Authentic Leadership

What I am watching:   A few weeks ago, I posted a video from El Dorado High School in El Dorado, AR.  The video is titled " Students react to being called important ".  It hit home like a ton of bricks.  I watched it and shared it with my staff smack dab in the middle of a highly emotional week for me.  I was able to share the video during a staff meeting but wasn't really able to say anything afterwords due to man tears.  Luckily, one of our counselors, Ms. Carreno and our 5th grade team leader, Ms. Wisler had my back.   We wondered what it would be like if we did this with elementary aged students.  Would they get it?  Would they understand what we were telling them?  Turns out, they got it.  Turns out, they understood.  Without further ado (if you haven't watched it already), here is Barron's edition of Students react to being called important!   Website I frequent:   Wonderopolis  This is kind of a hold on from my days in the classroom.   Won

Quote I'm Pondering:   “We spend the first year of a child's life teaching it to walk and talk and the rest of its life to shut up and sit down. There's something wrong there.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson I'm doing a fun little thing on Voxer with some of my AP bros.  I just said, AP bros.  #DealWithIt.  One of us presents a topic and we all say a word to describe it and give a brief reason why we chose that word.  If any of you watch PTI on ESPN they do a segment called "What's the Word".   So, what word would you chose to "describe" that quote? My word:  Conformity - Of course we have to teach our children how to follow the law and be contributing members of society.  I think we try to mold them and conform them into something that children just aren't.  Maybe some are happy to conform, and that's fine, but what about those that aren't?  I've seen too many "nonconformist" children that have a hard time being told to

What I'm watching:   Students react to being called important  Thanks to @K1counselor for sharing this on Twitter! It really is a powerful video.  It shows how the words we chose to use each and every interaction with our students really are impactful, both negatively and (hopefully) positively.   We will be trying our hand at this in the upcoming weeks.  I hope to have a video to show soon!   Website that has caught my attention:   www.choose2matter.org/ Again, thank you @K1counselor for sharing this website with me!   From the website:  "When people choose to accept that they matter and that their actions count, lives and learning change, and the world changes."   I couldn't agree more!   What I am reading:   Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad I am really just getting into this book but I dig what I see so far.   It peaked my interest because one of my favorite movies, Apocalypse Now, was "adopted" from this book.  I put adopted in pa

Welcome to the second installment of The Braden Bin, formerly known as Friday Finds.  Yep, week two and the name has already changed.  For those that know me know that it is likely to change a few dozen more times.  Just the way I am.  I'm comfortable with it. (Haha, by the way, I actually changed the title AGAIN, while writing this blog.  It was Ben's Bin.  Oh me oh my.) Music I'm Jamming To:   Coming Home by Leon Bridges A blast from the past out of Ft. Worth,Texas.  That's right, not Detroit in the '60s...Ft. Worth, Texas - 2016.  Most of you probably have heard of him already but if you haven't, I'd suggest getting on the bandwagon now.  This guy is amazing and is only going to gain more popularity.  I cannot wait for his next album to come out. If you are into Vinyl, I strongly suggest picking this one up.   Bonus:   Lisa Sawyer by Leon Bridges What I'm watching :   German Coast Guard - what are you sinking about... Did you LOL?  I