Day 28... flibidigibidy..... all over the place

WOWSER Wednesday...

I awoke early after the most vivid, full colour, horrifying nightmare... I was in a train crash... and I awoke hanging over the cliff edge... honestly, horrifying, so real, so vivid, so full colour and so repeated throughout the night....

Did I mention at all that this online Zui back to back is HARD! Flip... it is darn hard... if I am not in a Zui, I'm in a hangout, or preparing for or following up on one... and today... well today... I ended the day feeling quite broken...

I was working with a buddy and we had completed some great work and we decided to sign off early and bike... well, that was until I checked my emails... and one of the schools I have been struggling to get a response from responded and an hour and a half later I closed my laptop and got on my bike... Hmmm I really needed that... 15km, home just on dark... good for my ticker... and my mind. So a bit of a reflection on the day that led to this. 

Today started early with an alarm set. Off and away with my bobble buddy for 'Incident Prevention Patrol'. Such a privilege to get out and about, and also awesome to get so much more of an insight into his world. 

The view back down the hill, across to our home. 

Another very busy day. A real highlight in the day was our weekly session with Dr Lucy Hone and Dr Denise Quinlan from NZIWR. Today we were in a Zoom, spent time in breakout rooms chatting with colleagues. These sessions are invaluable for not only our well being, but for us to share with our educators who are working so incredibly hard to meet needs in this very surreal time. 

I really enjoyed the opportunity to reflect before, during and after our session today. 

We explored positive emotions today. "This rāhui is a season." It is important for us to be aware of what we are paying attention to. 

What is new and different now?

Where have I felt bored, frustrated or stuck in this past week?

How am I using this feeling as a doorway to a new opportunity or solution?

How do I increase my experience of positive emotion?

I need to broaden my attention and thinking with improved problem solving and increased perception.

I need to build enduring personal resources: physical, social, mental, psychological. 

Positive emotions affect performance and wellbeing.

Positive emotions have an 'undo effect', that helps us recover more rapidly. 

Noticing strengths and putting attention on what's good and what is working well. 

Benefits are in finding us noticing the silver linings in tough times. 

What am I hoping for now? Coping, perseverance, wellbeing...

What personal, whānau strengths am I drawing on?

What silver linings/benefits am I finding?

What am I hoping for now?

Seeking evidence of positive emotions...

What an incredible session. Thank you Lucy and Denise. We are so privileged to have your support. 

So the rest of the tough afternoon of meetings should melt away...

I slammed my laptop at 4.45 and hopped on my bike, off down the drive to find I had a puncture... pushed bike back up the drive... swapped for bubble buddy's bike and off I went...

How awesome is this site in the setting sun. So in awe of each and every person who is taking time to keep us entertained... be it teddy bears, jokes, memes, ... you are all amazing. 

Autumn, you stunning beauty..... love this patch of poplars... how it has changed in this time of ISO. I have walked, run and now cycled this route many times over the past four weeks and the leaves are like a clock... ticking through the seasons. 

A rear site lately. A small plan coming into land at the Taieri Airstrip. 

15km later and I made it home just as the light was disappearing...

Today's lesson: "This rāhui is a season." Just like autumn... it too will pass. 

Day 27 - Spinning - is it really only Tuesday????

Feels like Friday...

Unbelievably it is only Tuesday. How can that be?

This online gig is HARD!

Today I had the absolute pleasure and privilege of meeting with my mentor. I don't know how the world conspires to have you meet up when you most need it. I am sooooo grateful for the privilege of time with my mentor. Today, in a short space of time, most of my scary problems and challenges sifted and sorted, and I am back up and running at a smoother level. 

It is really hard to work online, really HARD. We are used to this, and it is hard for us. Where as I could easily spend a day in a school, even a couple of days back to back, an hour or a couple of hours online is HARD. It is harder to 'read the room' online. It is harder to focus on people, ensuring the needs of all are met. It really is taking more time to prepare for online sessions.

Agh the relief of writing that all down...

We NEED to go back to basics and look at what we can control. 

• Relationships
• Connections
• Well being
• Learning

It was really invaluable for me to go back to the UDL Guidelines today. I really do need to take time to continue to read and explore the resources that are here to support us. We need to discuss these as a team and work out our best ways of working. 

A real highlight in our day today was a Zoom with the Chatham Island Cluster. How awesome for me at home in Mosgiel to be able to connect with Vicky, in Auckland and meet brand new grandbaby, and Wendy across in Pitt Island, and Eve, Donna, and Lara in Te One, Chatham Islands.

This new way is forever going to change the way we learn, facilitate, and grow. 

It was awesome to reflect on the progress we made during our last week face to face. We caught up today and looked at the VERY different world we are in now, and looked at how we might plan for DEEP learning for this term. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fs8kbd1CjhIip3kmo5Dz-TXnXlPnYQ_E/view

This LEARNZ home activity site is well worth a look. 

