Under the Snow you can find the "Green Grass"

A new calendar year has begun, the holidays are over and snow is on the ground.  Each of you has returned to your school and classroom to continue to impact our learners.  At times during the cold, long haul to Spring each one of us may let the stress, negative outliers or a "to-do" list take us over.  But, under the snow is our "green grass"!

According to research out of UC Riverside by Sonja Lyubomirsky 40% of our happiness is based upon our intentional activity.  I believe we can help support, celebrate and create that 40% for ourselves and our colleagues.

I can't help but to share some of the "green grass" I have found under the snow just in the past week kicking off 2018:

• Laura Busch, Heyer & Lowell's Tech Integrator started a new blog.  She stated her "why", "I need a public, widely visible forum that will allow me to share the stories of the amazing educators and students that I am honored to work and learn alongside and with every day."

• At the Title I Team meeting yesterday, District CIM Trainer and Coach Wendy Hamilton led PD around brain research, positive psychology and The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor (check out his Happiness Advantage on TED Talk).  Some key points:
• Happiness is the precursor to greater success, not merely the result.
• If you train your brain to be more positive in the present, you can raise your success rates significantly.
• Gratitude allows your brain to most adaptively use its finite resources when scanning the world
• Conscious acts of kindness allow for and encourage positive praise and collaboration

• In the hallway of Whittier Elementary I found a bulletin board celebrating teachers, students, community and data surrounding in "green grass":

• In the Banting Office of Banting & Bethesda's Literacy Coach Lisa Lawrenz and Numeracy Coach Leslie Waltz a board where they capture and add to the great things happening framed in "green grass": 

• You can find many SDW team members sharing what's happening in their school or classroom.  Whittier 4th grade teacher, Dan Resch shared on Twitter this week his positive celebration of collaborating with his team:

Please join me in supporting, celebrating and creating "Green Grass" in SDW!