Stop-motion and Vlogging in Science

I wrote a guest post for Blended Learning Network: Podcasting, Stop-motion and Vlogging in Science.

https://blendedlearningnetwork.org/
Please give it a read sometime.....

Tale from a Dyslexic Mind

I have never met a student who didn't want to learn. I have met many who were reluctant, who shied away from a challenge. I have met many for whom learning comes easy and others who struggle, with the simplest of concepts. But never have I met a student who didn't want to learn and feel like they are smart.

I was a student who never gave up, who struggled in a huge way, not because I wasn't trying, but because my teachers believed I couldn't do it. They said as much. "She is just not smart enough to be in this class." or "She isn't trying hard enough, she is just a lazy student." A label, that followed me though out grade school. I changed schools seven times, before high school and at every school I attended, I was labelled as lazy and a student who needed to focus more and pay attention more and then I would be able to be a better student. I have Dyslexia not laziness.

What is a better student? What does it mean to try harder? Is there a scale of trying hard? Does it progress exponentially? As a child, these words meant nothing to me. The phrase "If you do your best, you can accomplish anything," didn't mean what it was intended to mean. To me it meant, you aren't good enough. I did my homework. I listened in class and did my best at taking notes. They weren't thorough or perfect, I struggled with listening and transcribing. But what teachers saw was, I was easily distracted and never took complete notes. Again, perspective. I never want anyone of my students to feel the way I did growing up. I felt isolated and dumb. There is no other way to put it. It sounds harsh, but true, I am afraid. 

I have been talking a lot to my Dyslexic students. Asking them questions and making sure they never feel isolated or less than. We just get to know one another and what works for us. What tools we use to make learning more fun. We can talk about strategies, till we are blue in the face- but until we negate generalizations and really get to know students, personally, this will never happen. I know some fantastic teachers, out-going and caring teachers who just miss-connect with Dyslexic students because they are taught certain methods to help these students.

Yet, none of us who have Dyslexia are the same. We learn differently, absorb information uniquely and have certain techniques we use every day to cope with being slightly outside the bubble. The bubble of the normal people, I used to call it. We will never be ‘normal’ because we are extraordinary like everyone else. What is normal anyway? Until relationships are in place and students feel safe to tell teachers their fears, they will never truly feel connected in the classroom.

Dyslexia is personal. It is a way of processing and assembling new information into a schema that makes sense to us. This never really happened for me until high school. Not because at the time, 1980's a lot was understood about Dyslexia or that a bunch of new strategies presented themselves to teachers of the time period. It was because of relationships that were made with my teachers. The tools they provided were not mandated or measured, they worked because they came from a place of security and that is why I incorporated them into my learning framework. Now this is not to say that there aren't some amazing strategies out there for teaching Dyslexic students. For me, it means that these methods are just the shape of the solutions, the middle and ultimately the vibrancy will come from a teacher’s time, patience and communication.

When you see a student pull away and retreat- nudge them back in, not with new strategies alone, but with conversation. A current student I have, who is Dyslexic, told me this, on an exit ticket, she wrote this amazing response and I find it the most meaningful feedback, I have ever received. Not because it is positive, but because I wish I had had a teacher whom I could have said this to growing up. It is a reminder that we often forget to just listen.

"I have never been good at science. Too many words and concepts being thrown at me, bombarding me. When I asked questions it was, see me after class, or come to tutorials. I didn't want to spend extra-time learning something everyone else was learning in class. But, since I have been in your class, the vocabulary is presented in so many ways, I get to talk to you one to one every week, and I have lots of time to talk to other students. You really listen to what I need and make sure I get it. I know I am smart, I just need to be reminded sometimes. Not with grades or praise, but with after a hard lesson, I get it. I get to leave the classroom feeling as smart as other students. This is why, I love your class."

Line, Speed, Beauty: A Semblance of Being

Perfect your line. Build your speed. Make it beautiful.

