MRVED Update - September 11, 2019

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

September 11, 2019 - MRVED Board (6:00 p.m.)
September 11, 2019 - Community Ed Directors
September 13, 2019 - Principals' Council
September 17, 2019 - TAC
September 20, 2019 - Title III Paras
September 25, 2019 - Superintendents' Council
September 27, 2019 - Title III Teachers

Important Dates 2019-20 School Year

October 16, 2019 - Common Inservice Day
January 20, 2020 - MELT Conference at LQPV
April 9, 2020 - Common Inservice Day

October 16, 2019 Common Inservice Day

Registration will be sent out next week!  Please watch your email for the registration link😀

The morning will be a presentation by Willow Sweeney Flaherty on
Social Emotional Learning.  The afternoon will be district time focused on Social Emotional Learning implementation.

Welcome Back

Some of you have been back for a month already, while some of you are into your 2nd week.  Welcome back to the 2019-2020 school year.  Each year brings new excitement as new children fill your classroom.  The MRVED wishes that each of you has your best year ever!

What is the MRVED?

For those of you that are new or for those of you have need a recap.  The Minnesota River Valley Education District (MRVED) is a consortium of nine school districts in Southwest/Western Minnesota.  The districts include Benson, Dawson-Boyd, Lac qui Parle Valley, Lakeview, Minneota, Montevideo, Ortonville, Renville County West, and Yellow Medicine East.  Our goal is to help our member districts achieve their goals.  To do this, the MRVED offers a wide variety of services to their member districts, including, but not limited to; professional development, grant writing, strategic planning, online learning, etc...  If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask.

Summer Recap

The MRVED staff was busy all summer between summer school at the ALC, planning for the upcoming school day, providing a workshop for substitutes, among other regular duties.  One of the highlights of the summer was being able to train 10 people interested in becoming a substitute teacher.  Substitute teachers can be so difficult to find, so in an effort to increase the pool, we decided to start offering these trainings.  The MRVED will continue to offer substitute teacher training a couple times a year.  If you know of someone with a 4-year degree and is currently looking for some part-time work, subbing is perfect for them!

The MRVED also debuted a new website.  It is a work in progress, but things are up and running.  In the near future, there will be directions on how to sign-up for announcements via text message from the MRVED.

MRVED 30th Anniversary

The MRVED celebrated 30 years of existence this past summer.  The core of the organization has stayed the same with collaboration playing a large role in the efforts of the MRVED.  However, faces, goals, initiatives, have all changed over the course of the years and will continue to evolve over the next 30 years.

Lead Like a Pirate

Each year we examine a few books in the update.  Typically a chapter or two is covered every two weeks, so it is very easy to follow along.  Brandon provides his thoughts on the chapter along with a quick synopsis of what was written.  Brandon's writing is by no means a substitute for reading the book.  This Fall, Brandon will be taking a look at the book, Lead Like a Pirate by Shelley Burgess and Beth Houf.  If the title sounds familiar, it should!  Last year, we had the opportunity to hear from Shelley's husband, Dave on his book Teach Like a Pirate.

Even if you are not an administrator, this is a great book for any leader.  You could be your PLC leader, lead negotiator, head baseball coach, etc... This book is going to offer simple bits of advice on how to lead a team of people.  In the next update, we will examine the first two chapters on Passion and Immersion.

MRVED Update - May 15, 2019

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

May 22, 2019 - Superintendents' Advisory Council
May 28, 2019 - Title III Meeting
June 12, 2019 - MRVED Board Meeting
June 26, 2019 - Superintendents' Advisory Council

Important Dates 2019-20 School Year

August 14, 2019 - Paraprofessional Conference in Benson
October 16, 2019 - Common Inservice Day
January 20, 2020 - MELT Conference at LQPV
April 9, 2020 - Common Inservice Day

Summer Vacation

This is the last update of the 2018-19 school year.  We hope you gained something from reading the update this past school year.  We look forward to seeing you all again next year.  Take some time for yourself this summer, get recharged and ready to rock the 2019-20 school year!  The MRVED staff is around all summer, so please stop by and say hello!  The candy dish is always full.  Enjoy your summer.

