Test: Activity Form

I am trying to utilize Google as much as possible in my new role. One of the things I think could work well is Google Forms to create an activity form for teachers and staff to use when proposing an activity for their students.

I am still playing around with how they might access it, since there is no Intranet. We do have Quia pages for each middle school teacher and perhaps this blog could be linked to each, so as to facilitate the use of the form.

We'll see. Stay tuned.

Classroom Expectations

I came across this blog post by Karl Fisch regarding classroom expectations. I think it is a nice introduction to a conversation amongst educators about how we might approach the students when we set guidelines for our classes. He elaborates a glass-half-empty vs. glass-half-full argument.

http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2010/06/transparent-algebra-course-expectations.html

Monday Ponderance: Farewells

This is my last Monday Ponderance at Calvert. I thought it fitting to discuss farewells. Goodbyes take on many different forms.

Short ones: to parents when you're dropped off at school, friends when they head to their next class, or students as they head home for the day. One might say, "See ya," "Later,""Talk to you soon."

Formal ones: in a letter, to an important person, or to a relative you don't see much. You might say, "Sincerely," "Regards," "Nice to see you again."

Long ones: To parents when you leave for camp, or kids when they leave for camp/college/new towns, to friends before summer break, or fellow 8th graders who are heading to different schools next year. These goodbyes may include tears, hugs, smiles, and well wishes for luck.

But Farewells are different...and difficult. Typically, it means that person will not be coming back, and as such it takes on a significance greater than goodbye. And so, I find myself saying farewell - to you, and my colleagues, and this school.

My time here does not measure up to many of the faculty - only seven years. My service does not measure up to the contributions of a myriad of Calvert people who have been at Calvert. However, I am certain I have had the best job of any person at Calvert - ever.

First of all, I have an opportunity to deal with each and every student on a daily basis. I learn your names within a week, and over the last three years I have been able to speak and find out about every one of you. I've taught and coached many of you in math, history, soccer, orlacrosse. I am lucky to help my colleagues organize fun days, award points, set up Points' Raffles, celebrate student accomplishments, set up outreach opportunities, and generally enjoy each day because something new happens each day.

Second, I am able to work with students on understanding and internalizing the Honor Code. I believe - firmly believe - the Honor Code is exactly that a code to live by. As with everything in life, it isn't always followed and in my position, I need to point students back to the right path. It is not something I enjoy necessarily, but something I know makes all of you better. I only wish I could stay to hear about your high school and college years and see how wonderful you will all turn out.

Farewells tend to have advice, and since this is a Monday Ponderance, I leave you with one piece of advice I think can be applied to every situation.

You are not alone in this life. You have family, friends, teachers, co-workers. Make sure you are taking time to build relationships - invest, care, and reflect. Do not worry about yourself, if you can build others, you will find yourself fulfilled.

Study Hall Revolucion - No Mas

Spring is here! Birds are chirping; squirrels are scurrying; grass is growing; flowers are blooming; and middle school students are eager to get up and get out. There are lots of ways to react to that last indicator of the new season, but sometimes the funniest way is to go way over the top and send your fellow teachers an email like this (all names have been changed to maintain the privacy of militants and dictators):

Colleagues,

I’m looking for a benevolent dictator to lead my study hall today as I head off to a baseball game. In the fall and winter this would just take a teacher, but with the approach of warm weather and the countdown to finals in full swing among 6th grade boys, room 110 has been transformed into a holding pen for violent militants intent on bringing down the “oppressive fascists” running this school (I think they mean us, specifically Joan Smith) and setting up their own system of government. Here is the list of key characters:

Tom Jones as Che Guevera

Larry Pendleton as George Washington

Jimmy Fisher as Robespierre

Doug Harris as Rambo

Please let me know if you are available and willing to crush the revolution today from 230 to 315.

Monday Ponderance: Significance versus Success

"Being significant is more important than being successful."

- Michael Josephson

How true this is. All of the research on brain development, teaching 21st century skills, what high schools and colleges want in their students, what companies are looking for in employees - all of it is pointing to significance.

Significance means of importance or having meaning.
It is important for us to identify significance because significance is what motivates us to do great things - in the classroom and in the workplace.