Line

Every letter and shape begins with one. The first placement of the writing instrument on the page, the mark produced by a quick action of the wrist. A line emerges. Straight or curved, font determined by the angle, the momentum, the slant. Lines can be crisp delineations or contours shaping the landscape. They can be demarcations, separations and borders: each for security or independence.  Lines can be tactile, like braille, or communicative like Morse Code. Dashes, hyphens or bars, each representing sounds or words. Even just a simple scribble, an expression of boredom or distraction embodies emotion in a subtle, unassuming way. Lines shape, distinguish and embody.

Lines can be measured, meters or inches. They can be divided, traced and configured. They are tangible images, we get in our heads from an early age. "Line up at the door," or "Form a queue." We as humans feel more organized if we have a line. A line for coffee, for the restroom, even on the highway, traffic is a line of cars. If our vehicles were strewn all over the place, travel would be chaos.This is why we have yellow or white divider lines down freeways, thoroughfares and roads. They keep the flow of our lives organized. Like the grooves of a stream, as it curves and meanders down the landscape. It is a force, the simple line, in almost every aspect of our lives. A symbol of specificity. A broker of mathematics, language and science.

Bilateral or symmetry there is a furrow or wrinkle that separates. Sometimes a line is marked. Sometimes it is implied, like the Equator or Tropic of Capricorn: recognized and honored but very much imaginary in nature. Windows are framed, doorways arched, by lines. Silhouettes are shadowed with a darkening of an edge. A shoulder between obscurity and light. Yet, this shaded profile illuminates. It creates a figure we recognize. Lines can limit, but they can also maximize liberation. People often say "A line has been crossed." Meaning in some trenchant way expectations were marred. Feelings were hurt, morals were strained. Yet, the borderline, the perimeter was never defined. It was never agreed upon. This line, the mark in the sand, we often draw around our comfortability, is personal, it is very much real, if only in our minds.

The problem arises when the periphery is fluid and our expectations are not made clear. Borders are set politically, so that this miscommunication, can be kept to a minimum. These margins of countries and counties are there to bring order. They are not always fair or logistically sound, but they are purposeful. They are in place to keep a semblance of normalcy. To keep a framework for movement of goods, to protect and manage commerce and travel. Again, not always fair but purposeful. The imaginary, personal lines we set up around ourselves are no different. They maintain an assumption of protection and communication. Yet, they are often inflexible, causing closed mindedness. They often construct high walls of separation, not allowing situations, in which one can grow and expand.

Perfect your line. Lines do not need to be permanent. Nor do they need to be guarded at all times, constricting the mobility of wanderers. We build relationships by lowering our drawbridge and allowing others to venture in and share ideas and emotions. When we sit atop a fortified tower, we isolate ourselves. To perfect our line, we need to build multiple spiral staircases, open our portcullis and allow others to take up residence. Our line needs to be permeable, accessible and manageable. If we place too heavy of a garrison, not only will others retreat, but many will never cross the expanse to even try to form an alliance. Step one- a line should never be forged in steel. Stone is strong and durable, but with the right tools, it can also be re-imagined and reset. Lines should be conceived and generated to bend and flex with the times. The speed at which it is erected, ultimately guides the level of beauty it exudes.

Speed

Speed is relative. Time appears to many, as slow and truncated. For others, situations are a blur. How we set our inner clock determines our perspective. We rush through certain situations because they make us uncomfortable. While, when we are in a place of calm and joy, we tend to stretch it out, making sure we get to experience every moment of it. If we haphazardly construct our sense of things, we miss opportunities. Our framework may seem sound, but it is tittering, due to uneven layers and misshapen memories. But, if we take each brick, each new experience and reflect, add mortar in balanced, smooth, seams- just maybe with time to dry and settle, they will add strength and fortitude to the fabric of our tapestry.

In other words, if we slow our speed, just a little, we can pick up more nuances and frame our border more accurately. We hang this masterpiece, this construction of reality, around us, the vibrancy of life, each panel an adventure we have taken. To prevent unraveling we must secure each thread. These stones and filaments, strands and slabs form the line- the boundary between ourselves and others. Speed matters. Perfection does not. Step two- use a level, well-constructed material and patience to lay the foundation of your perspective. The more we allow for alterations, the more freedom we allow ourselves, to climb over and walk around, rather than getting stuck behind our own misconceptions.

