Teachers constantly feel like the ability to get their stuff together is just 1 break, 1 day off, 1 extra planning period (okay, that's not real life for most teachers) away from becoming a reality. However, that never really is how it happens. Mostly because there is a false narrative about how getting your stuff together happens...If you learn the magical secret of getting your life together, then, henceforth, you shall always have your stuff together, forever.
Sorry, but that's just not happening.
Even for me, there are times where my to-do list keeps getting snoozed harder than an alarm clock around my wife (sorry honey, but you know it's true). I also get easily distracted, checking my feed reader (which if you haven't setup your own News Feed without relying on Zuck/FB or Elon/X, you really should do it! Sorry, another distraction!!), reading through old emails, re-analyzing my budget for the 3rd time that morning.
But then there are other times where I have written 3 grad papers, designed my next professional development, provided feedback on a unit plan for a PLC, and emailed 3 teachers about 3 separate issues before the bell rings at 9:05a.
So, what is the "secret?"
I will pull from another great newsletter from the company, Todoist, and their most recent email.
Enter the advice of David Parker from his book The More You Do, The Better You Feel. Now an author and speaker on the subject of mental health and procrastination, Parker struggled with anxiety and depression for years. On the advice of a friend, he started keeping a feelings journal. Over time, he began noticing a connection between the tasks he was putting off and his feelings of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Unsurprisingly, the worse he felt, the more he procrastinated. But the relationship actually felt stronger in reverse: The more he procrastinated the worse he felt.
This led to the creation of the J.O.T. (or Just One Thing) Method.
It starts with a blank page, digital or physical.
Write the date at the top.
Think of a simple task that you've been procrastinating on that you've really been wanting to do. Write it down.
Do that task, and only that task. Don't write out a whole list of things you need to do. Just focus on that one, singular item.
Once you finish, draw a line through the task so you can still read it, but you know that it's been finished.
Repeat steps 2-4.
At the end of the day, you will have a whole list of things that you accomplished! And that's the goal, right?
This will help you break the cycle of doubting your ability to do anything and feeling terrible, and will get your positive momentum heading in the right direction to feel better. And hopefully happier too.
Buttons Matter
Chrome OS generally looks and acts the same, but recently Google has really worked on sprucing up the outside so that it looks a little prettier and is a little easier to understand. Shout out to Chrome Unboxed for this latest news.
First, they have updated the Virtual Desks quick button that we've covered here before. It allows you to divide up your work into different desktops. Students can use it for different classes, teachers can use it to separate work buckets (prepping for an ARC, PLC minutes, or daydreaming about summer vacation).
Now, the Virtual Desk button brings up a view of the desks while arrows on either side of the pop up can help you move quickly between them. It matches the style of the rest of the system, while giving more visual hints on how to best navigate the desks.
The next update is to the Multi-Paste option that we have also covered here. Remember that you can access it by using Launcher + V, pulling up the last 5 items that you've copied. In the latest Chrome OS Version 123, there is a new toast notification that will popup in the bottom left corner that indicates that you have previously copied the same thing and how you can access it. Basically, a reminder for you that this amazing feature exists!
Rigor-Based Differentiation: High expectations, high level of support
Rigor isn’t a four letter word. It is five. But it also should be embraced and not ignored when considering differentiation with students. Rigor is holding students to a high level of achievement, while also providing support that helps to ramp them up to that level.
As an example, think of this assignment to help frame your support and expectations for students:
Stage One:
Level One: Students read an article written at a lower reading level, using detailed graphic organizer and teacher assistance. They answer comprehension questions.
Level Two: Students read the grade-level article with standard graphic organizer and answer comprehension questions.
Level Three: Students read an article written at a higher level and answer comprehension questions.
Stage Two:
Level One: Students read the grade-level article with support, developing vocabulary and background knowledge. They use the graphic organizer and answer comprehension questions with opportunities for comparison.
Level Two: Students read a second article at a higher level, using the graphic organizer and answering comprehension questions with comparison opportunities.
Level Three: Students read a complementary article at a higher level, answering comprehension questions with comparison opportunities.
After these stages, there is a class discussion where students, based on their levels, engage in activities ranging from creating charts and narratives to researching and proposing solutions to issues found in the article.