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Written by: Jennifer Appel  Are you going to write a book? I remember talking to another educator at a conference Hans and I were presenting at and getting asked that exact question. Hans was currently writing his first book, Award Winning Culture, so the question seemed logical. I remember saying, “ME, no way, I am not a writer.” Now, reflecting back on that conversation, I have published my 3rd book and have more in the works, WHAT? Maybe I am a writer? So, why did I write Inspiring JOY? What motivated me to see myself as a writer and create this book for others to learn and enjoy.  I think it all goes back to my purpose and my WHY. I became an educator to make a special influence in students' lives. Not to simply teach a subject area, but to bring a profound sense of JOY to my learners. And if I’m being honest with myself--teaching is about modeling our own joy for learning. I LOVE to learn and read...EVERYDAY! I long for my students to feel the intensity of that daily experience. When I first started teaching 22 years ago, I had more freedom to create engaging lessons that went beyond my content area. Teachers were encouraged to build in life lessons, relevance and purpose. But then something changed. A tsunami of standardized assessment reduced learning to an overly scripted series of questions and answers rather than an artfully curated tapestry of curiosity, creativity and connection. Education really started focusing on assessment, but not in a positive way, in a way that was more of a GOTCHA for kids and teachers. With this new shift, I started to think I needed to veer away from my WHY. I began to feel as uninspired as the middle schoolers I was teaching. The peer pressure to conform and teach the canned--dare I say ROBOTIC curriculum became overwhelming! I started to feel like social emotional learning and character education were just more things on my full plate and didn’t have time for them. Afterall, good teaching is about passing “the test,” learning the academic content and getting them ready for the next grade level. RIGHT? HECK NO IT’S NOT!  I’ve spent the last 7 years actively pushing against the system. I’m back to doing what I knew in my heart was right for my students while still focusing on the whole child within my curriculum. And you know what, when we focus on the important stuff our learners earn even higher marks on the almighty test. The test of LIFE. Teachers who chase joy cast a net filled with purpose, fulfillment, deep satisfaction, and synergy toward remarkable human potential. I started to get asked: how are you doing that? You teach reading and writing, and are still finding a way to embed whole learner content-- how is that possible? I began to blog, post and collect my thoughts and ideas to share with other enlightened educators. I enjoy speaking, coaching, and supporting peers who have the same vision of a return to joyful learning. I want to inspire other teachers who are buried in systemic pressure to be able to go live out their WHY and teach the JOY from their hearts. The result of that work is LESSICONS.  **LESSICONS is a template for achieving pedagogical JOY. Teaching for me is more than a job, it is a passionate light that’s born from deep in my soul. This book is my gift to all the educational dreamcatchers out there. And I want you to know that you are supported and loved for what you are doing to help students connect to their SUPERPOWER, WHY, VALUES, WORK, HUMAN CONNECTIONS, and GRATITUDE. It’s our job to help learners find and develop their own JOY. You're doing work that matters. YOU MATTER. Isn’t it time to have a lesson planning framework to coalesce LEARNING with JOY?  #InspiringJOY About the AuthorJennifer Appel is an educator, coach, speaker, and writer. She’s the Co-host of the Award Winning Culture podcast and the Co-Creator of Award Winning Culture. In addition to being the author of: Inspiring JOY: A Revolutionary Lesson Planning Framework for Teaching the Whole Learner she’s the author of a line of picture books focusing on social emotional learning and character education which includes, Award Winning Dog and I’m WHO. Furthermore, Jennifer has been a contributor on two books: Teacher’s Deserve It and Expedition Science.  
