Dear Together Friends, Fans, and Family,
I greet you today, following SEVEN days of blissful solitude, from a semi-undisclosed-location near my Homeland. When you are a solo-parent whose kids go to camp (a privilege I’m keenly aware of, and also SO MANY LABELS), who splits vacations with a co-parent, and who also is part of a Big Blended Family pack, it can make for a weird summer full of shifts, packing, and logistics. Sometimes I’m making sandwiches for a million people, and sometimes I’m completely alone. Maine, in many ways, has always been my place of return, whether waitressing on the coast of Deer Isle during college summers, heading to my sister’s dairy farm, or retreating to the quiet coves.
So now it’s me, alone with my laptop, a spider I’ve befriended in my shower (seriously, this Daddy/Mommy Longlegs drops down to greet me every day, and I’m not even freaked out. I named her Sadie.), and my birthday stand-up paddleboard – I haven’t even fallen into Casco Bay yet. But I also get to teach 50 – 100 people online each afternoon, and I’ve been lucky to connect with some former colleagues in the evenings. I’ve been pretty quiet on the social media scene because I’m working on the final draft of . . . The Together Project Manager, our second Together Press release, coming your way in October. It is about 18,000 words to lead anyone through the entire project management process. I’m pretty excited to share it with you all.
As we look ahead to fall (school supply time, baby!), and see the pandemic continue to wreak havoc, I’m trying to find faith in moments of triumph and courage. Like Simone Biles’s powerful and graceful decision, like Zaila Avant-garde’s twirl through confetti after winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and let’s not forget The Together Students we’ve interviewed over here. We are also SUPER excited to announce our Together Leader Extended Edition course beginning October 25 and running for EIGHT WEEKS. This course will include content from ALL Together Leader courses (101, 201, AND 301), good for both newbies and those who need a Tune-Up—including me!
MHM
PS Need a back-to-school gift for your teachers? The Together Teacher Second Edition is on sale, and embarrassingly better than the first! If you found any of the new chapters helpful, let me know here.
PPS I turn the big 44 on August 19. All apple fritters, peanut butter chocolate malt balls, and dark chocolate peanut butter M&Ms are accepted.
Together Treasure Box (From the Blog!)
- Do you set Back to School resolutions? Get some ideas for school year goals with this post!
- Setting up a new Together system? Take a look at some fantastic examples here, here, and here!
- Planning a Semi-Together Vacation? Here’s how I plan (sort of) for a 6-kid, blended-family trip! #togethertubs #togethertechpouches
Top Together Tributes
- Top Pedagogy Shift Suggestions: As I get ready for in-person classes, I’ve considered these shifts for post-pandemic teaching to elevate instruction! Love the author’s note that the pandemic didn’t create the problems, it is just revealed them. And bonus for ensuring inclusivity and relationships as top priorities!
- Top Time Management Tips: Try these tips for avoiding the time management trap! My favorite was, of course, merge your calendar and to-do list, a la the Weekly Worksheet. But I was also intrigued by replacing decisions with principles.
- Top Sunday Setup Steps: Prepare for the week without the Sunday Scaries with ideas found here! I obviously liked the “prep the to-do list” BEFORE the weekend (hello, Meeting with Myself), but I especially loved “aim to have a truly recharging weekend.” For me, this is time with my kids and my beloved road bike.
- Top Student Praise Phrases: Celebrate students and learn more about their accomplishments with these simple phrases, e.g. “What did you do to make that happen?” Easily transferrable to friends and family, too!
Click here to discuss your Together (Online or In-Person) Training for coming school year. We have 2, 4, and 6-hour versions ready to go! And we are ready to come back to you this fall – provided your participants are fully vaccinated! Let us know!