Beauty

The beauty of freedom of expression is that you feel like yourself, you are no longer tied down behind a wall of limitations. The highest part of the wall is often erected not by you, but by those who wish to have their boundaries secure. Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. But exposure to the difficult, the overwhelming, the disquieting, is important for our well being. This emotional roller coaster not only allows us to empathize and sympathize, it allows us to recognize the beauty in everything. Above all it forces us to see the details, the differences, the eccentricities, that make us all individuals. We may not like what we see, or hear, but we need to appreciate the value in creativity, individuality and personal expression.

The artistry of the disgusting is a marketable form of entertainment. Some thrive on watching and interacting with the uneasy. Others shy away from the unnerving, that is the nature of the beast. Freedom of expression does not bring unity, it brings discordance. It brings to the surface outspoken and determined individuals whose purpose is to destroy these liberties. But more tragically, to squelch the privilege to express it. The beauty of life is that it is a cycle- carbon, water, energy. Each have an ebb and flow, but are never created nor destroyed. They transform. Opinions, extravagances and influences do as well. Yet, these lines, these personal boundaries, often do not.

Beauty is everywhere. It appears not only before triumph and success, but after tragedy and failure. It is embedded in language and meaning, mathematics and science. It is visible on the faces of children, tasted in amazing food and felt in meditative and exciting experiences. It is absent in hatred, greed and prejudice. It is lost in moments of outrage and anger, yet it is found in resolve and forgiveness. Lines form profiles and open up frontiers. They change the flow of matter and energy. They transform neighborhoods, halt progress and build bridges. Above all, lines create a sense of pride, design new ways of doing things, because we are forced to step around them, they detach, emancipate and rescue. They are life lines as much as they are borderlines.

Step three- see the line, keep it fluid. Cultivate it and nurture it rather than simply construct it. This line should be not preventative but inviting. We all have these borders. Its a part of being human. But, we also have the consciousness to be aware of our limitations and expand our mind set. This is growth. So, lines ultimately are beauty itself, because they are a part of everything and everything: star dust, molecules of carbon and water, waves of light and energy- these aspects of our world are a part of us. Line, speed, beauty- each a layer of existence, each a building block of humanity. Now all we need to do is stop and smell the roses and see how the three combine to bring a perfect semblance.

You Wouldn't Put Gravy on a Salad, Would You?

You Wouldn't Put Gravy on a Salad, Would You?

You wouldn't put gravy on a salad, would you?" This statement came forth from my mouth the other day, as I was explaining an enrichment assignment to my students. They wanted to take it to another level, I am all for this by the way, when it is appropriate. But, when it is to be completed in a class period, the adornments that time permits, on many occasions are reigned in. "But at home, if you want to "I said, "add the milk, bring it to a boil and add yourself some gravy." As I said it, I could envision thick, gloppy, warm gravy, being poured over a perfectly layered Cobb salad. In some countries gravy can mean a salad dressing, but for me it means the heavy accoutrement to meat and potatoes. Not a salad condiment. I imagined the hard boiled eggs, blue cheese and bacon, swimming in the brown, murky sauce. To some maybe a delicacy, to me, it would make the lettuce wilt and warm, thus not very appetizing. 

"Why would anyone do that," I asked myself silently? Some may however, find a dark, savory gravy perfect on a salad, so we have to remember to make our lessons approachable for them as well. This blog post is my response to this question. What I find to be the best way to align gravy and a salad. But again, everyone sees the world differently and our taste buds are unique. Enrichment and engagement in the classroom, taste buds aside, do not always need embellishment, they need substance and alignment. They need a strong connection and relevance. Thus, sometimes when we want to 'bling' up an enrichment lesson, or any activity for that matter, we sometimes pay more attention to the sequins and less on the functionality of the bedazzlement.