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Written by: Jennifer Appel  When I was writing my book, Inspiring JOY, I really wanted to make sure that everything in the book was “practical” for teachers. We are under a tremendous amount of pressure to follow the curriculum, meet all of the standards, pass the test, teach kids SEL/Character, all while making sure their basic needs are met. This can be completely overwhelming, so I didn’t want to add one more thing for teachers to do. That is why I came up with the LESSICONS format to help all of us teach our core content and still be able to incorporate SEL/Character into our everyday classrooms.           LESSICONS help teachers to focus on the whole learner and not just academics. If lesson plans focus only on academics it is like a coach who only teaches her players to dunk a basketball. They might be missing key skills like dazzling dribbling, pinpoint passing, sharp shooting, or gritty rebounding. Let’s not forget endurance, sportsmanship, or leadership. It also assumes that everyone is capable of dunking without modifications like a smaller ball, lower rim, or trampoline to jump higher. Perhaps, they’re not even showing up to the gym with proper equipment like an adequate pair of shoes or a deflated ball. How good would our team actually be if everyone only knew how to dunk? Furthermore, some athletes don’t even want to play basketball at all--they’d opt out in favor of volleyball, football, or tennis. LESSICONS is a system for focusing on what matters--it’s a template for achieving pedagogical joy. ABOUT THE AuthorJennifer Appel is an educator, coach, speaker, and writer. She’s the Co-host of the Award Winning Culture podcast and the Co-Creator of Award Winning Culture. In addition to being the author of: Inspiring JOY: A Revolutionary Lesson Planning Framework for Teaching the Whole Learner she’s the author of a line of picture books focusing on social emotional learning and character education which includes, Award Winning Dog and I’m WHO. Furthermore, Jennifer has been a contributor on two books: Teacher’s Deserve It and Expedition Science.  Written by: Hans Appel  Racing home from the pet store with supplies in hand, I was thrilled to introduce my scaly new friend to his home. My parents went all out! They purchased a 25 gallon aquarium with a full water filtration system. We carefully placed a bed of sea blue pebbles at the floor of my tank complete with a sunken treasure chest for him to swim through. It was a goldfish paradise and I was eager to plop my buddy into a whole new world. 2 weeks later he died. Apparently, there’s a limit to how much you can feed your goldfish. After learning my lesson in overindulgence, I eagerly tried my second round of aquatics. While this round of sacrificial lamb lasted longer than the previous, after several months the results were eerily the same. Over a two year span we tried several fish breeds, sizes, colors while adding vegetation and other toys to the mix. Many of the goldfish even jumped out of the tank to their own demise. After multiple parentally imposed goldfish moratoriums, we switched tanks. Clearly, a new tank would make all the difference in rebranding my animal slaughterhouse into a radiant blue sea. It did not! After several years, the attic became a permanent burial ground to my glass enclosed water torture chambers. Sound familiar? For years I’d occasionally catch sight of a gorgeous aquarium at a dentist office, pet store, or zoo and wondered what might be the secret to goldfish longevity. While I accepted my fair share of blame, I ultimately concluded that goldfish weren’t smart and could not be domesticated as they just didn’t live that long. I assumed goldfish were the Cousin Eddie of the pet family. Until… A friend of mine won a goldfish in a carnival ring toss game. I distinctly remember me and a few other high school buddies teasing him that his fish wouldn’t survive the day. His family put it in a large glass bowl with no frills or fancy aquaponics system. Any guess how long the little guy thrived before being flushed down the toilet? Over 10 years--- [In fairness this was the same friend who’s family paid for surgery for their guinea pig, Snoopy and prepared homemade meatloaf for their dog Pepper. THEY LOVED THEIR FAMILY PETS!] You might think they lucked into a genetically modified superfish who lived the longest joyful life in existence. Not true. [The average goldfish has a 10 year life expectancy in an adequate domesticated ecosystem. In fact, some goldfish occasionally live 30+ years and the oldest ever goldfish lived to be 45 years old.] Apparently, I made a few big mistakes in my underlying assumption and judgement of the goldfish years ago. Nowadays, I realize the following:
Superpowers: I spent my youth underestimating goldfish, in the way that many of us underestimate ourselves and others. Lately, I’ve been rethinking that famous quote: Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live it’s whole life believing that it is stupid. -Albert Einstein What’s a goldfish’s genius? The lazy answer might be based on physical characteristics. Gills to breathe underwater. Fins to effortlessly swim. But sometimes uncovering other’s superpowers takes a bit more effort and experimentation... For years scientists believed that goldfish had no memory as they thought fish were incapable of remembering anything longer than 3 seconds. New research suggests that fish can remember up to 5 months. One study taught goldfish to push a lever for food and then took it away to measure how long they’d remember to use the lever. Despite not having seen the lever up to 5 months later, they could still self access the food. It’s critical not to judge other’s intelligence by outward appearance. A study in Canada, by Microsoft found that goldfish have longer attention spans than humans. While the average goldfish can focus on something for 9 seconds, human attention spans have dropped significantly since 2000. Prior to 2000, human attention spans were estimated to be 12 seconds. However, recently our attention span has plummeted to a mere 8 seconds. (I’ll bet you can guess what was introduced into our human ecosystem over the last 20 years: smart devices, email, and social media). Fish may not be capable of climbing trees but their memory and attention span are surprisingly strong. Our limiting belief that the goldfish’s genus is simply swimming or underwater breathing might be just as erroneous as assuming basketball icon, Michael Jordan’s superpower was jumping high or running fast. Jordan’s true genius was his character traits not athletic skills. Lots of incredible athletes would come before or after him but he applied a level of grit to develop his passion in ways that others had not. His mindset, competitive spirit, and tenacity to out work everyone each day were on full display. His effort in practice was legendary among the best athletes in the world. Despite being universally heralded as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) he showed up to each practice like an undrafted rookie trying to make the team. Identifying superpowers requires us to lean into humanistic curiosity. Appreciation > Environment: We assume our organizational environment needs to look like Nike, Microsoft, or Google complete with a climbing wall, in-house chef, and on-site dog sitting service. I’ve had the pleasure of taking personal tours at several of these cultural workspaces and they’re truly breathtaking. However, their culture runs deeper than their bright colored flexible seating pods. We mistakenly believe the custom omelette bar brings them joy--but in reality joy comes from feeling valued by your employer, co-worker, or team.  We want our classrooms, offices, and homes to be beautifully designed spaces for creativity, learning, and communication. Don’t get me wrong, would the goldfish prefer the beautiful ocean like filtration system, plants, and sea life to navigate? YES! But, I’ve also realized that cleaning the bowl regularly, feeding them the right amount on a specific interval schedule, and refusing to scare them by tapping on the glass are more critical to their long term well-being. We can’t leave pumping oxygen into our cultural think tanks up to some automated device. Feeling valued is the oxygen in our environmental culture. This form of positive human connection becomes critical to our survival. As leaders we have the power and obligation to intentionally support people everyday. The people we lead, need us to:
Jump Out: Why do goldfish jump out of their bowls and tanks? Dirty ecosystems, temperatures which are too hot or too cold, and other unbearable living conditions prompt fish to seek out a better place to live. Their ability to recognize poor culture and actively strive for a better environment should be inspiring to all of us. Think about all the adults who stay put in horrifying work conditions, oppressive spheres, and other forms of toxic culture. Having the courage to jump out of the fish bowl might be a sign of strength as we gain perspective on our surroundings. In my other life as a family therapist, we occasionally used a clinical strategy called the Fishbowl. In a fishbowl, we’d invite a family to join a team of mental health professionals in a circular space for some intentional communication enlightenment. These multi-hour fishbowls allowed family members to jump outside the circle to watch interactions and family dynamics play out in real time. There was incredible insight and break through for clients to step back and be an observer rather than a participant of their own family drama.  But jumping out of the fishbowl is something we can all do in our everyday lives. Here’s a few examples:
Belief can become a limiting action... Our biases, assumptions, and predetermined expectations incarcerate ourselves and others with glass walls that leave us desperate to break out. Culture is an ever shifting expression of our most recent actions. It’s like water sloshing around in an old fish tank. And to create the perfect educational ecosystem, for our school of fish, we must practice daily actions of intentionality. Inspiring others to jump out of the fishbowl for a change in environment can have the profound effect of discovering and developing a cultural superpower. About the AuthorHans Appel is an educator, speaker, and writer deeply committed to inspiring the whole child. He’s the author of, Award Winning Culture: Building School-Wide Intentionality and Action Through Character, Excellence, and Community. Additionally, he’s the Co-host of the Award Winning Culture podcast, and the Co-Creator of Award Winning Culture.  