Category Archives: Kinesiology

CPR: It’s Good for the Heart

Posted on by



Everyone should know how important Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) can be in saving a life.  Here at Carondelet, we teach this critical lifesaving procedure to all of our sophomores enrolled in Soph Wellness: Kinesthetic Practices.  Students are quick to work their way through the self-guided online program that is offered for free and eager to practice what they learn on the manikins.  The students are tested and when proficiency is demonstrated, they earn their CPR certification. The question I always have in this unit is whether this certification actually demonstrates they can apply this in their life.  Are they ready to act in an emergency if called?


In an effort to encourage them to be critical thinkers, build confidence and increase retention, I showed them a few movie clips of CPR in the movies. I was amazed at what they noticed and the impact this had on their learning.  In fact, a colleague overheard our discussion and stepped in to listen to our discussion for a review.  When reviewing the next day, they demonstrated confidence and clear retention of the action steps needed to perform CPR. 


Our students know how important CPR is and they also understand that if they are ever needed to perform the skill, it will most likely be an adult in their life.  That means during the school day, it just might be one of us. Are you prepared to step in if called to act?  Do you remember the steps and skills needed to perform this lifesaving procedure?  Can you determine the most important elements necessary to save a life?  Take a look at the video below with a critical eye.  What did the individuals do correctly and what can be improved?  If you want a refresher, I am always available.  Or if you simply want to sit and listen as we review, stop by the gym during periods 3, 4, 5, and 6 next week.  Our community’s actions can truly save a life.



Google Extension: Annotate Pro

Posted on by

Google Extension: Annotate Pro

Do you ever find yourself making the same comments on student’s assignments?  Yeah, me too….  This is a resource that will (hopefully) decrease some grading time. 
Oh! I forgot to mention in the video.  Make the comment a “favorite” (next to the active button), this will eliminate a few clicks during the grading process.
Note: No grading has been done during the making of this video 😝 …  I know I’m on maternity leave. I just can’t help it.
To make up for it- here’s a picture of the little guy 🙂
Hope this resource helps now and in the future! 

Introspection

Posted on by
How are you doing today?  Is it better for you to talk about it or not?  I find these simple questions incredibly helpful when interacting with students and colleagues.  In a fast paced world it can be so refreshing to find someone who is willing to slowdown and actively listen. 

I have found through these conversations that it is hard to succeed at school or work when you are overwhelmed at home or in day to day life.  The unknown can be very scary.    
This school year I have been honored to be in three different departments, so my perspectives of the school has been enriched and enlightened in diverse ways.  I have actively chosen to put myself in the way of beauty and go through the world looking for goodness.  I find 3 things every day to be present and grateful for even when I am overwhelmed, and this has made all the difference.               
Today at this present moment I am grateful for:1) Early morning interactions with my daughter
    2) Walking a lap around campus during break  
    3) Making time for introspection    
What are you grateful for?

Tracking Blog Comments

Posted on by

Have you ever wondered how to track your comments on the blogs as evidence of reflective professional growth?  It sounds like an easy task, but it is actually more complicated than you think.  You can’t just type your name in the blogger search bar and expect your result to pop up…Sigh!  The short answer to this long discovery is that it is not possible to find your comments unless you are an administrator, and even with administrative rights you still have to do a lot of searching to find the links of evidence.  In order to keep things more organized for myself as evidence of reflective professional growth my solution moving forward will be to save the links of my comments as I go in google sheets.  Lesson Learned: I can’t depend on the platform to always do the work for me.               

The Power of Mindfulness

Posted on by
Image result for mindfulness calm head flowers powerful
I went to a workshop that actually changed the way I teach and talk about mindfulness.  It was given by this guy named JC Larochette, the founder of Mindful Life Project in Richmond (presented at Creating a Peaceful School Conference organized by Mount Diablo Peace and Justice Center).  The the title of the workshop: Mindfulness – Awakening to the Present Moment.  I went in seeking ideas for our Frosh Wellness: Mind, Body, Spirit class.  I left with much more – stuff I’ve read about, known about, and been taught before but hadn’t really “gotten”. 

When leading students through a mindfulness exercise – I would usually emphasize the idea of clearing their minds of thoughts, worries, fears, and distractions – kind of a “let go and let God” approach – stop thinking and just breath!  But JC’s talk focused on mindfulness as present moment awareness – learning to pay attention to everything on purpose – without judgement.   Breath – yes! AND be aware of your thoughts and feelings without wishing them away.  Now I focus on helping students welcome all they are experiencing – the good, the bad, and the ugly – the joy and the pain.  It’s like this poem by Rumi:

The Guest House by Rumi

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Also – practicing mindfulness rewires the brain.  It decreases brain activity based in the amygdala (our primitive fight or flight fear-based reactions) and the medial prefrontal cortex – and increases activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex – the region of the brain that manages problem solving/goal setting.  The way JC put it – “the neurons of the brain that fire together, wire together”.  So I’m trying to talk more with students about ALL the benefits of mindfulness: spiritual, socio-emotional, psychological, and physiological. If they know about the science-based evidence that proves mindfulness can help them respond more consistently with empathy, openness and confidence – they’ll see the long term as well as the short term value in it.

Image result for mind two brain change mindfulness how

And – when something goes awry or amiss with a student throughout the course of the day/week/year, the approach I’ve been used to taking is to “lean-in”, which works for students who are centered, stable, well rested and adjusted.  It doesn’t work for students who are stressed, afraid, or agitated.  They are operating out of their amygdala – not their lateral prefrontal cortex and me “leaning-in” might just trigger them further.  So I’ve learned to back off and wait until a student is operating out of a calm and grounded place where growth and learning can happen.