Not all lessons need a shiny coat, some simply need a polished delivery. When students can see themselves in the purpose, recognize their reflection among the depths and layers, the assignment becomes more than learning, it becomes personal. Most of us love gravy, or at least sauces and embellishments, on our meat and potatoes. Most of us love salads too, some ornate and some basic with just lettuce, tomato and croutons. But, most of us do not love gravy on a salad, we wouldn't even think of pouring it on top. If we did we would have salad chowder and that does not sound appetizing, at least to me anyway. There is a reason a crisp salad is a pre-entree dish and the warm gravy is not. One is an aperitif, while one is added as a layer to an already well-prepared dish. In our classrooms we are usually rushed for time, re-teaching concepts and just plainly trying to make our lessons memorable. Gravy is not the only answer to bring engagement.

There is no perfect lesson.

There is no perfect lesson. There I said it and it pains me to. I know as educators, we have great ones. We have those, what seem to be, life-changing lessons, where we go home at the end of the day proud and satisfied that our students were engaged. We watched their eager, committed faces as they participated, collaborated and completed the task with excitement. But, then the next day, after a warm-up assignment, asking them to share their insight and reflection of the same activity, their answers fall short. We get a true eye opener. We let out a deep sigh, look back on what seemed like the perfect lesson and reflect. Were students engaged? Yes. Were students participating and interacting? Yes. Were students having fun, were they learning? Yes. So why then, did the information we wanted them to learn, slip through the cracks? We 'blinged up' the lesson. We poured gravy all over it and beneath the scrumptious sauce, the heart of the lesson, the nuts and bolts, or should I say fiber and healthy calories, got lost.

What students remember most is what we say the most. What we as educators demonstrate the most. What we let our students explore and investigate the most. But, often we give them step by step procedures, or we tell them what we expect them to discover. This doesn't always remove the engagement. Many students want these solutions, it makes them feel safe and comfortable. What we need to do, however, is remove them and let students struggle. Let them feel uncomfortable and vexatious. For when they do, the lesson becomes more culminating: each step may not be a precise print we can follow to witness their growth, but these indentations, will lead in the same direction, changing as they figure out the best terrain for themselves. Leave off the how, the where and the when they should see progress and focus on the why. When we understand the why, we can see the rest, as they fall in to place. We can see the layers of the Cobb salad.

Strategies for Designing 'Bling' without Losing the 'Cling.'

I am no expert. Not even close, but I do have years of experience creating successful lessons, lessons I thought were boring, but that students learned a lot from and of course many a lesson that fell flat. I have a very active, chaotic mind. I change lessons literally as students are entering my classroom. I rarely write anything down, much to the dismay of my team. I see the lesson, play it over in my mind and then at the last minute, I see a different route. I ask myself, "What if I hated science? What would engage me in this lesson?" Now, sometimes I add 'bling' or more 'cling' but more often than not, I remove myself from the lesson. I make it more student-centered.

I blow the bubbles into the air and let them choose to pop them between their hands, chase them and watch them burst, or on their desks, I provide bubble solution and let them create their own. But more importantly, I give them the opportunity to make their own bubble solution. Let them try and fail until they get the mixture just right. Not just right for me, but just right for them. Not every student does well with complete freedom. Some need more guidance, while some need specifics. But, bubbles are shiny and translucent, just enough to lure most of them in. Whether they want to chase or create. Bubbles are the independence and self-guidance every student longs for. Here are some strategies I do in my class to keep the bubbles afloat and student choice bountiful.

1. Rather than a handout or worksheet- I provide some objects on a table and have them write a lab to demonstrate a concept. For instance: How does the Circulatory and Respiratory systems work together? (Supplies-balloons, straws of different sizes, a clear container, water and red food coloring)

2. Go Big or Go Home- I love enlarging things- students made giant cells (with large organelles to go inside) we also use giant arrows to create a huge food chain of the forest. Each student gets an arrow or an animal and they have to work together to assemble it. It’s a fun way for them to see something often unobservable become tangible.

3. Digital does not mean more engaging- In fact when I ask my students if they want to use technology they more often than not choose a hands on approach. My class is a blended classroom so they do get assignments and notes on-line but in class, they prefer to use the makerspace and build with Lego, Play-Doh or other colorful materials. But, for those who do prefer technology, I always have an alternative idea for them to tackle.