Siginificance is a hot topic. The point is, significance, or meaning, should be the central goal, not merely success. At Canterbury, we believe the Social Contract is a road map to significance. As students, we want you to use that map to chart your way. Here are three ways to facilitate your journey:

1. Invest: Take advantage of every minute you have in the classroom, with your friends, teachers, parents, grandparents, teammates, siblings, pets. Make sure you are present in the moment and allow those moments to unfold. If you are too eager to get on to the next thing, you may miss the best thing.

2. Care: Once you are in the moment, care about the people who are with you. Make sure they feel respected. The work you put into making someone feel meaningful will come back to you in a number of different ways.

3. Reflect: At some point in your day - when you go to bed, at breakfast, on the bus from a game - take the time to examine how you did that day or the day before. Did you invest and care? Was their a moment where you didn't give maximum effort? Why? Did you take care of every responsibility?

You will probably have had some moments that slipped - we all do. The important thing is that over the longhaul, we are able to answer "yes" to more of these reflection questions than "no." If we can, we are achieving siginificant.

They Can Make Me Smile, Too

As spring fever descends over the middle school and frustration creeps in (shameless plug: one of my latest posts on www.deanskeen.blogspot.com discusses frustration), the students can still make me smile. Case in point: an 8th grader left her laptop unattended and took four days to write a letter requesting it back. Below is the text, which made me smile and I hope will make you as well. (Keep in mind: this student must write 150 words, so you will see some typical strategies at work – repeating, stories, etc.)

Dear Mr. Skeen,

I’m sorry that I left my laptop unattended. I knew that it would be safe in Ms. ________’s classroom for a little while, but I did forget to go back and get it. Thank the teacher (Ms. ______) for rescuing my laptop from that awful burglar who I’m sure would have taken it if it hadn’t been given to you.

Also, the reason I didn’t give you this letter sooner, was that I wanted it to have a vacation. I’m sure you took great care of it. I speak for my laptop when I say, thank you for giving him a vacation. I bet the two of you had a great time (Editor’s note: this is my favorite line). I’m so sorry to take him back to work but I’m sure he will survive. Thank you again for giving him a safe home.

Sincerely,

Student

6th Grade History: Student Taught Lessons

Today in history class we began our student taught lessons on the power and influence of the church in Medieval Europe. The class was divided into five groups which focused on different aspects of the church in daily life. From Pope Gregory VII to the Dictatus Papae to Gregorian chants, each group was charged with researching their topic, producing a lesson, and having some kind of worksheet or opportunity to manipulate the information from their lesson.

One group made a game board for their lesson. The class was focused and engaged on the game and I could hear excited voices discussing the role of the church in Medieval Europe and its significance in shaping daily life...I better watch out or these guys and girls are going to take my job!

Monday Ponderance: Frustration

Our frustration is greater when we have much and want more than when we have nothing and want some. We are less dissatisfied when we lack many things than when we seem to lack but one thing.

Eric Hoffer

Frustration is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs." When applied to the Hoffer quote above it is revealing to look at ourselves and our students.

It is nearly impossible for 11-14 year olds to take a step outside themselves and see all the things they have in their life, from the financial and material to the social and emotional aspects of their existences. This is the reality of the middle school years: they are literally hardwired (or in the process of short-circuiting and re-wiring) to be self and/or friend-centered. One of the results is frustration.

Think about what we see from our students. Some feel like they are treated like kids, and only want to be 16 to get that license. While others feel like we aren't providing enough guidance in class - aren't outlining exactly where they should go, how they should get there, and who will hold their hand on the path. Still others are frustrated with their friendships, where they will go next year, what their coach said, what their coach didn't say. "A deep and chronic sense of insecurity" is the life of a middle schooler.

So how do we work with it - and it is a matter of working with and not against because, as JoAnn Deak reminded us last week, the science of the brain is not going anywhere and it says this is happening. Now, combine that with what Eric Hoffer says, the sense of frustration is often more deeply felt when we have more and want one more thing, than when we have less and want something. In Independent Schools we have a lot and the families who attend our schools, typically do as well. Therefore, our challenge to dissipate frustration in our students may actually be harder than in other schools.

