Huddle Break

At the end of every huddle or meeting, we "break" in the same way that sports teams do.  The last member of the team to place their hand in the middle has to give "the word" that everyone will repeat with enthusiasm after the count off.  Also, each team member has to hold their weight.  This fun little ritual ensures some levity and positivity is always a part of our gatherings.

Words and Phrases: A Lexicon of Sayings at School

Here's an ongoing lexicon of words and phrases we use at Cristo Rey De La Salle High School that we use with intentionality.

Glows: Appropriated from the Summit Learning Network to identify positive attributes that we wish to highlight and reinforce.

Grows: Also appropriated from the Summit Learning Network to identify the challenges that we need to overcome in order to get to the next level.

Little by little / paso a paso: A phrase used by our Enrollment Manager to remind ourselves that we'll achieve our goals, little by little.  

We'll Make It Happen: Another catchphrase by our Enrollment Manager.

Huddle:  A quick 5 - 10 minute meeting to go over essential details of an event, to discuss items of concern, or to talk about recurring issues which need special attention.

Run of Show: A cue-to-cue sequence or detail of an event. 

Feedback is Gold: We are working on becoming a community that can analyze and synthesize data through surveys about our processes and programs.

We Hear You: Words often spoken in a circle, a communal, or a prayerful context by those present to affirm the speaker.

Assume Positive Intent: Consider that a person's actions or words are well-meaning.  That said, there are times in which unintentional actions or words, or bias needs to be addressed.

Correct: Interestingly, my coworkers remarked that I tend to use this term quite frequently in place of a simple yes.

I Appreciate You: Most people seem to say "I appreciate it" where "it" refers to the action that somebody may have undertaken for another.  Replacing "it" with "you" wonderfully acknowledges who is undertaking the action.  Our former Director of School Culture introduced this to us.

EOD / EOB: Stands for "End-of-day" and "End-of-business" to cue folks to respond to an ask before same.  

RBO: A locally developed term which stands for "Relationship Building Opportunities" a way of reframing supervision to make it a positive opportunity for adults to build relationships and community with the students entrusted to their care.

New Language

Part of our new "way of doing school" involves retiring old language.  Old language handcuffs us to old ways of doing things.  This is not to say that traditional approaches to education aren't without merit.  We are simply committing to approaching schooling in a new way.  New language allows us to unlock new possibilities.  

For instance, we've reframed "proctoring" and "prefecting" assignments.  Rather than thinking of them as mere supervision of certain spaces, we've rechristened them "RBO" or "Relationship Building Opportunities."  Truly, they are opportunities for our faculty, administration, and staff to bond with our students during those time periods between classes.

New language also permeates our curriculum and instruction practices.  For instance, we've retired our "Religion" and "Theology" classes and we now call them "Catholic Studies" as a way of attending to our unique Lasallian Catholic identity within the Cristo Rey Network.  

Our classroom spaces are reflective of the instructional modality that happens most frequently.  So, traditional direct instruction is called "Guided Learning," while group work is called "Collaborative Learning."  Finally, "Leveled Learning" is where students can work independently with our personalized learning platforms to "level up" in the same way that video game players "level up" their characters in their games.  

In Praise of Dance

In Praise of Dancing by Saint Augustine

I praise the dance, for it frees people
From the heaviness of matter
And binds the isolated to community.

I praise the dance, which demands everything:
Health and a clear spirit and a buoyant soul.

Dance is the transformation of space, of time, of people,
Who are in constant danger of becoming all brain, will or feeling.

Dancing demands the whole person,
One who is firmly anchored in the center of his life,
Who is not obsessed by lust for people and things
And the demon of isolation in his own ego.

Dancing demands a freed person,
One who vibrates
With the balance of all his powers.

I praise the dance.

O People, learn to dance,
or else the angels in heaven
Will not know what to do with you.

Academic Explorations: Media Literacy: Toxic Masculinity

Original Gillette Short Film

Today Show Response

Jesse Dollemore Response

Fox Business Response

Academic Explorations: Media Literacy: Social Media

Marshall Davis Jones - Touchscreen

Pressures of Social Media on Teen Girls

Seven Essential Characteristics of a Teacher at Cristo Rey De La Salle East Bay High School

(1) Loves working with young people, and empowers our student associates to become agents of their academic success;

(2) Exhibits the flexibility to pivot and is comfortable with change and transition;

(3) Listens to new educational research, displays a growth mindset, and commits to lifelong learning;

(4) Models mindfulness, culturally responsive and relevant teaching, wholeness and restorative justice practices;

(5) Collaborates openly and communicates authentically with colleagues to build an inclusive educational community;

(6) Takes creative initiative, and is self-directed and reflective in disposition;

(7) Appreciates our Lasallian Catholic heritage and tradition, and respects religious plurality.