4. Digital can be a good thing too- Students, rather than completing reflection sheets after labs or activities, create podcasts. Either individual or group. They then share to Canvas, our on-line classroom platform. This makes students choose their words and have to be precise and specific in their reflection. It is more personal when you have to explain what you saw, what you learned, how well you worked together, then just copying someone else's words from a lab sheet. It makes them take more responsibility for their learning.

5. Differentiation of Notes- Visual, Sketch, Thinking Maps or your own organizational note-taking style. I let my students choose how they want to make their notes. I check them, they are graded which does hold them accountable, but I give them the freedom to get creative. The only requirements- some drawings, words and all concepts have to be covered in the notes.

6. 1-Minute Check-In's- 1 minute a week per student. Sometimes they are in groups, if there is a project or PBL happening, this helps me gauge their progress. But most weeks, it is face to face, one to one. Every student, every week. For some students it is more than once a week, depending on need. But these chats are fantastic. At the beginning of the year they were awkward but now we are comfortable with one another. We talk science, classroom struggles, or just life. But it is the relationship building that is so important. My behavior management is amazing because, if I have a student fumble, we chat. If a student’s grade drops, we chat. Everyone comes to my table to chat. So there is no whispering, they expect a conversation. These are enlightening- they have shaped my lessons, my classroom design and my teaching style. They are the best thing I have come up with as an educator, hands down.

Salads are Great, but Gravy is Tasty

Each of these strategies removes the gravy. It helps the salad be the center-piece. They are not embellishments or adornments but simplifications and components of the big picture, my student-centered classroom. I have altered and refined them based on student feedback. I have shared them at local and state conferences. I have adopted them as the foundation for my entrée. The main course of my festive, family dinner. Community building is the key to any student-centered classroom. A village has generalists and specialists. Classrooms do too. Let students choose which role they want to take in your classroom. Provide them with the tools to do their task, the freedom of how to do it and the guidance to make mistakes, problem-solve and make their own choices and a student-centered classroom will emerge.

Salads are great, they are the core of the dinner. Opening our taste buds, settling our hunger until the main course arrives. Whether our dinner is laden with gravy, meat and potatoes, vegetarian, or even vegan, the salad is the precursor. It is the fiber and roughage that helps us digest. Just as a solid lesson helps students digest new information. Gravy can be vegetarian too. It makes everything more palatable, for some. It is heavy though. Filling. So we need a balance between the two and hopefully never the two shall mix, at least not for me. You wouldn’t put gravy on a salad, would you? or would you? The choice is definitely yours, and my students of course.

The White Mug, Over-Sized and Simple in Appearance

I received a mug for Christmas from one of my students. It is an over-sized mug, it holds a nice amount of any comforting beverage. It is not short and wide, but rather an average size in height, of a great mug, just with a larger circumference. It is white on the outside, violet on the inside and around the rim is a layer of gold paint. You know when you find your favorite cup, bowl or spoon. You love it so much that even if it is dirty and in the dish washer or sink, you will not imbibe, until you wash it? Its comforting: the smoothness of the paint, the shape of the handle. It is your go to tableware.

This mug has all the equipage of a favorite utensil. Its handle is just a little wider than most handles. Its shape curves farther out from the base of the mug, so it looks bigger than it is. So as I raise it up to drink out of it, it feels more sturdy. The gold paint on the rim is also on the bottom of the tankard. It is the shade of gold, that glistens, just a wee bit, so as to appear regal, without pretentiousness. The violet, although just inside the flask, reaches the top edge, just beneath the glistening, aurelian ledge. It is a perfect merge of ivory and pink.

The best part of this mug is the simple saying, written in gold cursive lettering, "Wake up and be Awesome." Adorned with a violet and gold rainbow above it. I use this mug every day. It sits on my nightstand with water at night. I drink my morning Cup of Joe from its hefty edge, feeling the warmth on my fingers as I say my daily mantra. It has become a part of my waking up and going to sleep ritual. It somehow has become important to me, this mug.