For a moment, let's forget the developmental changes that each of these students are going through right now, which physically creates a lot of the "middle school behavior" we see each day, and believe that our students can appreciate what we have. They would see the world in which they live as tremendously positive, caring, enriching, and fulfilling. We do. They would be, for a moment at least, content. (Whether we are is a topic for a different blog.)

Throw the physical factors back in the mix and in order to get this message across we need to "shock and awe." Outreach and service learning is one way to do it. Special guests are another. Open and respectful dialogue between student and teacher and/or parents pertaining to the world is yet another. Have dinner each night and discuss the great things we have. We are lucky - exceptionally so - to be doing what we do, with the people we do it with (students, parents, teachers, administrators, community members). For a moment, let's be content with it.

Monday Ponderance: Finish Strong

It is dreary outside. We are embarking on our second full week in a row with the prospect of 8 more in a row before we are off for Memorial Day. The 4th quarter begins today, and our 8th graders have been admitted to high schools and are ready to go there....now.

We've all been in situations where the immediate feeling may be to coast home. You've worked hard for 3/4 of the year and for an instant you feel that would be enough to get you through the rest of the year.

But that is not what will be remembered. The legacy of a team, of a person is how they end their season, their life. It's the last stretch where you earn your reputation, develop the character.

Check out this video (full disclosure: it promotes a book entitled Finsh Strong) to see how some people were able to overcome obstacles (obstacles most of us would have understood and accepted) and accomplish great things.

http://www.finishstrongmovie.com/index.html

Edison on Coaching

Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.


Thomas Edison

Each day for lacrosse practice I produce a practice plan and have a quote at the bottom. The overt objective is that if the boys can repeat the quote, I'll take some running off at the end of practice. The covert objective is that through the quotes I can get the boys to think about what we need to do, where we stand as a team, and what it will take to get there.

Ol' Tom would've made a great coach. I really like his quote above because he puts it plainly what it takes to succeed. First: work. But not just work for work's sake - purposeful work. We hear it over and over again about how the most successful of us put the most work in.

For coaches, his second sentence lays out the responsibilities of a coach and the responsibilities of the players when pursuing a goal ("a product or accomplishment")

Coaches' Responsibilities

1. Forethought
2. System
3. Planning

Coaches' and Players' Responsibility

1. Intelligence - be ready to think and adapt to the game and personnel

Players' Responsibilities

1. Honest purpose
2. Perspiration

My job as coach, as leader, is to set a goal, make a plan, and be smart enough to adapt to factors as they arise. The players' need to be committed to the team, be prepared to work hard (to sweat a lot), and adapt to the game as it unfolds.

Finally, we can have the kids run around, work hard, but if it is only to get excercise that is not enough. That is seeming to do. Athletics should encompass so much more and it does, when done right. It is like the lab of life:

How will you react to failure? To success?

What if you're not the fastest, strongest, or most skilled athlete on the field? What does that mean for you as a team member? How will you find your niche?

What if you are the biggest, fastest, strongest athlete on the field? How will you own that role?

What do you have to do to support your teammates in order for the team to win? Do you want the team to win or do you want to be recognized? How does that make your teammates feel?

Coaching a team may be the best example of solid pedagogical teaching strategies at work. But in this classroom, the content is character development. The buzz phrase of education currently is "21st century skills." Some of those skills, depending on who you are reading, include collaboration, analysis, synthesis, respect and relationships, creativity, symphony, and on and on. What we see is that team sports has been teaching these skills long before we were ever confronted with the 21st century. Edison knew what it would take to prepare a group to use the skills we now champion so loudly. Who knows, Ol' Lightbulb Tom could have been speaking to his soccer team!

Monday Ponderance: Ripples Contributing or Chipping Away at Integrity

We are able to choose how we act. We call it free will. This independence has been a bedrock principle of our country since its inception.

With every choice, comes a result. Some good, some bad. All choices, however, produce effects like the ripples on a calm pond when a stone is tossed into it.

Over time, our society has discovered values that allow communities to thrive - to be successful, to provide comfort, to provide safety. For Calvert, these values are identified in the Honor Code:

1. Respect
2. Honesty
3. Responsibility
4. Effort
5. Outreach

By no means are these unique to Calvert. They are common values that the larger community accepts as necessary for the common good. When all of these values come together and are applied to their fullest, we call that integrity.

