED and we are so excited to have this opportunity to learn and grow together. There are so many talented people in the MRVED and this is your opportunity to share those talents with others. We have learned so much since the 2020 MELT that I am hoping to have a record number of local teachers presenting this year. Presenters will receive a small stipend and be able to register for sessions early to ensure they get to attend the sessions they want to attend. Please consider presenting by filling out the form linked below.

2022 MELT Call for Presentation Proposals

**Please Note: You are not committing to presenting by filling out the form. You are providing your name and idea to be considered to present.**

Professional Learning

MREA (Minnesota Rural Education Association) will be holding their annual conference November 14-16 at Cragun's Resort in Brainerd, MN. They have also offered a virtual option for whole districts to participate. Check with your local district to see if they have purchased the virtual option.

Ron Berger & Dick Beardsley are the keynote speakers with many breakout sessions scheduled between as well as the legislative update from Sam Walseth.

The MREA conference is a great way to connect with other rural educators and learn about how to overcome some of the hurdles we face in outstate Minnesota. MREA does a fantastic job of advocating for our rural school districts.

MREA Annual Conference Information and Registration

Book Study

The Power of Positive Leadership - Chapters 3 & 4

I'm on my 2nd reading of The Power of Positive Leadership and I have picked up so much more than when I read it the 1st time! I highly, highly suggest you purchase this book if you haven't and follow along with my bi-weekly reflections.

At the end of chapter 2, Jon shares the framework for positive leaders. See the image to the left. Chapters 3 & 4 are all about mission and vision. Every organization has a mission and vision. Some have it plastered on the walls of their buildings and letterheads. Others can recite the mission by heart. Whereas, some people have no clue what the mission and/or vision is of their organization.

Jon uses the analogy of the Energy Bus, which is another one of his bestsellers. The analogy is that you can give your team the bus (the framework - or structure), but unless you have a driver of the bus, it doesn't move. Leaders are the bus drivers...you're either a positive leader, or a negative leader. The bus either moves or it sits still and spins the tires.

One of my favorite quotes comes on page 16, "Culture is not just one thing, it's everything. Culture drives expectations and beliefs. Expectations and beliefs drive behaviors. Behaviors drive habits. And habits create the future" (Gordon, 16). Culture is truly everything and is the motor the will move the bus. Like culture, you can feel if that motor is fine tuned or not. Listen to Jon Gordon address the Gopher Football team (https://twitter.com/Coach_Fleck/status/1430531056676057091?s=20). Did you catch what he said about feeling the culture in the room? Remember, you still need that leader to press the gas to get the motor to fire. It's up to the driver to ensure their motor is fine-tuned.

Driving a culture is hard! Sometimes we forget about it's importance because we become to laser-focused on results. Jon likens this to a tree. The fruit of the tree is the results, the things you can quantify. I can count the number of apples a tree produces and then make a goal to increase the number next year. But if I don't take care of the root system of the tree (the culture) among many other things, my quantifiables won't increase. If ultimately, you forget about the root system, your tree with wither and die. Spend time on the roots to see the fruits.

Chapter 4 is all about vision. In a nutshell, share your vision, share your vision, share your vision! Every leader has a vision for what they want to see, but if others can't see that vision with you, or you don't show them your vision, they are following you blindly. Blindly following someone makes people feel really uncomfortable. Jon gives lots of great examples of people that have created and shared their visions. One of my favorite quotes from this chapter is, "Martin Luther King Jr. said, "I have a dream." He didn't say, "I have a strategic plan that I think might work." (Gordon, 32). Think about that!

My challenge for you this week is to think about the culture of your organization, your classroom, your home? Is it a positive culture as described by Jon Gordon? Who is the bus driver in each of these situations? Can your riders see where they are going? Or is the front window full of mud? If it has mud on it, how do we clean it so everyone can see where we are going?

MRVED Update - September 29, 2021

MRVED Business

MRVED Meetings

October 20, 2021 - MRVED Common Inservice Day

October 27, 2021 - Superintendents' Council

October 29, 2021 - Principals' Council

October 20, 2021 Common Day

Jon Gordon will be our keynote speaker starting at 9:00 AM. A link to the live presentation will be sent to your school a week prior to the event. If you are watching the keynote in your own classroom, please ensure that Zoom will work on your computer. You can ensure Zoom will work on your computer by joining a Test Meeting Room.

October 20, 2021 Networking Groups

The MRVED is also looking for teachers to host networking sessions within their grade level or content area. The networking groups will take place from 10:30 to Noon and will be hosted on the platform of the teacher hosting the meeting. Facilitators will be paid a stipend of $100. If you are interested in being a networking facilitator, please sign-up HERE, prior to the end of the day October 1st.

Standards Update

There is much to share in the world of standards! Due to COVID & legislative action, many of the standard implementation dates have been extended. Below you will find a listing of new standards and implementation dates.

Arts Education - 2023-24

Physical Education - 2023-24

Science - 2024-25

ELA - 2025-26

Social Studies (Draft 2) - Currently Under Review

Math - Going under Review

Social Studies Standards Update

If you have been following the news over the summer, you should know that the Minnesota Social Studies Standards are currently under review. In fact, the committee just met yesterday (September 21st) to finalize their 3rd draft. The draft will then be sent to the commissioner for approval before being sent to rulemaking for an implementation date. Much like the last revision, 11 years ago, expect these standards to be litigated in the courts and implementation delayed.