It came to me filled with Andes Mints tied up in cellophane and a bow. I love Andes Mints and alas those were gone very quickly after I received them, this simple, yet meaningful coffee cup has made its way into my life. I see the phrase as I open my eyes in the morning, reminding me to pause and before I fully commit to the world, embrace my awesomeness. I am not a morning person so on many occasions, this beautiful, shiny, over-sized cup is an admonition of my mindfulness.

This white mug, over-sized and simple in appearance, is uncomplicated in exterior but deeply meaningful in its beauty of a simple turn of phrase: "Wake up and be Awesome." This vessel recognizes the need for a gesture of recognition. It does not try to be overly emotional or corny. It just lures the drinker, me, into a state of contentment. This mug, right now sits upon my night-stand, half full of last nights water. Rather than put it in the dishwasher, I am about to wash it by hand. So it can take its throne, beside my chamber of sleep. This way, when I am turning out the light, heading off to slumber, I know I will awake and be awesome. Even if I am the only one who knows it.

What is you favorite mug?

The Sunday Scaries: The Shape of a Weekend

As humans we spend our days and nights in regimented measurement. We do not have an inch of control over the pace or direction of time. Yet, we organize our lives around seconds, minutes, hours and decades. However fleeting, we have ownership of only two aspects, of the essence of chronology- what we choose to do with it and how we choose remember it. When the expectation of the unknown creeps in and our Friday settles evaporate, the Sunday Scaries trickle in. These feelings of uneasiness may seem ridiculous to some, but studies have shown that many people get this sense of uncertainty and anxiety after a long break but just as many pick up this vibe mid-day Sunday before the work week begins.

Every new week brings with it new challenges. We enter having many balls up in the air, trying to keep them afloat, amidst the motion and movement, of intervals, junctures and allotments. As one drops, we try to toss it back up avoiding a disruption, in our balancing act. But this can only continue for so long. We know we can not do everything, we can only schedule and regiment our tasks and goals the best we can. This anticipation, this anxiety, seeps in on a Sunday afternoon, as we are relaxing with family or hanging out with friends. Its a nudge, a whisper "It begins soon." As fast as we travel, we are inevitably flanked, forced into a lane of chronology.

A Monday morning is like a shiny new toy and the Sunday Scaries are the packaging. We have to rip it off, to expose the action figure, the bendable and flexible version of ourselves. Whether we see ourselves as Marvel Legends, Power Rangers or Transformers- it is the fear that the packaging won't open, that causes us the dread of a new work week. So most of us have to prepare ourselves for the struggle. Arm ourselves with scissors. This groundwork, rather than peeking in early Monday morning, tends to rear its ugly head during our personal time. Cutting short our period of personal leisure. So, if we know they are coming, how can we battle the Sunday Scaries?

The best way is to reflect and regroup Friday before we settle. Before we exit the doors of education and walk across the parking lot to recreation, we must frame our Monday. Write down our agenda on a sticky note and stick it to our computer screen. Use sharpie, make it bold and permanent. Even if it is flexible, take a stance- dig in to a plan so that in your mind before you turn off the light for the weekend repose, you know unequivocally that you are secure in a well-developed proposal. Make sure you have a frame of reference- the sticky note like a snap shot of success. so, when you turn the key in the ignition, your mind has a memory, a life-line. This way, on Sunday evening when the whisper gets louder, "Are you prepared?" you can shrug it off with a grin and say, "Yes I am because I locked it down before my Friday Settle.

Part 1: Friday Settles

https://practicalrebellion.blogspot.com/

The Glaring Shine of Perspective: The Light Through the Canopy

Deck the Halls

This the season of mirth and merriment. Smiles and candy canes. Gift giving and accolades. But, we also must remember to focus on ourselves as well. To coordinate positive moments. Cultivate them, nurture them- for they do not emerge without the energy of mindfulness. If we pretend, if we are not genuine and fully invested in positivity- it is fleeting. Others will not feel the connection needed for the outward thrust of positive energy to spread. The holidays, summer break, or just a fun-filled weekend, may stir them up to the surface. But, holding them in place, glimmering within view, keeping them accessible and steady, needs some tools- a shovel, hoe or rake, whatever is nearby: Reflection and follow-through.

