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TEACHERS.NET GAZETTE
Volume 3 Number 11

COVER STORY
A new museum dedicated to exploring the role of visual art in children's literature from around the world will open in Amherst, Massachusetts in November 2002...
ARTICLES
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Teaching Children about Native Americans -- How teachers can avoid promoting stereotypes by Diane Tells His Name, Oglala Lakota
Update on Operation Deep Freeze by LT. Marshall Branch and Kathleen Carpenter, Editor in Chief
Education's Rotten Apples by Alfie Kohn
Teacher Classroom Control Means Student Self-Control by Bill Page
Keyboarding: Some Assembly Required by Dr. Rob Reilly
The Music, Movement, and Learning Connection by Hap Palmer
Early Years Are Learning Years -- Mathematics Through Play by Dr. Smita Guha
Shifting the Approach - Middle School Math in American Community School, Abu Dhabi by Sara Turansky
The Hero Within by Don Quimby
Textbook Under Test by P R Guruprasad
Introverted Children in Extroverted Schools by Marti Olsen Laney
Vocabulary Words - Jargon by Jay Davidson
If You Can't You Should, If You Should You Must, If You Must, You Can! by Glenn Dietzel
Peace by Joy Jones
Positive Parent Contact Logs - An invaluable addition to the Teacher's Toolbox by Chuck Brickman
Bits and Pieces - Various Small Articles by The Teachers.Net Community
November Columns
November Regular Features
November Informational Items
Gazette Home Delivery:

About Glenn Dietzel...
Glenn Dietzel, M.T.S. & M.Ed., is a Vice-Principal of an elementary school in Sarnia, ON, Canada. He is extremely happily married to his wife, Fiona. They have 2 sons, Calum, aged 5, and Cameron, aged 3.

Glenn is also the president and founder of Teacher eBooks. They provide the world's best curriculum and professional development in eBook format. Teacher eBooks also helps educators from all areas become published authors and showcase their expertise to an international online community www.teacherebooks.com/
write_sell.html
. Take an educational eBook eCourse in the comfort of your own home www.teacherebooks.com
ebook_courses.html
.

Glenn has co-authored a number of eBooks www.teacherebooks.com/
ebooks_authors.html
. Teacher eBooks offers a number of free resources including a free eZine, free daily tips, free reports, and free educational eBooks.


Teacher Feature...

If You Can't You Should, If You Should You Must, If You Must, You Can!

by Glenn Dietzel


One of the most beneficial exercises I've learned to establish is to reflect on the day's activities. This reflection includes: What worked well? What could I have done better? What good decisions did I make? How did I make them? Were they aligned with my philosophy? What did I do to accomplish my important goals and *dreams*?

Have you ever left a meeting feeling uncomfortable about the expectations of you? Have you left a meeting with unresolved problems that need to be "fixed?" Have you been involved in a meeting with a colleague where you left feeling like, "We need to talk!" Reflecting on these situations can make us feel uncomfortable. Today I would like to share with you my action plan in handling a meeting with a person with whom I feel uncomfortable.

Spend a few moments at night and reflect on the problem. Write it down. Take action. Do not just think about it! Thinking is good. However, thinking when you should be taking action is wrong. Recount what happened and what was said and/or the body language that was used. Do not dwell on this. Think about the situation. Talk to a trusted friend/mentor/spouse if you have to.

After this reflective stage, plan your action by taking pen in hand and writing out what you are going to do. Chart your course by writing it out! Begin with how you want this situation to be resolved! Perhaps you said something that could have been said differently. Perhaps there is a personality clash. Perhaps you are totally right and the other person has the problem. However, if this is the case, you now have a problem because it is bothering you.

The key to charting your course of action is to visualize yourself taking charge. This is particularly important if you feel somewhat intimidated by the other person. Visualize--see yourself talking to that person confidently and demonstrating all the key attributes of good listening and facilitative body language.

It is important to play this out in your mind--enact this meeting from start to finish. Thinking ahead of time about what you want to say and then visualizing your success is good! As stated above, thinking about what you should do, but not taking the necessary action is a mistake. "If You Can't You Should, If You Should You Must, If You Must, You Can!"

Begin with the end in mind. Chart your course. Visualize your meeting. Appreciate the fact that you actively took charge! And do this before you go to bed. Let your subconscious mind then role-play your intended actions. This will allow you to sleep peacefully at night! Rehearse again in the morning when you wake up.

Not only will the other person probably appreciate this--chances are that person will, and if the person doesn't, it's not your problem!--you will feel more confident! I have noted that when I take this kind of action, quite often I find out that the main problem was a lack of communication.

Make a note of your meeting and go away from it feeling like you've acted on your environment! This is very empowering! It's a much better feeling to think you've taken the action, then be passive and feel like you are a ship being tossed to-and-fro.

When having to confront a person with whom you are uncomfortable, picture the total concentration of a NBA basketball player who is oblivious to the fans around him as he shoots the winning foul-shot before a packed audience of screaming fans. Just make sure you picture a player with a high foul-shooting percentage. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen say this, "Don't worry about people's reaction. Worry about your behaviour."


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