Written by: Jennifer Appel  “Stop resisting what is and start leaning into what now.” -Bryon Katie Some days in CANCERLAND are like healthcare’s version of the Tower of Terror--a straight, sharp, drop off the edge of a cliff. Other days it feels like a bad trip on Space Mountain. You mentally prepare yourself for twists that leave your stomach turned completely upside down but have no idea when they're coming since you’re completely in the dark. I’ve been through every human emotion in the past months, some of which I wasn’t even expecting. My journey began when my tumor was first biopsied. The biopsy showed signs that the outcome was going to be a long year of treatment. The tumor was large, active, and aggressive which meant it was fast growing and likely to spread throughout my body. When I first met with my oncologist he warned me that this was going to be a long, hard process. Before surgery, we anticipated the tumor had attached to my chest muscle and predicted that it probably had spread to at least two lymph nodes if not three. There was even a possibility that cancer might have spread to other parts of my body. At this point, I was still considered stage 2 breast cancer but there was a possibility that I was at stage III or worse. Going through bone and CT scans of my body to see if cancer had horrifyingly spread to other organs was the longest most agonizing waiting period I’ve ever experienced. Positive thinking and pride in how quickly I caught it kept me grounded to optimism and hope as I not so patiently waited for my treatment of fate. Finally, we got the results back and were relieved to discover it had NOT spread or metastasized! Indeed, I was incredibly grateful the cancer was isolated to my breast. Gratitude is finding the wisdom in the middle of life’s lesson. When we met with my oncologist he predicted after surgery we would see at least two to three lymph nodes positive for cancer. Lymph node positive would have been an indicator that cancer had spread making radiation and chemotherapy mandatory. Once again, I found myself waiting for CANCERLAND'S ROLLER COASTER... I elected to choose the most aggressive form of surgery and opted for a bilateral mastectomy, where my surgeon removed the large tumor in my breast, two lymph nodes as well as both full breasts. My doctors were so sure of planning for the long game of chemo that my surgeon placed a chemo port in my chest so I’d be ready for the next phase of hell. The good news was that my tumor had not attached to the chest muscle so radiation might not be necessary. Tumor and nods were sent for testing and again the waiting began. After two weeks of recovery and optimistic rumination, we finally got the test results back on my lymph nodes. Miraculously, my lymph nodes were negative for cancer--which was HUGE NEWS! However, the sentinel node, closest to the tumor, had little sprinkles of cancer cells. [Side note: I feel like sprinkles is such a misleading word for cancer. Sprinkles should be a colorful surprise found in a confetti cake or a glittery mess oozing out of a birthday present. Aren’t sprinkles good? Maybe it’s just me]. My oncologist was concerned about the sprinkles, size, and grade of the tumor and thus we scheduled chemotherapy for 3 weeks later. Setting up months of chemotherapy was an overwhelming task. In order to determine the duration and type of medications to be used, the oncologist sent the nodes off to California to perform a special test called Oncotype DX. Oncotype DX generates a metaanaysis score that takes into account all risk factors (I.E age, genetics, tumor size, type, etc.). This test analyzes the genes in your tumor and basically gives you a score from 0 to 100. The lower the score the less likely cancer will return. Anything above 45 and you’re on a path with the most intense form of chemotherapy. Basically, you’re hoping for a score as close to zero as possible. My friend Malaika compared the score to that of a golf score--and I was shooting for par. The oncologist was expecting my score to be way over par--in the 30s and 40s which meant strong chemo but was also preparing me for an even higher score and longer version of chemo. Clearly, he wasn’t as confident in my golf game. However, in the back of my mind, I was thinking, it’s still POSSIBLE TO get a low score, RIGHT? I remember Hans asking my doctor “but what if she gets a really low score” of which my oncologist basically blew off saying "we’ll talk about it, if that actually happens." While the best case scenario seemed to be 3 months of chemo before starting 3 months of radiation, all the experts around me believed more intensive treatment was still on the table. Sometimes YOU have to be your own ray of sunshine. I couldn’t kick this pesky belief that I might be the outlier. During those weeks of waiting, I reflected on things being a little better than my oncologist believed. Each time he set the bar of expectation, I seemed to hurdle over it in all the best ways. And maybe...just maybe...I might surprise him one more time. Practicing a JOYFUL mindset to ride the bumpy turbulence of CANCERLAND is a three step process:  The Oncotype DX results normally take three weeks, which would land on Friday (just under a week before the start of chemo). Friday came and passed with no results. Monday--no results. When Tuesday arrived again with no results, I pressed my nurse to call the company. Apparently, insurance had not approved the test yet. Despite having the claim for over 3 ½ weeks, it hadn’t gone through. Feeling the time pressure of starting chemo in just a few short days, I reached out directly to my insurance company to see if there was anything that could be done to speed up the approval