One of the biggest changes in the new standards is the addition of a 5th strand, Ethnic Studies. Ethic Studies joins US & World History, Civics & Government, Economics, and Geography as strands in Minnesota Social Studies Standards.

Before reading through the final draft of the new Minnesota Social Studies Standards, I encourage you to read through a guest blog post I wrote for edUconnections for my good friend Dr. Wendy Schoolmeester. Whether you agree or disagree with the direction of the new standards, please become as informed as possible and then form your opinion.

The Power of Positive Leadership

Jon Gordon will be our keynote speaker on October 20th and will center his talk on positive leadership and building leadership qualities in people. The following book study and reflection is in no way a replacement for buying the book. I highly recommend buying the book and following along. Below is my synopsis and reflection on the first 2 chapters in the book. My hope is that by reading my reflection it will spur other thoughts and dialogue amongst your colleagues.

Jon lays the groundwork for the book in chapters 1 & 2. The quote that most resonates with me from either chapter comes from page 5, "I know that being a positive leader doesn't just make you better; it makes everyone around you better." I don't think anyone can name a single person they consider to be a positive leader that is leading an organization that has a negative culture or reputation. They don't exist, because the positive leader rubs off on all aspects of the organization. And it's true, genuine positivity. People can see right through fake positivity.

Another quote that stuck with me comes from page 4, "every one of us will have to overcome negativity, adversity, and challenges to ultimately define ourselves and our team's success". The reason this resonates with me is that we often times see these positive leaders, the leaders we look up to, and think they NEVER face adversity. Everything is perfect for them. This idea couldn't be any further from the truth. The truth is, in the words of PJ Fleck, positive leaders keep rowing the boat. They row through adversity. They weather the storms and the positive attitudes carry them. They keep their oars in the water and keep pushing. Jon Gordon says it best in his introduction to chapter 2, "We are positive, not because life is easy. We are positive because life can be hard".

I challenge you to identify a REAL positive leader in your life. What aspects make him/her a positive leader? Has there been a time the leader has faced adversity? How did they "row" through the adversity?

MRVED Update - September 15, 2021

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

September 21st - Title III Paraprofessionals

September 22nd - Superintendents' Council

September 23rd - Teachers' Advisory Council

September 24th - Title III Teachers

Welcome Back

Welcome back to the 2021 school year! The MRVED hopes the best for you in the 2021-22 school year. After a full year of bouncing in and out of distance learning due to COVID, people are hoping for a "normal" school year. We challenge you to think about what the new normal will look like. Although COVID teaching was not fun, what can we learn from last year that will make us better educators, leaders, and students for the 2021-22 school year?

Paraprofessional Conference Recap

The 2021 Paraprofessional Conference was held in Benson on August 18, 2021. Over 150 paraprofessionals attended the training and had the opportunity to partake in over 20  sessions. There were many positive comments about the training from the attendees. Thank you to Benson schools & staff for helping the MRVED put on this successful annual conference. Thank you to the MRVED superintendents for investing in training for the people that work closest with some of our most precious cargo - our kids.

Looking Ahead

Planning for the 2021-22 MRVED Common Days began in the Spring of 2021. Our Teacher Advisory Council met and discussed format and topics for the day. The following was sent to the Superintendent Council for approval.

October 20, 2021 - Virtual (Topic - Leadership)

January 17, 2022 - In- Person MELT Conference at LQPV

April 14, 2022 - TBD

Obviously, with the ever changing COVID pandemic, even the best plans could be disrupted. 

October 20, 2021

The October 20, 2021 MRVED Common In-service day will be held virtually this fall. The MRVED is excited to announce that Jon Gordon will be our keynote speaker in the morning. Jon is a best-selling author and world-renowned keynote speaker. Jon has worked with sports teams ranging from the L.A. Dodgers to Clemson Football and Fortune 500 companies such as Campbell's Soup, Dell, and Snapchat. He is a highly sought after speaker.

More details on accessing the Keynote will be coming in the near future.

There will also be time throughout the day to collaborate virtually with others in your grade level and/or content area. Please see the network facilitator sign-up information below.

October 20, 2021 Networking Groups

The MRVED is also looking for teachers to host networking sessions within their grade level or content area. The networking groups will take place from 10:30 to Noon and will be hosted on the platform of the teacher hosting the meeting. Networking facilitators will be paid a stipend of $100 for their time and effort. If you are interested in being a networking facilitator, please sign-up HERE, deadline to register to be a facilitator is the end of the day October 8th.

Facilitator Expectations

• Start & End the meeting on time
• Provide the virtual meeting space (Link to the meeting)
• Keep the meeting time positive
• Facilitate a brief Jon Gordon follow-up
• Attend a short virtual meeting with Brandon on October 13th at 3:15

Book Study - The Power of Positive Leadership

Through popular demand, we'll bring back the MRVED Update Book Study. This fall we will go through Jon Gordon's book, The Power of Positive Leadership. If you wish to follow along with the book study, please purchase the book. We'll start discussing the book in the next MRVED update. In the next update, we will go through Chapter 2. The discussions questions and reflections in this blog are in no way a replacement for purchasing the book. The Power of Positive Leadership is a quick and easy read. You will not be disappointed in purchasing this book...in fact, I'm also reading Row the Boat by Jon Gordon and PJ Fleck at the same time!

You can sign up for Jon Gordon's Positive Leadership Challenge. It's a free 7-day challenge to help you become a better leader and create positive results.