2019 Tallgrass BioBlitz

The BioBlitz is an amazing day where the curious pair up with local experts to learn about and identify as many native species as possible in a specific area in a given amount of time.  It's a day of bugs and plants, exciting finds and shared experiences.

When: June 22, 8 am to 6 pm

Where: Big Stone Lake State Park

Cost: Suggested contribution $25 for an individual $50 for a family

Registration: Cure Website

Event Flyer

Summer Reading List

For the past few years I have been putting together a summer reading list for educators.  I have had many people tell me they enjoy and use the list, so here is your Summer 2019 reading list.

Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller (If you didn't read along with me this winter)

Powerful Teaching by Wendy Schoolmeester, Rhonda Bonnstetter, Mary Risacher, Sonya Vierstraete

Lead Beyond Your Title by Nili Bartley

Educated by Design by Michael Cohen (Not Trump's Lawyer, Michael Cohen)

The Revolution by Darren Ellwein & Derek McCoy

MRVED Update - May 1, 2019

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

May 22nd - Superintendents' Advisory Council

June 12th - MRVED Board Meeting
June 26th - Superintendents' Advisory Council

August 14th - Paraprofessional Conference     *Registration information will be sent out soon.

April 18th MRVED Common Inservice Day

The MRVED staff would like to thank everyone who participated in our April 18, 2019, MRVED Common Inservice Day.  From the evaluations, it appears that the presenters were beneficial to our districts.  We appreciate your feedback in the evaluations as they are reviewed by our MRVED staff, administrators, and the Teacher Advisory Council.

Social Emotional Learning Handouts

A couple of people requested the handouts that were provided at the Social Emotional Learning training with Chad Harlander.  If you would like the handouts, please contact Karen or Brandon at the MRVED and they will be sure to get you what you need.

MRVED - Did You Know

The MRVED offers online learning to our 9 member school districts.  Each district offers at least one course to be taught online that anyone from our other schools can take.  All our courses are elective credits and have helped fill needs in some districts, while providing additional options for others.  Enrollment each semester runs between 60-80 students typically.  You can find additional information about our online learning program at the MRVED website.

Vision/Goals:

• Provide additional course offerings to students without a loss in revenue for member districts.
• Create opportunities for students to experience learning in an online learning environment.
• Provide professional development for educators in the areas of online learning, personalized learning, and integration of technology to increase student learning.
• Promote and support educators in using online tools to individualize, differentiate, and personalize student learning.

Chad Greenway's "Day to REACH" Football Camp

Please join All Pro Chad Greenway of the Minnesota Vikings and the Hutchinson REACH
Program for a team building experience. Campers will build their football knowledge along with key motivational elements needed to succeed in all aspects of life.

Ages: 2019-20 4th-6th and 7th-9th Graders

Date: June 20 & 21

Time: 9:00-1:45

Cost: $50 (Includes Lunch and T-shirt)

Flyer Link

Registration Link

End of the Year Activities

As the end of the year approaches and MCA tests have concluded, teachers seem to be looking for engaging activities for their classrooms.  Here are a couple places to find some great activities.

• Minds in Bloom - 37 Awesome End of the Year Activities
• Cult of Pedagogy - What to Do on Lame Duck School Days
• Edutopia - 8 Epic Ideas for Ending the School Year

Tech Tip of the Week - Khan Academy Kids

If you have kids ages 2-6 or you work with kids in that age range, check out Khan Academy Kids.  Khan Academy Kids is an app designed to help kids learn in a personalized and fun way.  It offers a robust curriculum with a holistic approach to learning.  Take a look today!

Ditch That Textbook - Conclusion

We have spent most of 2019 examining the book, Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller.  If you are a teacher of any age kid, I highly suggest buying this book.

Ditch That Textbook really is not fully about ditching the textbook, but rather more about how you can create effective and engaging lessons for all students.  One could still utilize the textbook as a supplement and I would argue could still be a tool in the classroom, just like your devices or a ruler.  The great thing about this book is that is might question some of your own philosophies of teaching, but that's OK.  This world would be pretty boring if we all agreed with one another.  Learn from it...grow from it.

Ditch That Textbook is a well-written book that is PACKED with great ideas and practical advice.  It's written so people can understand it.  It's not packed with research and/or numbers, but Miller uses his space wisely to give you ideas.  The chapters are short and the reading is fast.  One could read this book easily in a couple sittings.  It would also make for a good book study.  If you ever get a chance to see Matt Miller, take the opportunity.

