Starbucks My Classroom: Small, Medium, or Large?

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAm! Radio Network EdWords Blogger

Hey Everyone!

I have some exciting news. I was recently invited to appear on Vicky Davis’ podcast “Every Classroom Matters” to talk about flexible seating classroom design and the “Starbucks My Classroom” Project I started.

The project has blown up on social media, and Twitter especially, as many people are sharing resources on #StarbucksMyRoom and providing me and those who committed to “Starbucksing” their room with words of encouragement and inspiration.

When I first decided to change my room, I had no idea this was going to happen. It’s a big project for any teacher to accomplish during the summer (or anytime to be honest)! And, as the word spread, the “Starbucks My Classroom” Project has become an idea that by doing something bigger than all of us we are doing something incredibly important for students. We are shifting the Industrial Age educational paradigm and consciously leading our students and ourselves into the 21st century.

I know that it has only been possible, because of all of you who decided to join in by participating and/or supporting the project. And hopefully even more educators will decide to join after reading this post and listening to the podcast.

But no matter how big this thing blows up it’s important to keep perspective.

There’s no pressure to get everything done in one grand move. The idea is to start shifting classrooms and philosophies to start shifting mindsets. So do what you can. Start with a table or two. Lower the legs and put a rug underneath. Or maybe throw some pillows down on the floor. Maybe get a couple of armchairs, or a couch off Craigslist.

Whatever you do, just start.

Small, medium, or large; just start.

And don’t look back.

Because “it does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” - Confucius

Here’s the podcast: Do Students Learn Better in Chairs or Couches?

Thanks for reading and listening! Please share ideas, pictures, and resources related to flexible seating on Twitter using #StarbucksMyRoom. Sign up for my Newsletter on brain-based teaching and social-emotional learning. And remember that you have the power. Use it.

What's Up With That Twitter?

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAm! Radio Network EdWords Blogger

This post is “a long time coming.”  It’s about Twitter and educators. I recently read an article by Christopher Bronke, a HS English Teacher, “A Wide Open Door…to Shallow Waters: the dark side of Twitter” about the way Twitter has changed in the recent years, and not for the better. After a back and forth conversation with Chris and Brooke Carlyle Perry, a 6th grade teacher, I was compelled to finally write what follows. I know this post will ruffle a few feathers. But, this one issue I will talk about really bugs me. And I found that the best way for me to reflect and let go is to write about the issue I’m grappling with. And, I have questions.

So…

Twitter, I Think I Love You

I first joined Twitter in October 2009, followed a few peeps, tweeted 3 times, and let it go. I don’t even remember the password to that old account.

I re-engaged last year. Created a new account. Got a website. A blog. I started following other educators. Reading their stuff. Tweeting. Re-Tweeting. Liking. Participating in chats. Interacting. LEARNING A TON. Applying in my teaching practice. I loved it!

Twitter, I Think I Hate You

But here’s the deal. When I first re-engaged on Twitter I started following a lot of other educators to build my PLN. Some followed back. Some did not. That’s cool. What I found irritating was what I call “gratitude DMs and Tweets.” I mean, it’s one thing to not follow back. I’m all good with that. Some people try to keep their feeds manageable. I get it.

But, what is up with the non-followers that DM or Tweet that they are “so grateful to have [me] in [their] PLN and to be able to learn together!”

?!?!

Seriously. Someone explain that one to me please. Is there some sort of an initiation I need to go through to be worthy of a follow back from such ? I mean if you want to learn “together” you don’t mean “me learning from you” only, do you? C’mon. That’s a valid question. If you are happy to have me in your PLN, and let’s dissect it - Personal Learning Network, then why do you stay impersonal?

If you use an automated service such as crowdfire or commun.it for the “gratitude DMs and Tweets” I contend that’s even worse. Not only are you sending disingenuous messages, but you are also sending a message that while you are happy to increase your follower count, you want nothing to do with me. Luckily, all it takes is 2 quick taps to wash that bad taste out of my mouth…

Twitter, I Love You Because Of My PLN

Look: Twitter is not a perfect platform. There are things in Chris’s article that bug me to some extent too. But… I LOVE MY PLN. The amount of learning and inspiration to reflect and grow I have received is unfathomable if you’re not connected. My growth has been exponential since becoming a connected educator. It has influenced positive change in all facets of my life: personal, family, professional, and social.

Occasionally, I will stumble upon a chat where I feel uninvited and people are “in their heads” too much. But mostly, I enjoy them and get something out of them. The private and open conversations I have with other educators, and we’re not always agreeing, have been enlightening to life-changing for me.

I follow a lot of educators. Some users might see it as a faux pas. I don’t know. It is what it is. I promote my blog and will soon promote my book. I have a lot of thoughts to reflect on, mistakes to admit to, and things to say. But, I read a lot of other educator’s stuff, listen to their podcasts, and watch their videos. And while I cannot engage with everyone, I believe everyone has value and a lot to offer.

So, when an educator follows me, and it is clear in their profile that he or she is an educator, I follow back. I don’t DM them to say how grateful I am to have them in my PLN and to learn from them. I don’t do that and then not follow back. I follow, because I know that I will often stumble upon game-changing and uplifting messages in the faster-than-thought-non-stop-Twitter-stream I have created for myself. If I do not follow back, I might never get the chance to learn. And maybe I’m old-fashioned, but to me “connecting” is a two-way street.

So I want you to know this Twitter: I Don’t Hate You. In Fact, I Love You. Till Death Do Us Part. We’re Like Forrest and Bubba. You’re The Holes To My Swiss Cheese. You’re Da Bomb! It Just Bugs Me When Peeps Are Insincere… What’s Up With That Twitter?

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your take on the inauthentic self-serving Twitter use in the comments below. Sign up for my NEWSLETTER if you would like to receive more educational articles and brain-based learning infographics containing tips and strategies that work in helping students become better learners and add to your teaching toolbox.

You Have the Power to Change the World. Use it often.

Train The Brain To Learn: Overcoming Bad Habits

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAm! Radio Network EdWords Blogger

"First We Make Our Habits, Then Our Habits Make Us" - Charles C. Noble

Habits are things you do automatically. Some are good and some are bad. They can can help or harm you. Going on autopilot while brushing teeth? Good! Allows you to perhaps plan your day. Procrastination? Bad! Adds stress to your life.

But, whether a habit is a good one or a stinking nuisance, one thing's for sure: It's All In The Brain. So to change a habit, you must change your brain. And, sure enough, doing so falls under the dreaded "easier said than done" category.

You see, your brain’s #1 job is to help you survive. Thus, it often refuses spending energy on other things. Especially things it perceives as risky.

Change can be risky. Even if the change is reasonable, your brain often sees it as risky. And, it might resist it. So, you have to make your brain do it. Over and over.

Let me show you how.

Thanks for your time! I hope you find the infographic above useful. Please share it with other teachers, students, and parents. You can access all other Brain-Based Learning infographics I created by scrolling down my ED!Blog. I will feature more Brain-Based Learning teaching tools, metacognitive strategies, and posts on social-emotional learning in my future NEWSLETTERS, so please SIGN UP if you would like to receive tips that help students become better learners and you're looking to add more weapons of mass creation to your teaching arsenal :)

If you find the information in the infographic useful, consider buying "Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom", which is a book I wrote to help students learn more efficiently and effectively using proven research based strategies.

You Have the Power to Change the World. Use it Often.

The Power Of Three: How to Simplify Your Life and Amplify Your Personal and Professional Success

By Oskar Cymerman

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