My word for 2016

For the past two years, I've been choosing a word of the year.  I have found having one word (versus a list of resolutions) is a meaningful guide to how I want to be and live for that year.  For 2014, my word was Brave.  In 2015, my word was FUN (which I was not public about, though FUN served me well).   This year, my word is....

Savor.

I first thought my word would be now.  Not now in that things have to happen immediately, but now like live in the present moment.  After a coaching session with Sue and discussing my word of the year, a new and better word came to mind.  Savor.  Savor the now.  Savor the moment.  Savor all the little and big things happening in my life.  Savor the people.  Savor my surroundings. Savor the struggles. Savor the opportunities.

Savor feels slow and delicious and spacious and unrushed, present, and delightful. Savor feels exactly right for how I want to be and live in 2016.

In fact, I've been savoring all of your email congratulations and social media high fives about our new website, ebook, decks of cards, and wooden nickels at Hello, Strategies.  I'm savoring it all. Thank you!

Do you have a word of the year?  If yes, what is it?  

Jen

Big Announcement!

It's been a little quiet lately on Upcycled Education.  I've had a few projects up my sleeve.

One of the biggest projects?  We have a new ebook.  We have a new website.  We have a new brand. We have three new products.  And by we, I mean me and Dr. G - a good friend of Upcycled Education for years from guest blogging.  Dr. G is also a great friend and colleague of mine (and just gave birth to Baby Savannah!).

Say hi to our new brand and website, Hello, Strategies!  Like our new logo?

Hello, Strategies is home to our new 98-page ebook, Hello, Teaching Strategies: 50+ strategies to deepen learning & turn up awesome.  This ebook is perfect for new teachers, college professors, and veteran teachers who want a fresh assortment of teaching strategies. Homeschool parents, you'll dig this ebook, too, as we've taken all of the prep work out for you to free up your time.

Our sister product for the ebook, Hello, Question Cards, is also available.  You are TOTALLY going to want this deck of 40, critical thinking question cards for your classroom or to gift to your favorite educator or homeschool parent.  Plus, the cards are color-coded to facilitate easy pair or small group work. This is the product Dr. G and I wished we had when we started teaching. Now, we have it. Hurrah!

We even created a deck of cards to help destress, be more reflective, and push through life's ups and downs.  This deck is called, Hello, Coaching Cards.  It features a spa palette that is soooo soothing to the eyes and 40 coaching questions to start any day with intention or smooth out a rougher day.  I would say this deck of cards is ideal for busy parents, educators, and other adults or young adults; I'm now thinking it would be fantastic to have a coaching deck of cards for young people - like Miss O's age (note to self:  Create product #4 in our free time; did you hear that Dr. G?).

Here's another shot of the Hello, Coaching Cards.  I now carry this deck of cards in my purse for when I want to break-down what's going on in my head or what's happening around me.  I am carrying the Hello, Question Cards in my school bag since that deck is more for teaching and learning.  Shhh, don't tell my coaching clients, but this deck of cards is their welcome gift!  Isn't that fun?

You might remember I received a wooden nickel that said YOU ARE AWESOME when I was in Portland at a conference.  Since the organization who produced the nickels wasn't selling them, Dr. G and I decided to make our own.  You can buy a bundle of 25 nickels here and join us as we inject more awesome into the world.  Plus, Dr. G and I had a crazy idea, wouldn't it be cool to see where the nickels end up and their impact on others?  So, we created a nickel tracking database.  If/when you receive a nickel, you can go to Hello, Strategies and share your nickel story with us.  I just peeked at the results so far and let me just say, I am moved!  I know how meaningful it was to me to receive a wooden YOU ARE AWESOME nickel from a stranger and now, others are saying the same thing - they are moved, too! Seriously, go buy your bundle of nickels now.  The world needs 'em pronto.

If you could be in the same room with me or Dr. G (let's start calling her by her first name, Jackie), you would 100% feel the energy and enthusiasm we have for Hello, Strategies.  We both are so excited for you to get your hands on our new products and ebook because we know they will move you forward, deepen learning with your students and turn up awesome in just about all facets of your life.  Plus, everything is high quality and priced so reasonably - two of my favorite descriptors for new products.

