Middle School with Mr. Olsen

Having a skill or gift card isn't useful, if you never use it. 

Complaining gets you nowhere. 

Everyone makes mistakes.  The "smart" people learn from them.  

Reading a word once doesn't make you understand it. 

Eating one salad doesn't make you skinny.  

Eating one cookie doesn't make you fat. 

Getting one problem wrong doesn't make you dumb.  

Getting one problem right doesn't make you a genius. 

Everything we do, everything we learn, everything we earn, takes time. 

I talked to a school administrator who told me in his first year he was not very confident in what he was doing.  But as the year progressed and he took notes and paid more attention, he said the end of the year felt a lot different.  The lesson? Everyone gets scared at first, but we keep practicing and keep growing.  

The world doesn't revolve around us.  We need to adapt, change, and evolve into something better.  

The best part about you is that there is no one else like you! 

More helpful advice on more real life skills! 

In order to manage my time better, I put this into a two-part episode 

It's not only technology that needs constant updates.  It's our mindset, too.  

School supply LIST... Shopping LIST.. Bucket LIST..  To Do LIST.. Top 10 LIST..  Check LIST.. Birthday LIST

Need directions? It's given in a specific order so you get to your destination ASAP. 

Grocery shopping? Easy to remember what you need when you have your list 

Baking/Cooking? Follow that recipe so you don't randomly throw an egg in the oven without cracking it first! 

'Teacher' is just one of the many hats I wear during the school day with students.  I am also a parent myself and understand the need to protect and comfort my child.  Yet, I also see the need to let her get dirty and grow on her own, like any flower would.  

Harry/Hermoine/Ron/Neville: Students 

Dumbledore/Snape/McGonagall/Hagrid: Teachers 

Weasleys/Sirius/Malfoy/Potter: Families

We are a team.  The journey of a school year does not reside solely with students, nor does it reside solely with teachers.  Not even the two of those combined make the journey.  Families need to be involved.  It is much more engaging to play board games with other people.  It is much more engaging to talk to someone who has differing views to create a conversation.  Families, students, and teachers need to work together to journey through the school year.  

Frodo: Student

Gandalf: Teacher

The rest of the Fellowship: Families

It's not over until the final bell! 

Who's in control of your destiny? You are. 

It's the pencil's fault I failed the test.  

Ava has some really great points about mindset! Be your own success story!

Through the eyes of Maddix. 

*Favorite and least favorite parts of the school day?  *Thoughts on Hybrid learning? *Your legacy? *Passions? *Overcoming challenges *Role models *Ideal teacher *Advice for incoming students

When will I ever use this in real life? Why are we learning this? 

This is how Sam sees it. 

Don't tell me what to do! 

Jaida's perspective. 

Take a trip back in time.  To a time before Google, a time before personal devices.  I'm talking the 1990's and before! 

Want to know the secret to getting ahead? 

Through the eyes of Izzy. 

"The harder I work, the luckier I get." ~Samuel Goldwyn

A middle schooler's perspective. 

Even the smallest changes can make the biggest differences. 

"Once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it" Logen Ninefingers  ~Joe Abercrombie 

Goo-goo-ga-ga! Yay! You're doing it!

 Boring people get bored. 

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got." ~ Henry Ford