A click and collect today added a great support back to the pantry. We really are so privileged and so grateful to be able to eat well at this time. For me, this is such a rarity. Being home, waking up, eating all of my meals at home, working at home... LOVING it. 

Agh, I am soooo happy to be back biking. No real dramas spotted today, unlike yesterday. Another stunning autumn day... grateful.

Today's learning: Address the challenges! 

Day 26 - extended Level four and a little craziness

Monday, jolly Monday. Day 26...

Finally I got up early and got back out for a run. I really do not have any excuse for why I haven't been out running lately. I was very pleased with my time. My previous best was 38.01, so a mere 40 seconds on that... and yet again my shoelace came undone... I have to make more effort to tie them securely... 

Today's meetings have again highlighted the very challenging situations some of our team are working in. We are setting up Zui on Thursday to enable people to network and connect with similar bubble experiences - eg. with young children, with teenagers, solo bubbles, extended whānau bubbles... Looking forward to seeing people coming together to share and connect. 

YUSS Happiness is... knowing that your essential parcel reaches it's destination, albeit late...

HUGE gratitude to Greg and Annette. We now have helmets so can get out there on our bikes. KINDNESS at this time is soooo appreciated. 

Visible craziness tonight... driveway antics... complete with finishing tape, flags and costume...

More craziness... we've heard this a few times when we've been out walking, but today I got to see it up close. Impressive weaving in and out the traffic, up and down the main road of Mosgiel. 

Stunning end to the day with a ride around the big block.... We really are so lucky with this stunning April weather. 

As we reflect on staying in level 4 til next Tuesday, then a move to level 3, we really must be so proud of what NZ has achieved... #proud

Day 25 - Super Sunday

Agh, glorious sleep in to start the day. A delicious brunch of croissants... then out to the garden for a very long stint....

Absolutely delicious grapes, thanks neighbours, on croissants, thanks Gabi. 

And while I had the oven on, I threw in a batch of ANZAC biscuits. So many memories of these... I think Mum made a batch of these every week for most of her adult life... Not sure she'd approve of the chocolate topping...

Now, out to the very back of the garden. This area has been neglected for the longest time, and it absolutely overgrown with sycamore seedlings and ivy... well today we are taking back control.

Slow and steady, one seedling, weed at a time... 

A glorious bunch of fantail spent the day with us. 

Very very happy with the result. We really are so grateful for this time to tame the wilderness...

Driveway drinks to end the day...

And finishing off the beanie!  

Day 24 - Katie's birthday in ISO

Naw here we are on a second family birthday in ISO.

But we are determined to make the most of it all. 

What fun to start the day with a friend catch up...

So disappointed that Katie's parcel didn't arrive on time, but we shared a lot of photos, memories and laughs over the day...

 29 photos of 29 awesome years...

So awesome to have a family catch up and 'share' cake, party poppers, balloon popping and the real highlight, little Mr L. helping Katie blow the candles out!  Technology really does allow us to almost be together... 

And finished off the day with a glorious walk around East Taieri. We really have made the most of these amazing autumn days to get out and about....

Day 22 - the pendulum swing.... educators are doing their best

WHAT A DAY....

Educators you are amazing.

We are privileged to work to support educators in this unprecedented move to distance learning... 

Social media is the best and the worst at times. 

The sharing, support and camaraderie is MAGIC...

The competition and grandstanding is to be avoided at all cost...

Again we are stressing...

Start with relationship, build on this new opportunity to have a distance learning relationship with learners and whānau,

Keep connected - touch base with learners, check in regularly... face to face via zoom or hangout is best, but phone is great too, and for those without TV or internet, phone is only option...

Keep CALM and slow things right down...

Be incredibly present.

I love this shared today from a colleague:

With more of us meeting our colleagues by phone or video conference than ever before, it’s important that everyone feels connected and included. If you’re leading a meeting, start by setting ground rules. Ask everyone to turn off the notifications on their phones and to resist the temptation to multitask. Rather than going straight to your agenda items, spend the first five to seven minutes of the meeting checking in with people. Ask everyone, “How are you all doing?,” and make sure everyone has an opportunity to answer. Start with whomever is the newest or most junior, or the person who usually speaks the least. And you should open up as well, so that you’re modelling the behaviour. When you’re wrapping up the meeting, follow up with an email or instant message to ensure that people have heard you and that they’re OK with the outcome. You should have multiple touch points through various media to continue the trail of conversation.

This tip is adapted from “15 Questions About Remote Work, Answered,” by Tsedal Neeley

We must model this, and set high expectations for distance learning to be successful. Just as we set class goals, create treaties, or MATEs agreements (Mutually Agreed Team Expectations), we must now set agreements for our distance learning spaces... 

A HUGELY rewarding day today, thanks to the amazing educators I had the pleasure of spending time with online today!

And the day concluded with time out... out with my bubble buddy on incident prevention patrol... bliss....

Home for a delicious bowl of the best homemade mussel chowder...

And awaiting a little treat... 

Giggling at self... day starts with F45, and ends with indulgence... and a good measure of knitting... I am getting there with a beanie...