If you have any book suggestions for next year, please send them to Brandon (braymo@mrved.net).  He's currently looking for a book to highlight in the update next year.

MRVED Update - April 17, 2019

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

Upcoming Meetings

April 18th - MRVED Common Inservice Day
April 24th - Superintendents' Advisory Council
April 24th - MRVED Board Meeting

April 18th Common Inservice Day

The spring MRVED Common Inservice Day will be held on April 18, 2019, at the Dawson-Boyd Schools. You will be welcomed with coffee, juice, and muffins to begin your day, compliments of your administration.  For those individuals who are participating, you should have received an email with detailed information regarding the day.  Once you arrive, please come to the registration table near the commons area to pick up your registration packet.  This packet includes room numbers, clock, hours, and lunch ticket, if applicable.  Please enter through Door #4. 

We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

(Please Note: Districts not participating in the inservice due to a school make-up day: Minneota/Ivanhoe, Ortonville, YME)

MRVED - Did You Know - Strategic Plan

The MRVED went through the strategic planning process a couple years ago.  Below you will find the mission and goals of the MRVED.

MISSION:
The mission of the Minnesota River Valley Education District is to effectively and efficiently assist member districts in meeting the goals they have set for themselves, their students, and their staff.

Goal One: Educational Success
Implement a level of services that will lead to the educational success of MRVED’s various stakeholders.

Belief:
We are committed to the development and implementation of high quality programs that enhance the educational success of the students and staff members of the MRVED school districts.

Strategies:
1. Provide a broad spectrum of professional development activities that enable all staff members to grow in their professional craft.

2. Work with member districts in the development of mentorship programs to develop the professional and leadership capacity of staff members within the MRVED school districts.

3. Provide ongoing technology training to meet the varied needs of the member districts to keep staff and students engaged in learning.

4. Through partnerships, provide high quality broadband connectivity to the MRVED districts.

Goal Two: Collaboration
Provide leadership for our member districts to connect the educational needs of each diverse school by focusing on staff and student success.

Belief:
We believe that by working collectively as a MRVED district, we can efficiently increase opportunities and cultivate a culture of professional relationships.

Strategies:
1. Provide opportunities for each district to collaborate and share resources to meet the needs of our students and staff to promote their success.

2. Increase resources to benefit member districts.

3. Continuously gather information from stakeholders to provide direction in identifying a common vision and identifying unmet needs.

4. Recognize and facilitate collaboration between districts.

Goal Three: Engagement
Engage all member districts to increase awareness, connectedness, and enhance communication in an effort to foster a cohesive partnership for educators.

Belief: 

 We believe investment by member districts is essential to MRVED’s success.

Strategies:
1. Communicate in an effective and consistent manner with and amongst internal and external stakeholders.

2. Utilize multiple approaches to encourage connectedness across districts and facilitate collaboration.

3. Establish clear leadership roles and responsibilities to enhance participation and expectation of member districts.

4. Inform and advocate use of the multiple MRVED resources/services.

Student Mental Health

MREA did a nice write-up of the joint house hearing on student mental health and the shortage of mental health workers in our schools.  The statistics are staggering in this area and it is well worth the read to become educated about this huge issue facing our schools.

• 50 percent of student mental issues begin before age 14.
• 20 percent of students age 14-18 will live with a mental health issue.
• 1 in 5 students had a symptom of depression in the last two weeks.
• Suicide is now the second leading cause of death in people aged 10-34.

Check out the article and the corresponding files and slides that go with it.

MREA Article

Tech Tip of the Week - PDF Tools

If you are like me, you beg, borrow, and steal from the internet.  Sometime you come across files that are in PDF format and you want to do something else with them.  There are two great online tools to help you work with your PDF.  Check them out today!

PDF Candy
Clever PDF

Ditch That Textbook - Section 4 Ditch That Curriculum

Chapters 34 to the end of the book are interesting chapters to read.  They really give the reader the map to ditch your textbook.  Miller uses the analogy of being a pilot and taking your kids on a journey.

