Just finished the second “week” of school with my students. I say “week” because we had Monday off for Labor Day. We have officially been in school for 9 days now. Things are going very well in class. We are continuing to build community each day and I am really feeling a connection with each student this year because of our morning circle routine. Just before we go to our Connect class (Art, Music, PE, etc.) we sit in a circle and have a discussion. I usually start by teaching everyone a different way to greet the person sitting next to them. That is followed by me running down the agenda for the day. We then do some kind of activity that involves talking about something that allows us to get to know one another better. The mindset here is that the potential for doing great things together increases if we care about and know each other! Today...I asked the group to think about whether or not they would like to be race car driver or an airline pilot. They had to choose one, then turn to a classmate and talk about why. Then I let anyone that wanted to say what they told their partner or what they heard their partner say. I learned SOOO much about them from just this simple question. It was an awesome moment!!A few days ago I bought an app called Dark Noise. I’m listening to Brown Noise as I type this entry. There are multiple examples of “noise” on this app that can be listened to. You can listen to “colored” noises such as white, brown, and pink. Or...you can listen to different recorded types of water like “Heavy Rain,” or “River.” The makers of the app have also included sounds from appliances and nature. There are even urban sounds like a “Lawn Mower” and “Coffee Shop.” If you are really daring...try listening to “Snoring.” I am choosing to use it whenever I have to open work/school email or if I choose to do school work from home. I am also experimenting with the app while writing! Check it out...I think the developer did a really good job of capturing these sounds!I know that I’ve written in the past about my yearly theme. For those of you who have been following along you know that I just changed my theme to the “Year of Right.” I use a Microsoft Spreadsheet to keep track of daily questions I have created that help me assess to what degree I have worked on my theme. Well...that is all about to change! For months I have been waiting for the hosts of the Cortex podcast to come out with a theme system journal they created to help those of us that want to keep up with our yearly theme. The first edition of the journal sold out immediately. I was bummed but totally understood why this happened. Both Myke Hurley and CGP Grey have tapped into something with this journal. An attempt on the part of all of us interested to make this journal our own through its open ended design. I was notified earlier today that the second printing was out and bought it on line as soon as I got home from school! I am so excited to get it next week and begin to think about how I will transfer what I’ve been doing with the spreadsheet to this more intimate system of reflection!