 Like so many classes here at Carondelet, our Frosh Wellness MBS course includes prayer and mindfulness every day.  It’s awesome that we are giving students the opportunity to create and strengthen the neural pathways that cause more calm, confident, compassionate, and centered responses.  Mindfulness (“strategically living in the here and now” -JC)  is a golden ticket that will help them/me/all of us navigate life’s challenges!

Image result for mindfulness calm head flowers powerful

What is School For?

Posted on by


A few days after I had written my blog about finding balance with homework and life, my son shared a great Prince Ea video, “What is school for?” This video resonated with him and completely supported some of the themes we have been addressing in this blog. Prince Ea makes a case that we are heading in the right direction as we continue to reinvent how we teach, inspire and guide our students. What skills are they learning that can be applied in their daily lives? Should making the grade be their ultimate goal?

Although many things resonated with me while watching the short video, one idea stood out. Prince Ea, stated “If schools put learning instead of memorizing and testing as the top standard then the letter ‘F’ would not stand for ‘failure’. It would stand for ‘find another answer.’ ” Yes… find another answer. The grade should not be the “end-all-be-all”. Intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and problem solving are gateways to future success and opportunities. Providing opportunities for students to foster these skills is worth investing our time and energy in.


If you end up checking out the video “What is school for?”, you will see a link to an interesting website. The “Innovation Playlist” on this website includes ideas, information and resources that can inspire and push us out of our comfort zone. We want our students to dare greatly, to not be afraid of failing so… why not us?
#inspireddaily


Anyone want to Jblog?

Posted on by

I’ve been struggling lately with this idea of blogging.  If there was a #mood for blogs this is how I feel: 

Creative thinking has always come naturally while I’m running.  It’s so easy for me to tune out for a few minutes (okay hours) and just think, dream, discuss with those I’m running with.  It might be biased but some of my best ideas and greatest conversations have come during this time.  
The problem is…. I haven’t had much time to “jog” lately, let alone go for a walk, or even sit in the sun.  Living a balanced life has been VERY difficult for me this year and I’m finding that I can’t balance all of life’s demands.  
So, I ask: “Why blog when you can jog?” 

Join me for a Jblog: September 27th, at 2:45 pm (start time is flexible) 🙂 
Walking, Jogging or Running is welcome!
Meet at the chapel lawn…we might have a pit stop. 

Homework: Finding the Balance

Posted on by

Recently, I have been thinking about the amount of time our students spend on homework and whether their learning increases because of this extra work. This reflection has led me to make changes in how I approach my lessons and forced me to question the value of so much “outside work” for students. 


 As a parent of three high schoolers, I see the difference in stress on students based on their workload. One of my children is taking two AP courses, 1 honors and enrolled in an advanced math course. He wants to be well-rounded and is passionate about the arts and sports. What his workload has done has made him prioritize and focus on what he is most passionate about. Yet, it keeps him up for hours-on-end, multiple days in a row, with no time other than to just “do school”. The fact he has stayed up well passed 4:00 am on multiple occasions completing homework and has already been sick twice within the first 4 weeks of school is an indication that this is not healthy. This begs the question of what is the purpose of homework and is it getting the outcomes we really want? 


 At the end of the day, We want our students to graduate high school with the skills and tools to thrive in the outside world. We want them to be able to prioritize, set-goals, to be wisdom seekers and actively pursue their passions. How can this possibly happen when they are over scheduled, overworked and stressed out most of their days? What skills are we really teaching them by allowing this to happen? 


 I think as educators, we need to push the pause button and rewind to see how we can make a change. More reading, more note taking, more question answering is sometimes simply MORE. If we want them to have a balanced life beyond school, we should support those choices that allow them to explore their passions, dream, play and thrive. How can we get the same outcomes with less outside work? In what ways can we simplify and help them thrive? When we finally figure that out we too, can rest well.

SMART Goal Timeline Frosh Wellness:Mind Body Spirit

Posted on by

Frosh Wellness: MBS recently assigned a goal setting timeline project using SMART goals to achieve a high quality of life.  Student timelines envisioned their future in fifteen years and what they value as most important.     

“Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains, but simply because they have never organized their energies around a goal”  ~Elbert Hubbard

S– specific, significant, stretching
M-measurable, motivational, meaningful
A-attainable, achievable, action orientated
R-realistic, relevant, rewarding
T-timely, trackable, tangible

I wasn’t planning on blogging about this project, but it was such a big hit with parents at back to school night last week that I decided to share it with everyone.  Please take a look at the photos of some student work. 


Core Values

Posted on by

I am currently completing an online professional development course through Santa Clara University called the Coaching for Life Academy. In our second unit we were asked to establish core values for our athletic programs.

The unit began with a YouTube video of Anson Dorrance, head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels Woman’s Soccer program, and how he grades character based off of their team’s core value.  North Carolina has had great success at the NCAA level and Anson attributes this to expectations that his core values set.




 When looking to establish our core values, my teacher asked us to utilize Patrick Lencioni’s Six Critical Questions to Gaining Clarity for what we find important in our teachings.

Carondelet Cross Country Core Values


1.  Why do we exist?

 2.  How do we behave?

 3. What exactly do we do?

 4. How will we succeed?

 5. What is most important? What is our top priority right now?

 6. Who must do what to allow us to succeed?
I would like to challenge everyone to use these questions to establish your personal core values, as well as core values for your classroom.  

 I question if my current lessons will align with my soon-to-be core values? So my goal this summer is to use this lesson to better my teachings in the classroom by establishing core values for each course I teach, as the needs for each class are different.