Chapter 34 is about establishing your philosophy.  Miller says, "The motivation to ditch that textbook isn't only - or even mostly - driven by a desire to go paperless...it's about purpose.  What do you want to do with the powerful platform you've been given? (Miller, 198)"  Having a clear understanding of who you are and what you want your students to be is the first step to ditching that textbook.  Miller says to use the following questions to help determine your purpose:

• What kind of teacher are you?
• What do you want to be known for?
• What do you want your students to be known for?
• What do you want your students to be able to do at the end of the year?
• What skills do they need to develop for success?
• What discussion do they need to have to cultivate new ideas?

The next chapter Miller writes about establishing your mission statement.  He talks about creating a one word mission statement that guides everything you do in your room.  Miller says, "What is your mission?  What one word encapsulates what you want to accomplish this year? (Miller, 203)"  For example, his word was "create" one year.  He wanted to create more and he wanted his students to create more.  Everything he did was centered around this one word.  Think about, for next year, what one word do you want for your mission statement?

He ends the book by talking about planning and learning from failures.  Utilize some form of curriculum map to guide your process of ditching your textbook.  Backwards plan with the end in mind.  When your plan blows up in your face, learn from it, grow from it.  It can be really easy to drop what you are doing and go back to your textbook.  Don't!  Fight through it and fail forward.  Failure is bound to happen, expect it and react accordingly.  Miller says your students will forgive and forget.

MRVED Update - April 3, 2019

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

April 12th - Title III Teachers
April 18th - MRVED Common Inservice Day
April 24th - Superintendents' Advisory Council
April 24th - MRVED Board Meeting

April 18th Common Inservice Day

The spring MRVED Common Inservice Day will be held on April 18, 2019, at the Dawson-Boyd Schools. You will be welcomed with coffee, juice, and muffins to begin your day. The day will consist of attending one session for the entire morning and the afternoon will be time with your district, determined by your administrator. The choices for the morning sessions are: Social Emotional Learning, Teach Like a Pirate, and Structured Unconference. Registration is now CLOSED and no changes can be made to your lunch choice.

Closer to the inservice date, you will receive an email with detailed information including the school's address, which to door to enter, and other information. Please read this carefully. When you arrive, your meal ticket and agenda will be in the commons area at the registration table.

We look forward to seeing everyone on April 18th!

(Please Note: Districts not participating in the inservice due to a school make-up day: Minneota/Ivanhoe, Ortonville, YME)

MRVED - Did You Know

The MRVED has hosted the MELT conference for over 15 years.  Throughout the years the conference has morphed into what it is today.  Today there are around 100 sessions for educators to choose from.  The topics range from the latest drug trends to the newest technology.  One of the goals of the MRVED is to efficiently use resources to accomplish goals.  The MELT is accomplished for $12 per teacher.  To put this in perspective, the TIES conference registration costs $389.  If we were to send everyone in the MRVED to the TIES conference, the total cost would be around $252,000, just for conference registration.  The MELT is put on for around $7,000!

What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?

Social Emotional Learning or SEL has been a big buzzword in education over the past few years.  It's something we are hearing more and more of, but what is SEL and why is it important.  The short video below does an excellent job of explaining the what & why.

SEL Edutopia Resources

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

MCA-IV Science Test Specs Committee

The Minnesota Department of Education is looking for educators to serve on a committee charged with creating the test specifications for the new science test.

This committee will be comprised of K-12 teacher leaders who will use their expertise to help develop assessment boundaries for the new 2019 Minnesota science standards. Committee selection will emphasize balance of demographics, grade levels, and content areas. The committee will meet for a total of 7 days starting on August 6-8, 2019 at MDE in Roseville and continuing through the spring of 2020. Committee members must commit to attending all meetings. The meeting dates are as follows:

· August 6-8, 2019

· October 29-30, 2019

· March 3-4, 2020

You will receive an honorarium and per diem for your travel expenses as needed.

If you are interested in being considered for this committee, enter your information in the form on the link below by April 12, 2019.

MCA-IV Science Test Specs Committee Application

Tech Tip of the Week - Automastery

If you use Google Forms in your classroom, this is an Add-On for you!  Automastery is awesome and a great way to differentiate.  Maryellen West did a fabulous job!  Check out the write-up from the website.