Please let me know what you think of Hello, Strategies.  And since you've made it to the end of this looooooong blog post, here's a code for 25% off your ebook purchase:  AWESOME2016.

Let's turn up awesome together, ok?  Feel free to forward this blog post to a friend.

With much love and excitement,
Jen

You are awesome

You're going to notice a little theme around here.  You are awesome.

Because really, you are and it's time you start owning it.

(insert knowing head nod),
Jen

Portland Love

Almost two weeks ago, I spent five days in Portland, Oregon at my favorite conference.  The conference was A-MA-ZING and I feel refueled in the biggest way.  I hadn't been to Portland in many years.  Have you been there?  That city is pretty awesome.  I would rank it in my top three US cities - Portland, Denver and San Francisco.  You can tell I have a thing for western cities that are eclectic.  I asked some locals if living in Portland is ever too inspiring because of how thoughtfully crafted each shop, restaurant, and space felt to me.  They looked at me and laughed, no.

Here are the highlights from my trip and conference including a new way to know if you are stepping into stereotyping.....

• I led a workshop on Dr. Carol Dweck's work on mindset mixed with coaching strategies from my coach training.  Though I've done this workshop many, many times before.  This AEE group is so ready that the information landed in the best way possible.  I have never had so many people contact me during the conference to talk about the workshop or after the conference ended.  The information and take-aways evidently are still resonating with a lot of different people from all over the world, which is totally exciting and speaks to the importance of Dweck's work and co-active coaching.  I'm putting this one in the win column, for sure.
• Speaking of win, I felt like I won the lottery when a participant, Marli, in the workshop I led gave me that You are awesome wooden nickel above.  Besides being so touched, I immediately wanted 1,000 wooden nickels to inject into the world.  Who is with me?  
• You are with me?  I'm thinking about ordering wooden nickels that you can order, I ship and we all shower the world in what people deserve - a true compliment about how awesome they are!  Wouldn't it be fun to give out the nickels to your favorite educators?  Nurses?  Neighbors?  Kids?  The lovely guy at Trader Joe's who scores you more pumpkin-flavored coffee?  Yes!  We need nickels and lots of them.
• Portland is such a delicious town - I'm talking tantalizing restaurants.  My favorites that I am still dreaming about included: Cheese and Crack, Stumptown Coffee, Pok Pok,  Tasty n Sons, Pine State Biscuits, Olympic Provisions, and Salt & Straw.  Seriously, none of these will let you down when you visit PDX.  Being at home now - where the food isn't super tantalizing - is a bit of a tummy/taste bud let down, I got to be honest.
• The theme of the conference was social justice.  Not every single workshop aligned with that theme, but all of the main speakers did.  At the keynote with Caprice Hollins, she shared an interesting and super easy way to detect if you are stereotyping (and at risk of discriminating or being prejudice).  Ready to learn it?   It's easy like I said.  When you are in a situation and are surprised (I'll share an example in a moment), be watchful - stereotyping is lurking.  

For example, I am often surprised when I go see a medical doctor (who is a specialist) when they are either 1) a woman or 2) younger than me!  Yep.  When that doctor walks into the examination room and they are either female and/or younger than me, I have a split second of "wow, they are a woman!" or "wow, they look like they are 20 years old."  That's the moment where we need to be aware - stereotypes are present in our mind (whether we thought they existed or not).  It is how we use that surprise information to proceed that makes all the difference.

If I thought, "Oh, no...this doctor can't be capable (because of their gender or age)," then that would be the discrimination/prejudice part.  See?  Caprice encouraged us to use surprise as a way of noticing bias that may unconsciously exist in our minds.

What surprise moments have you noticed?  Come on....I shared mine.  I'd love to hear what catches you off guard.  Awareness is always a great step one to combating prejudice and social injustice.

Jen

Yep. Right now.

After catching up with Sue and thinking more and more about Dr. Carol Dweck's work on mindset, I think this quote (from Sue) sums up how I will behave this fall.

Either let it go or do something about it.

This kicking-a-dead-horse thing doesn't serve me anymore.  And really?  When did it ever serve anyone?

Join me,
Jen