As individuals we are confronted with choices within each of these value-realms on a daily basis. When we make good choices, we not only contribute to our own integrity, but the integrity of the community.  When we make poor choices - and we all do - we chip away at not only our own integrity, but the integrity of the community. We are not as successful, comfortable, or safe.

So, when confronted with choices

to respect or disrespect
to be honest or dishonest
to be responsible or irresponsible
to put forth maximum effort or coast
to reach out or be selfish

Think about the kind of ripples you'll be sending out. Will they contribute to your integrity and the community's or will they chip away at it?

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? - Time Management

I teach 5th grade math. Today, I asked my class to work in partners on the following word/logic problem:

Patsy's Conflict

Patsy has cheerleading practice on Monday and every fourth school day. She wants to be in the school play, but they have practice on Tuesdays and every sixth school day. Assuming the first school day is Wednesday, September 5, when would she have 2 meetings at the same time? Would she ever have 3 meetings at the same time? How many times would she have more than 1 meeting at the same time before the end of December?

Now, let me stop here for a moment. Please consider that we are in an era when too many of our students are overloaded with obligations. Numerous articles, studies, and presentations use data to point to the problem of overscheduling. Many of the students in my math are just that - overscheduled. Taking all of this into consideration here was one of my student's responses to the question:

Mr. Skeen, she needs to choose either the play or cheerleading! There - I solved the problem. This way she'll NEVER have 2 or 3 meetings at the same time.

My first thought was "wrong," quickly followed by "good outside the box thinking," followed by "not so much outside the box, as just plain logical."

I believe this answers the newly popular question: Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

In this case - no.

Assessment of Guilt and Application of Consequence

I've just had a great conversation with Bob Herzog, a newly minted mentor of mine, who has worked in schools for the past thirty years as teacher, coach, and administrator. We discussed what he calls "the assessment of guilt." I found the ideas we talked about and the structure he used to present them confirmed what we are trying to do with our Honor Code at Calvert.

First and foremost, the final arbiter of guilt is a person's conscience. We can help shape and guide that conscience (the Honor Code is a great foundation for that in schools) but ultimately the assignment and acceptance of guilt lies within the person. When determining if someone is guilty of a transgression, the following factors should be considered:

1. The Act, taken objectively. It is either good, bad, or indifferent (moral, immoral, or ammoral). What does the letter of the law say?

2. The Circumstances. What are they? Did the person know it was wrong? Did they have a choice in the matter?

3. The Motive. Why did this person do this?

These factors taken together mean all instances are shaded in some sort of grey. It is not appropriate to paint all situations with the same color of guilt or apply the same consequence to an act of two people that have varying circumstances and motive. Additionally, each person's unique perspective (which is a result of varied upbringings, varied opinions, and varied convictions) will further color the way in which a consequence is received.
I believe this is the way in which discipline should be handled. I believe it is the way in which discipline is handled in schools, for the most part. I believe it is the way Calvert handles discipline.

Hypocrisy: A Careful Understanding

Hypocrisy is a dirty idea. It's a tainted act. Again, some definitions (1):

1. A pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.

2. A pretense of having some desirable or publicly approved attitude.


3. An act or instance of hypocrisy.
 
Adults can be hypocrites. We assume (hope) that time they've spent maturing allows them to understand the difference between integrity (meaning and acting on what you say) and hypocrisy (see above).
 
The word originates from Greek theatre. Actors would wear large, distorted masks meant to convey some emotion related to the character. This idea, originally hypokrisis in Greek, meant play-acting.
 
As teachers in middle schools, we see play acting by our students all the time. Developmentally, they are seeking peer approval and as such will act in whatever ways necessary to gain that approval. At times, they can be hypocrites. At other times, they can complain to their friends and parents that, "such and such is not being real." or "He is so fake." or "She is just not genuine." The struggle for our students is looking inward and figuring out how important peer approval is compared to their own beliefs.
 
Our job is to help inform that debate, that struggle. In my role, I try to do it through the Honor Code. Adults can become frustrated when we see the students speak to the honor code and the components within it, and then turn around and do something that is totally against it. We can, at times, label our students hypocrites. But are they?
 
