Learning at the Heart

It’s time for “The Pulse”, a collection of things that I have found interesting lately and that are keeping me going.

Red text are clickable links.  Check them out!

After a multitude of words and phrases typed and deleted for this post, grateful is the word that I am landing on to describe my overall sense of how I felt during the AAIE Global Leadership Conversation/Conference last week.  I am grateful for so many things I could fill up this whole screen.  Here are a few highlights of what I am grateful for:

• the opportunity to attend and join in to a community I had only known online until last week
• seeing treasured and respected colleagues from around the world in person
• meeting smart and inspiring colleagues who were previously names written in newsletters and Brady Bunch style boxes on a screen
• feeling enveloped by the community of educators who so generously shared their ideas and inspiration with one another
• New perspectives on important topics like leadership, diversity, equity & inclusion, innovation in schools, and student agency

Why does this matter?  Because it illustrates the inspirational power of a strong network and the incredible experience of meeting in person.  This wasn’t attending a conference; this was connecting with people who have influenced who I am as an educator and school leader and who continue to do so.  Which leads to my unsolicited advice:  find your network, find your people, and find a way to get together and connect.  Time and financial resources are limited.  If you have the chance, don’t just pick a conference or an event.  Pick a network and a community that allows you to contribute your strengths and reciprocates in kind.  Your soul will be filled and you will be inspired to be the best version of yourself that you can be.  

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It’s true.  Each week, one non-fiction author is featured.  Each day one big idea is presented in a “bite sized” chunk of approximately 10 minutes.  One topic, 5 days, small amounts of information at a time.  So easily digestible.  Week one was all about culture in teams and organizations; week two was all about being a “startist” and just getting started; week three is about adult development.  Relevant, accessible, and a time commitment I can make.  This link will take you to Spotify, but the podcast is available on Apple and other platforms as well.  

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But shipping overseas is not an option for me (import taxes) and my time in the US is rarely spent in one location for very long.  It seemed like a lot of work to order and hope they fit.  Also, I tend to be more of a bargain-hunter shopper, so the price had me raising my eyebrows.  But when I was in Seattle in January, I unexpectedly wandered upon a brick and mortar store, one of only a handful in the country.  Of course I had to check them out.  Once I slipped that first (sale!) pair on my feet, there was no question.  These shoes are so soft and comfortable, I bought 2 pair.  Walking around campus in the warm air of Brasil, I feel like I’m keeping a secret:  “You think I’m wearing shoes, but I’m really wearing pillows on my feet.”  If these pairs hold up and wash as well as they are advertised to, I’m certain a few more pairs will be finding their way into my closet.  

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“Every day, your heart beats about 100,000 times, sending 2,000 gallons of blood surging through your body. Although it’s no bigger than your fist, your heart has the mighty job of keeping blood flowing through the 60,000 miles of blood vessels that feed your organs and tissues.”  Whoa!  That’s a lot of volume and distance in the human body.

Laughter may really be some of the best medicine: 

“A good belly laugh can send 20% more blood flowing through your entire body. One study found that when people watched a funny movie, their blood flow increased… When you laugh, the lining of your blood vessel walls relaxes and expands…So have a good giggle. Your heart will thank you.”