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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Slice Of Life-What Can Two Minutes Do?

WRITE a slice of life story on your own blog. SHARE a link to your post in the comments section. GIVE comments to at least three other SOLS bloggers.
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This summer, I read about the 2X10 behavior intervention here:

It caught my eye, and I was intrigued.  So I tucked it away for later.  Then I read more about it here:


The premise, simply think about the student you need to connect with the most.  Commit to spending 2 minutes with them over the next 10 days.  

And I began to think; what can two minutes really get you?  Does it really make a difference?

Enter Super Colleague.  We brainstorm behavior plans for a student.  One of Those. You know.  Always up to “tell you something.”  Asking what to do, even though you asked them to repeat the directions, and they know what to do.  When they don't have anything to say, they still ask to go to the bathroom.  Wandering in from recess, so maybe, just maybe you’ll notice them and say Something.  We look at cubes and dojos and the like, none of it seems good enough for Li’l One.  So Super Colleague begins the 2x10 challenge.  And two minutes gave her:
                A sense of peace and calm from Li’l One.
                A story from a family that would make your heart break a 1000 times over.
                At the same time, a family that breathed thankfulness at conference time to Super Colleague.  Li’l One goes home and talks about Her Special Time with the teacher.  2 minutes
                A Super Colleague, who in the midst of working through many more challenges can see the power that two minutes brings, and knows she's made a difference.  

Confession:  I hadn't even tried this yet myself, and I’m telling everyone else they should?  As I look around, I realize they all have stories.  So I sit down yesterday next to My Li’l Ones for two minutes and learn the following, all from asking, “What’s on your mind?”:
                “I didn't sleep good last night.”
                Question upon question about how trains work, what about electricity, etc.  They were coming so frantically I couldn't keep up!   
                A new student tells me he likes Academic Quiet Time the best, aka “Thinking Time”, because he can write and draw his own thoughts. 
                I learned the puppy, dog, and cat have to be separated and you should not forget to shut the basement door. 
                “I’m feeling more comfortable in first grade.” 

I chose to pick a group of students and just spend two minutes with each of them.   1 at the beginning of the day, the other four during our Academic Quiet time for a total of 10 minutes in my day.  And yes, I carried a timer with me, because I know how quickly 2 minutes can turn into 20 in a classroom.  When our two minutes was up, I simply thanked them for the chat, and moved on to the next student. 


2 minutes is powerful.  Whether you spend 2 minutes with just one student, or pick a handful, it gives you such powerful insight into the lives of your students.   I’m a believer in the power of two minutes.  2 minutes really can change the world.  

Joy! 
Kendra

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing Kenrda! I think about my kids and of course hope I'm spending two minutes with them each day. But two uninterrupted minutes sometimes seems like an impossible thing upon further reflection. I will be more mindful of how focused I am on my kids while I am with them and see what I find out.

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  2. Tears in my eyes. YOU are amazing! I am lucky to have you as my SUPER colleague!

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  3. 2 minutes multiplied over many days adds up to quite a bit. But we aren't talking about numbers, are we? Sometimes even a few seconds of caring attention can make a difference. 2 minutes may mean a world. Thank you for sharing.

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  4. Beautiful idea, & although I do "think" I'm doing this, to be intentional about it may mean something more, something better. Thanks so much, Kendra.

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