process. As it turned out, the approval had gone through on Wednesday and now we were back to waiting... Thursday morning I woke up 95% sure that we’d be starting chemo and TODAY was the dreaded day. I had a pre appointment with my oncologist to go over results of the Oncotype DX and other pre-chemo logistics. During the past week friends and family had sent me gifts, cards, and messages of encouragement as I mentally prepared to harness my inter-bravery to endure the effects of chemo. I even scheduled a last minute appointment to cut my hair really short to help lessen the shock of losing my hair altogether. Walking into the cancer center, I once again found myself with a jovial feeling that my score on this test might have bigger ramifications. Optimism isn’t something you discover in the most intense moments. It has to be cultivated over time. “Life is more about consistency than intensity.” -Angela Duckworth For some context, my oncologist is a brilliant doctor but he is very serious, rarely smiles, and has a clinical ‘tell it like it is’ delivery. Patient interaction and rapport are less prioritized than data, facts, and research. He’s the guy you want determining and orchestrating your treatment plan--just not the guy you want telling you about it. In the exam room, we heard an energetic knock and then my oncologist quickly burst through the door with a report in hand. His giant smile stretched his COVID mask across his entire face while he wildly waved a report around the room. Like a kid in the candy store he was practically giddy as he bounced into our space. Skipping over any formal greeting, he proudly paused to show us a big circled #11 on the front of the report. From our own independent research online, we knew that anything lower than a 15 meant chemotherapy was NOT recommended. The doctor sat down and explained that the chances of any cancer returning without doing chemo is less than 3%. The general population of randomly selected women have a 13% chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer. In fact, nearly 40% of people experience some form of cancer. I could hardly believe it. NO CHEMO! NO RADIATION! WOW!!!! Given all of my risk factors, diet, exercise, genetics, etc. I only have a 3% chance of any cancer coming back. My doctor said he was SHOCKED by my low number, “I didn’t think there was any way we wouldn’t be doing chemo--let alone radiation.” From the initial cancer diagnosis to preparing for months of character defining treatments, I somehow managed to strengthen my resolve in trusting my own body. Some may simply dismiss me as a medical outlier or miracle. Others might attribute my outcome to a healthy lifestyle and quick action to seek medical intervention. My doctor believes that my plant-based diet, with no alcohol, caffeine or sugar put me at a better chance of the cancer not spreading. And there’s some truth in all of these. But as I try to make sense of my new normal, just days removed from learning I DON’T HAVE CANCER ANYMORE, I believe that searching for and finding the JOY in my innermost moments of OPTIMISM, HOPE, and GRATITUDE acted as the entry task to cancer’s most compelling lesson.  For my storm, hormone therapy begins soon. I have nothing but a positive attitude and knowledge that everything will work out. For years, I’ve planted the seeds of good health practices, a joyful mindset, and a curiosity to seek the lesson...and these values came back to support me when I needed them most. Stepping off the CANCERLAND roller coaster I feel a little wobby, lightheaded, and nauseous. I never waited in line, bought a ticket or even wanted to board this thrill ride; but, I’m still standing and #InspringJOY. ABOUT THE AuthorJennifer Appel is an educator, coach, speaker, and writer. She’s the Co-host of the Award Winning Culture podcast, and the Co-Creator of Award Winning Culture. In addition to being the author of the highly anticipated sequel to Award Winning Culture, she’s the author of a line of picture books focusing on Social Emotional Learning and Character Ed which includes, “Award Winning Dog and I’m WHO.” Furthermore, Jennifer has been a contributor on two books: "Teacher’s Deserve It" and an upcoming project yet to be titled.   Written by: Jennifer Appel  “The hard days are what make you stronger.” -Aly Raisman Recently...3 little words turned my life upside down... It began with a NIGHTMARE. I woke up in the middle of the night in a sweaty panic. My vivid imagery informed me that I had breast cancer. We’ve all had those horrifyingly realistic visions in the night that wake us up but later reveal themselves to be nothing. This wasn’t one of those.  