First, this is what middle schoolers do - they are impulsive and live in the present. This characteristic manifests itself in some of the stupid things they do. Second, they are discovering justice and fairness (what is just is not always fair) and are adamant that everything be fair. This characteristic manifests itself in the discussions of the use of the Honor Code. So our students are not necessarily hypocrites when they fly from one characteristic to the other - they're middle schoolers. This doesn't mean we don't call them on it - hold them accountable and help them realize all actions have consequences, but it does mean that we need to understand the context within which these students are living and making choices.
 
As Samuel Johnson said,
 

Nothing is more unjust, however common, than to charge with hypocrisy him that expresses zeal for those virtues which he neglects to practice; since he may be sincerely convinced of the advantages of conquering his passions, without having yet obtained the victory, as a man may be confident of the advantages of a voyage, or a journey, without having courage or industry to undertake it, and may honestly recommend to others, those attempts which he neglects himself. (2)

(1) Dictionary.com
(2) http://www.archive.org/stream/britishessayists16chal/britishessayists16chal_djvu.txt
Rambler 14, P. 154. In Chalmers, Alexander: Full text of "The British essayists : with prefaces, historical and biographical".

Update to 6th Grade History Assignment

Hello Again,


I've received some emails for clarification on the Internet Assignment from Monday. Here it goes:

1. Textiles are clothes, rugs or any other product made from wool, cotton, etc. Think about the colorful, geometric rugs you see in the rooms below the library. Oriental Rugs are a great example. In the video on YouTube there is a description of how textiles were important to the economy of the Islamic Empire. The cue for the section is 35 minutes in. This will help to introduce you to the topic. Take the time to just watch at first and then rewind and re-watch as needed.

2. Your assignment is to draw and color some textile product that could be found in the Muslim World of 1100 - 1200 AD. You will draw this on a 8.5" x 11" (regular printer paper) with pencil and colored pencil or crayons or markers. If you have construction paper you should glue the picture to that.

3. Once you have completed that you will create a brief decription of your textile product. Remember when you are in a museum and you read the brief description of the piece of art? That is what you are writing. The PBS site has a list of exactly what you will need to include on your description. When it says materials used, it wants you to describe what that textile product would have if it were real. The description is not true, but it makes sense in the context of the time period and is historically accurate. For example, don't use walrus leather as a material because that would not be found in the Muslim Empire of 1100-1200....

For example, "Made from lamb's wool, ca. 1135, Syria. The design is meant to draw the eye to the center of the rug where the ritual would take place. This rug was used by the caliph Abda al Symon in ceremonies of surrender after battles."

4. On the PBS site, use the Video Note Guide to get the information you will need for the Museum Description portion of the assignment. You will use this guide while watching the video.

5. On the PBS site, peruse the websites they reccommend to learn more about textiles in the Muslim world. This will help you get ideas of what to draw and what to include on your museum description.

6. Use the Project Scoring Rubric on the PBS site to determine if you have done enough to complete the assignment.

Message to My 5th Grade Math Class

Hey Guys,


I hope you are enjoying Round 2 of this winter storm. I remember when I was a freshmen in high school we had a similar blizzard and we were out of school for a week....and they had to cancel exams!

Well, you guys may be out for a week, but they aren't cancelling exams. Sorry. Also, we have all this great technology so I can get in touch with you to send an assignment home. I've got to keep your math minds sharp. Isn't that great! (They didn't have all this when I was freshman in high school.)

Here is you Blizzard Assignment:

1. Go to Mr. Little Math Blog on the Calvert Homepage or click on the link: http://calvertschoolweb.org/wlittle/5th%20Grade%20Textbook/Chapter%204.pdf

2. On the right hand column select Math Textbook and Resources

3. Select 5th grade math

4. Under the Textbook column, select Chapter 4

5. When the textbook chapter has loaded, scroll down to p. 93 and complete the Mid Chapter Review ALL on a separate sheet of paper. Please put your name and the date on it.

6. After this, scroll down to p. 114-115 and complete Chapter 4 Review #1-36 ODDS on a separate piece of paper. Please put your name and the date on it.

Good luck and email me with any questions you may have. These are due when we return to school tomorrow or Friday.

Snow Day and Work Day

I guess all the dancing, spoons and cotton balls worked! My goodness there is a lot of snow around here. I've done a lot of digging and am starting to think I'm living in an igloo! There is talk of another winter storm coming our way Tuesday night which could affect school on Wednesday....

