Welcome to QL Club #32!
Let’s bring it in ... Whoa!		  
  We all know that staying resourceful is the key to durable motivation, energy, and high performance. To say the least, staying resourceful makes a significant difference in how we perform as educators! But, how do we do it? How can we consistently be resourceful? What steps can we take to keep our energy up and stay centered? What can we do to remind ourselves each and every day of the impact we have in the lives of our students, in the classroom and beyond?

Let’s take a look at some concrete ideas and examples from QL—positive self-coaching, opening traditions, and a wonderful resource called YOU: The Owner’s Manual by Michael F. Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.
 

  
  POSITIVE SELF COACHING  
  Think about positive self-coaching for a moment. Affirmation statements and positive self-coaching are very successful in shifting our energy and helping us stay resourceful. If you ’ve finished all five levels of Quantum Learning for Teachers, you’ll remember this from Level 5. Here’s a brief sample script for teachers—check your notebook for the one pertaining to students. Read the following affirmation out loud and watch your energy change!

Today is a great day. I can choose to have a great day—and I choose to have a great day today. I am positive, confident, and in control. I like who I am and I like my style. I am intelligent, competent, and caring. I would rather be me than anyone else in the world.

I am proud to be a professional educator and part of the most important profession in the world. I love what I do. I change lives and set students up for success in life. I am a high-performance human being. I take care of myself and stay resourceful. I maintain balance in my life. The joy and wonder for learning I create in my classroom is a hallmark of my instruction. I orchestrate success for myself and for each of my students.

Affirmations such as this are powerful. I suggest that you repeat this one, or one that speaks to you, every morning! You can do it on the way to school, or when you first get to your desk. Remember that we are always talking to ourselves. Let ’s take charge of what we are saying!

 
     
  OPENING TRADITIONS  
  Another way to stay resourceful is to create an opening tradition with your class. Using music or your voice with a movement to connect to a quote or idea for the day or the week is powerful. Here are a few examples:  
 
Teacher asks: Why are we here?
Students shout: To learn!

Teacher asks: What works?
Students shout: Effort!

Teacher asks: What will you give?
Students shout: 100%

Now, to add even more distinction to this opening tradition, you can put a clap, snap/clap, or table clap rhythm in between each segment of the call-back —and beware, that’s when it gets super powerful and energizing!

Roynell Young’s staff at Pro-Vision Charter School in Houston, TX, took it a step further:

Teacher: Why are we here?
Students: To learn!

Teacher: Who are we?
Students: Scholars!

Teacher: Where are we going?
Students: To college!

Wow! It was something to see the enthusiasm of his students and the confidence that showed in their eyes when they responded to his questions!
 		  
  YOU: THE OWNER’S MANUAL  
  In closing, I want to share a #1 New York Times best-selling book you may already have on your book shelf—or you may be hearing about it for the first time now. It’s a wonderful insider’s guide to the human body (our body!) that will make us healthier and stronger and younger. Who doesn ’t want that? The book is about knowing our own bodies—and the extent to which we know about ourselves and the human body, the better equipped we are to do what ’s best for ourselves. For me, it is critical to understand important things about areas of the body that medically “make us tick.” This book is a valuable resource. It has a clear and powerful message with facts and pictures that will charge your brain with anticipation from page to page. YOU: The Owner’s Manual: An Insider’s Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger by Michael F. Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., 2005. I suggest you pick up a copy today!  
     
  WE’D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU ...  
  We’d welcome any contributions to QL Club including topics of interest, questions you ’d like to explore, or stories of QL in your classroom and what’s working for you. Send your comments to: jseverson@QLN.com.

The purpose of the QL Club is to continue to look for what works as we deepen our understanding, practice ideas, and develop mastery of skills in QL and as professional educators.

Thank you for making a difference in education!		  
     
 
Jenny Severson, Ed.D.
Lead Facilitator, Quantum Learning Education

Please do not reply to this email. Send any inquiries, questions or comments to info@quantumlearning.com