Instantly, I sprung awake and did a quick self breast exam. In a half groggy state, under the warm covers in the pitch dark, I awkwardly felt around my left breast like an unsure teenager nervously pawing at a girl for the first time. The large lump was present and unavoidable. My mind went straight to denial. According to Emmanuel Acho, Denial stands for: “Don’t Even Know I Am Lying.” Immediately, I lied to myself assuming I was in the middle of some disturbingly lucid dream. Yeah, that’s it! I just need to get some more rest and it will be all fine in the morning, I said to myself. Unfortunately, I woke up the next morning with a pesky feeling of deja vu...indeed, the bulge was still there. If you haven't read some of my personal story or heard me speak of my previous medical history, let’s just say that I had some traumatic experiences as a teen that caused me to question my own instincts about my health. I thought about this nodule and didn’t want to alarm my husband or overreact. It could just be all in my head. I pondered on it for a few days, before slowly coming back to the facts of the situation. I knew in my heart that I was right and decided to share my concern with Hans. “Will you feel this”, I questioned with a shaky voice. Putting language to fear is an act of bravery. He felt the bump and looked at me, uttering my deepest worry, “that has to be cancer.” The bold and blunt proclamation wasn’t what I wanted to hear; but, our best friends have a way of telling us the stuff we need to hear. I knew he was right and quickly made an appointment with my doctor and started the scary process of identification, verification, and confirmation. Receiving a diagnosis requires a lot of steps. Because of insurance, you have to go to your regular physician and get a referral for the proper tests. Suspected breast cancer entails a mammogram, ultrasound, and then biopsy. Luckily, I saw my primary doctor and he immediately ordered everything. I was able to move through the early steps as efficiently as possible. A few long days later I showed up for the first step. The gal who did the mammogram saw the knob right away and said they would get me into the next phase immediately; as I was whisked away to do an ultrasound. While lying on the table, the nurse performing the ultrasound said, “I can definitely see the lump and we’re gonna get you in for a biopsy right now.” The urgency in her voice shook me to my core. Understand, these appointments sometimes take days or at the very least hours. But this medical crew was expediting my diagnosis like I was a VIP with a fast pass at CANCERLAND. With the speed of these medical actions, I knew they could tell it was cancer as well. However, naturally they can’t tell you anything until the results come back from the biopsy, so you just wait. And wait. And wait some more. Did I mention patience is a growth area for me? My doctor called me two days later and gave me the disturbing results: “You have CANCER.” Three words you never want to hear from your doctor...Even when you know it's coming, those three words are completely SHOCKING. No matter how much you prepare for the outcome, no one is ever ready to hear it. I asked the doctor a few questions to make sure I had the right referrals to the next doctors. Holding it together in the mirror of your own mortality is the ultimate test of endurance and grit. I listened to every word as my mind echoed his 3 words like a broken record. Each time he stopped for a breath or paused my brain lit up like a neon sign with those three horrifying words tattooed on my soul: "YOU HAVE CANCER!!!!!!"  Hanging up the zoom call I broke down and cried. Not a slow weepy cry like when you're watching The Notebook or The Fault in Our Stars. This was a thunderstorm of violent tears like a Florida rainfall that left me soaked. Hard. Quick. Sudden. But...Immediately sunny afterwards. The storm had given way to a beautiful bright skyline of HOPE. CANCER SUCKS....BUT I AM GOING TO KICK ITS ASS! I instantly started focusing on my recovery. Afterall, I’ve still got more books to write, more kids and staff to teach, and joy to inspire. I’ve got work to do and life to live.  I refuse to be a victim or patient. I’m a SURVIVOR! I’m a THRIVER! I’m an INSPIRER! “I am WOMAN--hear me ROAR!” -Helen Reddy Since my diagnosis, nearly a month has gone by. In fact, tomorrow, I brace myself for a bilateral mastectomy followed by months of intense treatment. As I write this, I reflect back on my upside down life of bone scans, MRI’s and pre-op appointments with gratitude for my medical team who are committed to my health. As an unwitting passenger on this roller coaster ride of hell, I’m prepared to take one day at a time as I intentionally discover the lesson cancer has gifted me. Each week I’ll post a life lesson or two on my survivors journey to joy. Make no mistake...this isn’t some polly ana attitude through rose colored glasses. Finding the bits of wisdom, in between the hurdles of life has always proved to be an award winning strategy for me. And now, in these challenging times, believing that EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON will continue to be my therapeutic self-mantra. Here’s a few lessons for life:  This week I urge YOU to REACH OUT to a student you haven’t connected with recently, HUG a friend a little tighter than normal, and LINGER a little longer with a loved one. ---Relish the ordinary moments with others. “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo. But what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” -Oprah Those three horrifying words may have broken me down but I’m excited to explore their true meaning this year on a new ride… HERE WE GO--JOIN ME ON THE BUS-- NEXT STOP CANCERLAND ABOUT THE AuthorJennifer Appel is an educator, coach, speaker, and writer. She’s the Co-host of the Award Winning Culture podcast, and the Co-Creator of Award Winning Culture. In addition to being the author of the highly anticipated sequel to Award Winning Culture, she’s the author of a line of picture books focusing on Social Emotional Learning and Character Ed which includes, “Award Winning Dog and I’m WHO.” Furthermore, Jennifer has been a contributor on two books: "Teacher’s Deserve It" and an upcoming project yet to be titled. 
