Sunday, April 22, 2018

Pillar Three- Family

I want to focus on the pillars of our culture movement- #WensinkWay.

All of the pillars are based around the word "Elite."
What is our definition of Elite?

Elite- Being the best version of yourself                              

That definition of ELITE has linkage back to guys named Brian and Tim Kight and their leadership training.  The Kight's are used by Urban Meyer and the Buckeye Football Team.  You can read more about them here.


Pillar Three is Family


What is Family?  The definition that our students helped us create is "Being ELITE for others."  Let that set in. How do we treat others?  Especially, how do we treat others in times of conflict or when we are wronged?  How do we treat others when we get the chance to pick between being right or being kind?

I am writing this on Sunday morning after I watched our annual spring musical last evening.  Our kids did GREAT.  Everyone, from the on stage talent to the off-stage talent.  After the show, they honored Jim Oberhaus in that they introduced the scholarship the music boosters is creating for him.  Jim spoke for just a few seconds but what he said, is about family.  He said, "Patrick Henry is more than a school district, it is a family,  keep it that way."
Scenario:  I would encourage you to tell your PATS class this week a story that pertains to "family."  It may be about you or someone you know.  Maybe you can tie in a book you are reading.  Let them what you are reading.

Though I know PATS classes will be limited this month, but I am going to give you some resource sheets you might want to use in PATS classes or possibly in other classes.  Here is a document that you could give to students to let them tell their "above and beyond" story.  If you do this, tell them you would like to post them in your room.  No names are required.  Collect them and post them. 

We will do something similar to this with the other two pillars.  I would love to see these posted in many of our rooms.  This helps build culture, you have to talk about it and teachers are the front line of communication with our students.



Questions To Consider:
1.  Be the first in your room to print this, fill in your story, and display it.  Let students see it.
2.  Have you read a great book or article lately that included how we define "family"?  Or maybe you saw a neat ESPN special during the Final Four about a player that had elements of the pillar family .  Find the link, email to some students.  Tell them it reminded you of them or something along those lines and encourage them to continue to be the best version of themselves with their family.
3.  What other ways can a teacher help build culture in their classrooms, building, or district?


Saturday, April 14, 2018

Pillar Two Above and Beyond

I want to focus on the pillars of our culture movement- #WensinkWay.

All of the pillars are based around the word "Elite."
What is our definition of Elite?

Elite- Being the best version of yourself                              

That definition of ELITE has linkage back to guys named Brian and Tim Kight and their leadership training.  The Kight's are used by Urban Meyer and the Buckeye Football Team.  You can read more about them here.


Pillar Two is Above and Beyond


What is above and beyond?  The definition that our students helped us create is "Being ELITE when no one is looking."  Let that set in. What do we do when no one is looking?  How do we perform or do our duties?  Would we be OK with people seeing some of our decisions when no one is looking?

The whole idea is that if we talk about "above and beyond" and encourage our students, we can impact their decision making when no one is around.   

Scenario:  I would encourage you to tell your PATS class this week a story that pertains to "above and beyond."  It may be about you or someone you know.  Maybe you can tie in a book you are reading.  Let them what you are reading.

Though I know PATS classes will be limited this month, but I am going to give you some resource sheets you might want to use in PATS classes or possibly in other classes.  Here is a document that you could give to students to let them tell their "above and beyond" story.  If you do this, tell them you would like to post them in your room.  No names are required.  Collect them and post them. 

We will do something similar to this with the other two pillars.  I would love to see these posted in many of our rooms.  This helps build culture, you have to talk about it and teachers are the front line of communication with our students.



Questions To Consider:
1.  Be the first in your room to print this, fill in your story, and display it.  Let students see it.
2.  Have you read a great book or article lately that included perserverance?  Or maybe you saw a neat ESPN special during the Final Four about a player that perservered.  Find the link, email to some students.  Tell them it reminded you of them or something along those lines and encourage them to continue to perservere.
3.  What other ways can a teacher help build culture in their classrooms, building, or district?

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Pillar One- Perserverance

I want to focus on the pillars of our culture movement- #WensinkWay.

All of the pillars are based around the word "Elite."
What is our definition of Elite?

Elite- Being the best version of yourself                             

That definition of ELITE has linkage back to guys named Brian and Tim Kight and their leadership training.  The Kight's are used by Urban Meyer and the Buckeye Football Team.  You can read more about them here.


Pillar One is PERSERVERANCE

What is perserverance?  The definition that our students helped us create is "Being ELITE in difficult times."  Let that set in.  Have you had a difficult time recently?  Were you the best version of yourself?  Ultimately, we will all fall short of being the best version of ourselves in all situations.  That would not be the goal.  To build culture, the talk of perserverance and what it means to us has to be relevant.  Our students have to hear about it and use the language in this blog to describe it.

Scenario:  A student struggles through putting an answer together after many promtpings by you, the teacher.  The student has genuinely made the effort and not just tried to bypass your question.  Really you can input any activity (quiz team, band, choir, sports, church, etc..)  What a great opprotuntity to quickly mention, "That is a great example of perserverance, being the best version of yourself when things are difficult."  "I appreciate that."  Done, move on.  You helped build culture.

Though I know PATS classes will be limited this month, but I am going to give you some resource sheets you might want to use in PATS classes or possibly in other classes.  Here is a document that you could give to students to let them tell their "perserverance" story.  If you do this, tell them you would like to post them in your room.  No names are required.  Collect them and post them. 

We will do something similar to this with the other two pillars.  I would love to see these posted in many of our rooms.  This helps build culture, you have to talk about it and teachers are the front line of communication with our students.
 


Questions To Consider:
1.  Be the first in your room to print this, fill in your story, and display it.  Let students see it.
2.  Have you read a great book or article lately that included perserverance?  Or maybe you saw a neat ESPN special during the Final Four about a player that perservered.  Find the link, email to some students.  Tell them it reminded you of them or something along those lines and encourage them to continue to perservere.
3.  What other ways can a teacher help build culture in their classrooms, building, or district?