Be diligent, vigilant and wise- for a positive spirit is cunning at times. These interactions of joy, they often hide in the shadows, while we regroup after a stressful situation. At the holidays positivity is a vibration, luring a common-felt sense of gratitude and compassion. But as soon as that vibration dulls, after the allure of the New Year fades, many fall back into their rhythm. If we remain active and purposeful, however, these surges of elation and comfort, leave bread crumbs, we can collect to find our way to the next one. Each iota, kernel, or seed will become fully grown positivity, if we allow it the room, to stretch out and find its foundation.

With Boughs of Holly

Positiveness has tendrils that reach out and attach themselves to anything within reach. Outstretched and determined, they are relentless. Even when negativity creeps into view, they clasp on tight to anything uplifting- rising into the light. This upward momentum is their purpose, to gather energy and transform, is their design. The glaring shine of perspective- is only heightened with reflection and follow-through. It is one thing to realize we need to change our mindset, it is another to actually focus energy and accomplish the transformation.

I have heard positivity referred to as contagious. I prefer to think of it as a rain forest. Each layer necessary to maintain the abundance and diversity of color and flora. The emergent level, canopy, under-story and forest floor: each a destination, each a habitat, each intertwined in order for the ecosystem to thrive. The emergent layer is the emergence of the tallest of trees through the rest. These individuals are those whose smile, brightens moods instantly. They elude joy and their positive outlook, like sunshine, energizes all.

Fa La La La La, La La La La

The canopy, a tight, continuous layer- a community. This is the company we keep. Surrounding us with a sense of purpose and happiness. This is where most of us live, yet even this canopy can let us down. Causing us to look outwards, over the horizon for new companionship. But, no matter the disruption, the comfort of home, always draws us back to the canopy. The camaraderie and strength in numbers, makes us feel a part of something bigger. Especially at the holidays, these connections bring us together and creates a sense of family.

The under-story is dark, fragile, it can appear life-less- however, we tend to pass through this level without much effort. Within dwells our thick, impenetrable apprehensions. But, when we look up to the canopy, we are drawn away from this momentary lapse. Yet, it is within all of us. It is both mindfulness and positivity that guide us from its depths. We may feel burdened, lost, but it is the glimmer of light, peaking in through the brush that warms us. This glimmer becomes a glare, as we look within ourselves for the strength, to stay positive and mindful in moments of stress.

Finally, the forest floor, may actually receive less than 2% of the sunlight, but it is the sturdy foundation from which all of our positive and negative emotions emerge. It is a place where we rest, when we are busy, focused on the task at hand. It is where we are rooted. It is where our joyous moments, happiness, growth mindset and outgoing nature trickles down to. Nurturing our outstretched roots and tendrils, giving us the confidence to continue the passage upwards. It is the solid ground from which everything else grows. This is where our negativity decomposes, fertilizing the positive growth that rises our spirits to the upper levels of the emergent advancement of perspective.

Follow Me in Merry Measure

Perspective gives us clarity. It lets us see what truly matters. When we are stressed or upset- it lowers our heart rate and calms our senses, so we can make a well-informed decision. During this hustling-bustling holiday blitz, follow me in a mindful quest, by reaching out with those positive tendrils and connecting with joyful, inspiring people. Smile and use positive words to let those around you know that you notice and appreciate them. Listen intently, because this is the time of year that even with the festivities and holiday cheer, depression runs rampant. Follow me in merry measure by actively seeking out those who have fallen below the canopy, who may be stuck in the under-story and who need a glimpse of the luminosity of positivity and camaraderie, to find a solid base on which to climb. Together we can make sure the glaring shine of perspective, the light through the canopy reaches everyone- now and every day. Let’s carry the holiday spirit with us throughout the year, for positivity and mindfulness are never seasonal.

“Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la la la la!
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la la la la!
Sing we joyous all together! Fa la la la la la la la!
Heedless of the wind and weather, Fa la la la la la la la!”