Written by: Hans Appel
When my friend Barbara asked me to contribute to her incredible WHY-INSPIRED project, I was absolutely pumped. As a huge fan of Simon Sinek, Start With Why Movement, I was eager to see how Barbara would attack and apply this vision to education. This book is outstanding! And a must read for all educators. My contribution is found on pages 195-198 as I share a story about creating a culture where students can find purpose and passion by bringing amazingness into the world.
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“Barbara Bray wrote Define Your Why from the process she went through to figure out her WHY and through coaching others who did not feel valued, appreciated, or why they needed to live on purpose. Barbara tells her story with 26 inspirational thought leaders along with quotes, resources, questions, and activities to help you on your journey to define you WHY so you own your story.” 
As a long time fan of reflection through journal writing, I jumped at the opportunity to contribute to this powerful resource. On pages 26-27 I wrote a question impact story that a student taught me. It’s a story I’ve never told or written about before but has had a profound influence in the way that I think, feel, and behave towards all of my students.
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“You may be your own harshest critic at times but you can also be your own best teacher. With A Teacher’s Reflective Impact Journal: Pursuing Greatness Every Day as your guide, you’ll develop reflective habits to help you focus on your goals, improve what needs improving, and celebrate what you’ve gotten right. Filled with quotes to ponder and prompts to organize your thoughts, this is the perfect journal for any teacher who’s committed to pursuing greatness all year long. Have you ever written in a journal or diary before? This is pretty much the same, except it’s focused on your work as a professional educator. The Journal gives you weekly open-ended writing prompts crafted to help you develop new habits of thinking.” 
Teachers Deserve It: What You Deserve. Why You Don’t Have it. How You Can Go Get It.
by Adam Welcome & Rae Hughart
Truth be told, I had no idea Jennifer and I would be featured in this incredible sequel to the mega successful book, Kids Deserve It, until the project was nearly completed this past summer. We love all of the amazing content being created by Adam and Rae and felt uber grateful for the opportunity to share our LOVE of education in their incredible book. On pages 66-67 we share our passion for magnifying the lens to real sustainable JOY!
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“Every day, educators across the country give students their very best. Yet all too often, the passion teachers put into their work--and the why that led them to it in the first place--goes unrecognized. Too many teachers feel overwhelmed, stressed out, underpaid, and unheard. That needs to change. Teachers deserve respect. Teachers deserve time. Teachers deserve better. Whether you're an educator, an ally, or an advocate, if you’re ready to ignite change in your community, consider this your invitation to be a spark.” 
VEGAS BABY!! Who doesn’t love fabulous Las Vegas. I was so stoked to read this book. It’s a brilliant collaboration between award winning educators at the classroom and district level. I love how Kristen and Jacie push against status quo as they reimagine a bold new learning environment for students. It’s a book that every parent should hope and pray their own child’s teacher studies. The best educators I’ve ever worked with have always had one thing in common...THEY ARE RISK-TAKERS! On page 76-79 I had the privilege of sharing a time that I “cashed in” on an opportunity.
Description:
“WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS… Unlike Nevada’s slogan of “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, this book reminds us that what happens in the classroom, should never stay within the classroom! It spotlights a unique relationship between a forward-thinking teacher and a future-focused district administrator. By going “all in” with their relationship and creating an opportunity for chance, risk-taking, and rolling of the dice, they have begun to fuel change within their school district and extend learning beyond their very own walls. Are you ready to bet on education? Are you ready to take a chance on what’s best for every child? Are you willing to be the risk-taker? Are you ALL IN? It is time to gamble and take a bet on YOU in order to create the invaluable change needed in education! This book describes 27 Bets that need to be made for the betterment of every child. Following each Bet, is a Jackpot filled with important takeaways that you can put into action today! In addition, the Double Down will challenge you to create changes of epic proportion for your students, colleagues, community, and you! With a professional learning network built on change agents in education, ANTE UP affords you the opportunity to see how other educators from around the globe have raised the bar for all kids! Are you ready to pull the lever of the slot machine one more time?” 
