Start the New Year With Intention With One Word-Downloadable Inside
Y’all I loved this in 2019, and now it’s back (AGAIN)!
The new year is around the corner (so is GERMINATE Virtual Conference, have you registered yet?)
Time to think about how we want to see 2022, and what to personally focus on to move forward.
What a great opportunity to do this with your students…
But, any old worksheet just won’t do this justice! This is a BIG DEAL so it needed to be more that JUST an activity.
So, after thinking and seeing some other ideas similar to this online (like All About Me banners) I decided to make my own back in 2019 and it has been updated for you for 2022!
And thus, the One Word Banner was made.
On the back side are prompts to run through with the kids.
Step 1: Brainstorm as many words as you can that will embody 2022.
Step 2: Circle THREE that you like the most and write why you could see that as your ONE WORD.
Step 3: Pick ONE WORD and explain why that one is the best for you in 2021.
Step 4: On the other (blank) side creatively design your ONE WORD for 2021.
After they were done I decided to hang them on my personal growth wall (I have the FFA mission on the different walls of my room).
It was a GREAT activity that the kids took seriously and I love how for the rest of the semester they will be able to SEE their personal WORD day in and day out!
Wanna try it out? Here is a link to the document!
If you try it out with your students make sure you tag @sarahnerswick & @greenandgrowingedu so I can see the awesomeness your students create!
Scavenger Hunt for National FFA Convention
We can't wait to see you at National Convention in a few short days!
If you haven’t heard, we are doing a meet up!
The Marigold Meetup (if you don’t get the reference, check out this podcast episode) is on Thursday October 28 from 9-11 a.m.
You know you want to come to the Marigold Meetup and you know that keeping your kids occupied at the Expo will give you the time and space to attend the Marigold Meetup.
Picture this. I can see you now…
It’s Thursday at the National Convention. At 8:30 a.m. you have arrived at the Expo Center and start your lesson brief for your students. As you explain their scavenger hunt goals, you can feel the electricity of the environment and the excitement of your students donning the blue & gold jacket. As you pass out the scavenger hunts, the kids in their groups rush into the expo hall ready to learn and connect with others. You turn around confidently to go up the escalator and sky walk to the JW Marriott and feel at ease because you know you students are completing a quality curriculum-based activity while you fill your cup up with coffee and community at the marigold meet up.
That's the picture you want to see on Thursday October 28th right?
Well, you are just ONE CLICK away from that activity. Download the G&G Convention Expo Scavenger Hunt HERE.
Ps... if you aren't attending National Convention, but still want an easy to implement activity for your kiddos with you in the classroom...
Check out the Retiring Officer Reflection worksheet (Pss...I am leaving this activity as part of my sub plans, but have used it before during the FFA Unit)
Save 5 Hours per Week With Start Ups: Template Inside
You can picture exactly what you are looking forward to this summer.
Waking up without an alarm clock
Not hearing a bell a dozen times a day
Eating (and using the bathroom) when you want
You favorite FFA events
Your family's go to vaca stop
the list can go ON and ON
I get it, I also love a good relaxing summer.
But, if I'm being honest I get a little stir crazy after a week or two.
One of my favorite things to work on (other than prepping for Germinate) is to brainstorm ideas that can help save me time ⏱ in the year.
I just listened to this awesome podcast this morning that talked about strategies to save time and basically the morale of the story is SYSTEMS create TIME freedom.
One of the BIGGEST time savers I created a few summers ago when I was feeling stir crazy was creating yearlong Start Ups. Which you can find some on my TPT if you want to "delegate" that task to me.
But, if you want to make your own...I made a blank template to get you started! When you invest your time this summer to make 180 start ups, you will save an estimated 15 HOURS per prep per year! That is WORTH the time investment in my opinion.
Something else worth your investment...attending Germinate.
Instead of spending your summer browsing Pinterest for the prefect activity, trying to find teachers who specialist in a certain events, attempting to create community without knowing where to start, attend Germinate and the hard work is already done for you.
Ag Teacher Book Recommendations
"I am an avid reader"
This is something I write on my daily deposit everyday.
At the beginning of 2021, I made a commitment to read more.
And so far so good.
And you asked what I am reading. Ask and you shall receive. Here is a list of my recommended books for up leveling as a teacher and leader.
GRIT by Angela Duckworth
EXTREME OWENERSHIP by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
ATOMIC HABITS by James Clear
MINDSET by Carol Dweck Ph.D.
START WITH WHY by Simon SINEK
WHY ARE ALL THE BLACK KIDS SITTING TOGETHER IN THE CAFETERIA by BEVERLY DANIEL TATUM Ph.D.
THE POWER OF POSITIVE LEADERSHIP by Jon Gordon
More suggestions from YOU...
TEACH LIKE A PIRATE by Dave Burgess (suggested by Heather Brown)
TEACH LIKE A CHAMPION by Doug Lemov (suggested by Briana Guillory)
WHAT GREAT TEACHERS DO DIFFERENTLY by Todd Whitaker (suggested by Laura Crosby)
CLOSING THE ATTITUDE GAP by Baruti Kafele (suggested by Nicole Hopkins)
Jump Into Serving by Applying to Be a Germinate Conference Speaker
Germinate only exists because of AG TEACHERS like YOU who believe in sharing their expertise abundantly. And now we are ready to continue this tradition at the FIFTH Germinate Conference this July 7-11, 2021.
HERE ARE 3️⃣ ways to get involved with Germinate this summer.
1️⃣ GERMINATE SPEAKER APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN 🎉🎉🎉
Now you may be thinking…"what do I need to be a speaker?"
Here is the GERMINATE speaker check-list ✅
To be a current agriculture teacher
Have a heart for serving other teachers
Tries new things
Has an appetite for learning
Believes true success is growth
Want to talk it out? Join us for the GERMINATE Speaker Interest meeting on Monday, March 8 at 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST, 6 p.m MST, 5 p.m. PST).
2️⃣ GERMINATE Conference INTERN applications open 🎉
Are you a pre-service teacher who wants to connect with agriculture teachers before becoming one yourself? You may be a good fit for the GERMINATE INTERN program.
Here is what a GERMINATE Intern needs to have to succeed...
1. Organization and strong communication skills are critical
2. An intrinsic motivation to improve will make the successful candidate(s) a compliment to the hardworking Green & Growing Education team.
3. Must be proficient in INSTAGRAM (posts, stories, comments, hashtags) and FACEBOOK (groups, comments)
4. Must be a college student.
3️⃣ GERMINATE Scholarship Application 🎉
Are you eager to gain quality professional development from fellow agriculture teachers? Is the department budget tight on your PD oppurtunities. Apply for a GERMINATE Scholarship TODAY!
ALL APPLICATIONS ARE DUE MARCH 31
Don't miss this opportunity to share, connect and grow with GERMINATE through the speaker, intern and scholarship programs!