AutoMastery is a Google Forms Add-On that allows the Form owner to send students assignments based on their score on a Google Form. The owner sets a mastery level score and a beginner level score in a Google Form and sets what link respondents will receive via email with an assignment based on their scores.

Quiz takers will fall into one of three grade categories: Mastery, Progressing, and Beginner.

If a student has mastered the material and scores at or above the Mastery Score you set, he or she will be assigned an extension activity as set by the teacher.

A student who scores above the Beginner Score, but below the Mastery Score, will be sent a progressing assignment, set by the teacher, to bring them to mastery level.
​
A student not reaching the Beginner Score will be sent a comprehensive assignment, as set by the teacher.

Ditch That Textbook - Section 3 Part 3

We will take a look at chapters 30-33 in Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller.  These are simply my thoughts on the chapters and by no means should replace reading the chapters for yourself.

Chapter 30 is titled, Make It.  Plain and simple, if you can't find what you are looking for, make it!  As a teacher, you have some of the best available resources at your fingertips to make whatever you need for your classroom.  If you can't find a video to explain how the letters "t" and "h" go together, gather a group of students and make your own video.  Think about the learning experiences involved in that activity.  We all have awesome cameras built into our cell phones.  We have Google Docs and Microsoft Office products at our fingertips.  Some of the best creation iPad apps offer free or discounted versions for education.  Even if you think you are not creative enough to make something, try!

Miller also talks about staying in touch with students and meeting them in their space.  If your students are on Twitter, join Twitter to see what it's all about.  If your students are Snapchatting, join it and try.  Instead of thinking about how I can block these tools in my classroom, think about how can you harness their power for educational purposes.  It may not be apparent to you right away, but if you think hard enough and creatively enough, you'll find a way.  Social networking is the way of the world today.  Classroom Twitter pages are popping up all over the place.  Teachers are using Instagram to show parents what is going on in their classrooms.  Schools are creating Snapchat filters and Twitter hashtags to create a virtual showcase of their events.

We have one section left in the book and a conclusion to go.  Once you are done with this book, I encourage you to borrow it to someone during the summer.  But, don't forget who you gave it to because you will want this playbook back to start the year next year.

MRVED Update - March 20, 2019

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

March 27th - Superintendents' Advisory Council
March 28th - Teachers' Advisory Council
April 12th - Title III Teachers


April 18th Common Inservice Day

The spring MRVED Common Inservice Day will be held on April 18, 2019, at the Dawson-Boyd Schools. You will be welcomed with coffee, juice, and muffins to begin your day. The day will consist of attending one session for the entire morning and the afternoon will be time with your district, determined by your administrator. The choices for the morning sessions are: Social Emotional Learning, Teach Like a Pirate, and Structured Unconference. Registration has been sent out and is also available on our website: www.mrved.com

New at this inservice day will be a catered lunch provided by Trish’s Catering. The menu will be pork roast, baby red potatoes, green beans, broccoli grape salad, bar and lemonade. The cost is $10.00 and is to be paid to your district. DO NOT SEND ANY MONEY TO THE MRVED. The last day to cancel your lunch is March 29th by 4:00 P.M. After that date, you will be held responsible for the lunch cost.

Closer to the inservice date, you will receive an email with detailed information including the school's address, which to door to enter, and other information. Please read this carefully. When you arrive, your meal ticket and agenda will be in the commons area at the registration table.

Registration is now open and closes on March 29th at 4:00 P.M.

We look forward to seeing everyone on April 18th!

(Please Note: Districts not participating in the inservice due to a school make-up day: Minneota/Ivanhoe, Ortonville, YME)

MRVED - Did You Know

The MRVED schools are all members of a Flexible Learning Year (FLY).  The FLY allows schools the ability to start pre-Labor Day.  It also aligns 4 common inservice days for the 9 districts.  The first common day is during inservice.  The staggered start dates for the districts allows Brandon and Karen the ability to get into more districts prior to school starting.  Prior to the FLY, it was a race to schedule Brandon or Karen as all our districts had the same inservice dates.  The first date that all our districts have in common is the Wednesday prior to MEA break.  This date has been designated as our "Best Practice" day.  Typically we have a keynote speaker that deals with classroom practices and is completely teacher focused.  January is the annual MELT conference with around 100 breakout sessions.  The spring date corresponds with Easter break and is used as a follow up from the fall or a look ahead to next fall.