All of that sounds great but my 6th grade history class still needs to keep their "History Minds" sharp. I created the following assignment for them to complete at home, and if any of them are reading this blog tonight, they'll see it here too.

Since not all of us have the textbook, and/or our notebook, I am assigning the following Internet Assignment to be completed by the time we return to school (either Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday).

This assignment will revisit the video we watched to introduce the topic of Islam. Below is a link to Video 2 of the movie, Islam: Empire of Faith. You will need to view it to complete the accompanying assignment found on the link below. Read the directions carefully. If you do not have the material at your home, do your best to find something similar, but DO NOT go out and get anything.

The PBS Video on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1PxJomypQE

The PBS Internet Assignment: http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/lesson3.html

Good luck.

Mr. Skeen

Expectation & Enchantment

Snow Days: Not Just for Students

Over the last three months the mid-atlantic and south have seen some of the largest snow storms in recent memory. Of course, all of this is child's play to our friends in Minnesota, but we're still proud of our accumulation thus far in 2009-2010. While the snow can create major issues for traffic, work, and government budgets, it is something students and teachers keep a keen eye on because of the potential for snow days.

The expectation of snow days can be as exciting as the expectation a child feels on Christmas Eve. When snow does come and blankets streets, trees, and bushes silencing the "white" noise of our neighborhoods, the enchantment with the beauty and power of nature sprouts and spreads through our souls. Children experience a direct connection with nature that (in our urban context) is lacking. A natural serenity envelops adults like the snow envelops evrything below it.

Tonight we will fall asleep (with our pajamas turned inside out and a slight sweat from the snow dance we just completed) and dream in different shades of white. Our expectation is that we will get a free day - a snow day. We hope enchantment will greet us when we awake.

Inspire to Innovate

As educators we hear two words all the time: inspire and innovate. Two words which separately are powerful, but used together provide a mission. Inspire to innovate.

Inspire has ten definitions, all of which capture different gradations of the same theme: influence. Influence to great thoughts, great acts, great relationships.

Innovate has only two: to introduce something new; make changes in anything established.

As always, we must be cognizant of the balance between innovation for innovation's sake and genuine, 21st century, necessary innovation. Teachers should be fueled by the mission of inspiring to innovate. The means by which we inspire is our craft, and the guidance we provide along the path of innovation will shine a light on that balance for the students.

In this time of exponential change at lightning speed, we need to accept that innovation will be a way to success in our students' world, and shape our influence in a way that sets a foundation for our students to be inspired to great and good acts, great and good thoughts, and great and good relationships.

Calvert's Honor Code, its mission, its philosophy aligns with this goal. Our academic rigor sets the parameters for the great acts, and our Honor Code provides the guidelines for making those great acts good.

Monday Ponderance: Make Yourself Stick

As we begin a new year we are leaving a decade full of change. The pace of that change was exponentially faster than any period in history. One of the defining characteristics of this period has been messaging: Text, IM, Facebook, My Space, Twitter, commercials, previews, OnDemand, Billboard, and on and on and on. All of these are (to borrow a term from Chip and Dan Heath in their book Made To Stick) made to stick - made to shape the way we think about things, ideas, the people and places around us, and ourselves.

As some of us prepare for high school and the rest of us prepare for the near future, one thing we can be certain about is that we will need to know how to create messages that will stick. Particularly, very soon we will be faced with decisions that will shape our ideas about ourselves, and others' ideas about who we are.

It is important that we shape that idea through the right choices.

Our Honor Code provides the content of that message: I am respectful, I am responsible, I am honest, I put forth maximum effort, and I reach out to others. In order to make that idea stick, think about the following methods (again, borrowing from the Heath brothers and their book, Made to Stick)

1. Pay attention and consider how you can be unexpected or distinct


2. Be able to understand yourself. Have a concrete idea of who you are and be able to communicate to others.


3. Believe in yourself and you will be credible to those you interact with.


4. Care about yourself and others to bring an emotional connection to your relationships. This might be the stickiest of all the methods.


5. Be able and willing to act on your ideas and values. Be responsible for your own story.

Happy New Year, happy new decade, and happy sticking.