Early Care and Education Grant

The Southwest Initiative Foundation is seeking request for proposals for a $5,000 Early Care and Education Grant.  More information can be found at the following link:

https://swifoundation.org/how-to-apply/grants/early-care-education/

PreK-3rd Grade Alignment 

Enhancing the continuity and consistency of learning for children birth to grade 3 through trainings and professional development, resource development, strategy implementation, quality staff planning time or building community-wide approaches.

Social and Emotional Development 

Building resilient communities through the enhancement of existing or development of new trainings, prevention, education and programs that continue to have a far-reaching impact.

Early Care and Education 

Increasing access to and availability of high quality early care and education environments through (including, but not limited to) staff development, curriculum and/or assessment implementation, Parent Aware rating attainment, expansion of number of children in care, provider appreciation, community conversations, etc. 

Funding requests of up to $5,000 will be considered. We expect the project will be completed within 12 months of the grant award date, at which time a final report will be due. 

This is a competitive grant program. It is our expectation these funds will help our region address early care and education. Grants will be awarded in May 2019. 

Questions can be directed to Jodi Maertens at (320) 583-4775 or jodim@swifoundation.org. Applications Due by 5 p.m. on April 26, 2019.

Article - Test Prep Doesn't Have to be Overwhelming

Everyone is probably in some form of test prep mode right now as Minnesota gears up for the MCA tests. Edutopia published a great article by Heather Wolpert-Gawron titled Test Prep Doesn't Have to be Overwhelming.  In the article Wolpert-Gawron provides tips and reminders for teachers as they enter test prep season.  This article is a nice reminder for all of us as we prep our students for any test.

Tech Tip of the Week - MCA Released Items

The Minnesota Department of Education has a database of released items from the MCA test. These items are different than the item sampler many teachers are familiar with. The released items are questions directly from the MCA tests that have been retired out of testing. Educators may choose to use them to better understand how the MCA is aligned to the Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards and how the items are written to reflect the rigor and complexity of these standards. The released content, data table, and rationales can be used by educators to explore examples of questions that evaluate the knowledge and skills expected in the standards.

These questions would make a nice addition to any test prep you do in your course.  There is currently math questions and reading passage sets available.

Released Item Database from MDE

Ditch That Textbook - Section 3, Part 2

We will examine Chapters 27-29 this week.  Again, what follows is my thoughts on the chapters.  This, by no means, takes the place of reading the book.  Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller is a super-fast read and well worth the time!

Chapter 27 is about classroom management with devices.  This is a chapter that every teacher in a 1:1 environment should read.  One of my favorite lines in the whole book is in this chapter.  "We can't make students use their time wisely; that decision will always have to be their choice".  Miller compares it to a child sitting at a bus stop.  We can't make a kid get on the bus, we can only help them make a good decision.  Miller offers the following suggestions:

• Circulate frequently
• Ask questions
• Develop relationships
• Set mini-deadlines
• Keep it engaging

Chapter 28, Jump In and Try!  A teacher cannot be afraid to try new things in the classroom.  Think about how boring life and your classroom would be if you did the same thing every year!  Always have a purpose for what you are doing.  Miller says, "don't use technology for technology's sake".  I fully agree with this statement.  Don't just use the latest greatest website because it looks cool.  Think about how this technology enhances the activity or assignment.  Without a plan in place, we set ourselves us for failure from the start.  But, we cannot be afraid to use the tools.  My second favorite quote is in this chapter, "Inaction is crippling.  Action is empowering."

The last chapter is titled, Don't Use it All.  We all go to conferences or inservice trainings where we see tons of cool, new technology tools.  I present trainings titled 60 sites in 60 minutes or 30 tools in 60 minutes.  My hope when doing these trainings is not for you to walk away with 60 websites you can use in your classroom tomorrow.  My goal is for you to grab one, maybe two things you can bring back and implement into your classroom.  You can't do it all!  Don't try to use them all!  It goes back to the old saying, "It's better to be really good at one or two things, than mediocre at 10".  Take one or two things per year and become really good at it.  Don't get complacent and stagnant and not learn anything new.