These inspiring books were four that helped shape my professional development this year. I love taking book recommendations from other educators. What’s a book you read this year that every educator MUST READ?
about the AuthorHans Appel is an educator, speaker, and writer deeply committed to inspiring the whole child. He’s the author of, Award Winning Culture: Building School-Wide Intentionality and Action Through Character, Excellence, and Community. Additionally, he’s the Co-host of the Award Winning Culture podcast, and the Co-Creator of Award Winning Culture. 
Written by: Hans Appel
I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality...I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.
-Martin Luther King Jr
Have you ever been confronted with your own inadequacy in such a delayed yet profound way that shakes you to your core? It's been months since George Floyd’s viral death sparked a public outcry of anti-racism; however, only recently have I been able to write about the undeniable mirror these ongoing injustices have provided for myself.
I’ve been proudly advocating for anti-racism for as long as I could remember...or...so I thought.
An illuminated path of self proclamation begins by taking inventory of who I am and where I'm from. I’m a middle aged white male, born on the east coast but mostly raised on the west coast. Dad’s family grew up in the Midwest and Mom’s family grew up in the deep south.
I challenge you to listen to the final 8 minutes and 46 seconds of Traci Browder's Season 4, Ep #7 on the "Intelligogy The Podcast"
Visiting extended relatives in the southern most state as a young boy, meant confronting overt racism like my grandparents using the n-word on store employees, driving by angry men dressed in white capes in the backwoods, and making sense out of history textbooks filled with untruths. As a young person growing up in the pacific northwest, I hid this side of my family out of embarrassment, shame, and guilt. While the frequency of family visits lessened over my teenage years, these experiences cast a dark shadow of insecurity that I still wrestle with today.
Trips to visit my mid-west family provided completely different opportunities to learn about covert ways of discriminating. The language and behavior chosen to hurt black and brown people was dramatically different; yet, equally likely to “spirit murder” African Americans.
Racism is a societal time bomb that destroys culture--the only difference between covert and overt racism is the packaging of the bomb--but either way it’s wide spread damage is inevitable.
The northwest is certainly not immune to such systemic racism; but, to be honest, I feel like I’ve fought against oppression of others my entire life. Jennifer and I started the first Equality Club for LGBTQ students in our area (only the 2nd middle school in our predominantly liberal state). I’ve focused my career championing for minorities, ACES, marginalized, and impacted. I openly speak out against racism around me and practice constant almost obsessively unhealthy amounts of self reflection of my daily actions. I’m an ally--one of the good guys and spent my entire life desperately trying to intentionally behave, think, and feel differently than the racist role models I grew up observing.
Despite a healthy and active pursuit towards spotting blindspots...I’m NOT...yet...only BECOMING.
Here’s a story about a little black girl from our school--we’ll call her Aliyah. Aliyah came to us in 6th grade with a track record of office visits, discipline, and attendance concerns. She struggled with work completion and a history of “bullying and harassment.” Her social struggles resulted in no friends and no leeway. Her mom was labeled as a difficult parent--one who would gladly “flaunt the race card” in an effort to support her daughter’s avoidance of receiving ‘standard discipline and consequences.’ Mom and Aliyah were branded “angry black women.”
If you’re an educator, you’ve been warned about a student and/or parent with such visceral intensity that I’ll bet you’ve slightly adjusted your own approach either positively or negatively. I’d like to think that I always reach out early to new students but I intentionally sought out Aliyah on the first day of school.
Calling her into my office, I could feel and even smell the anxiety, fear, and anger upon requesting her presence in my office. It was obvious that office visits in the past resulted in negative feelings, discipline, and shame. Walking in with shoulders tensed and fists clenched she was preparing herself to do battle with another racist white guy.
As a standard get to know you check-in, I lightly peppered her with intrusive questions while interjecting lighthearted anecdotes about myself. The goal always being to create a warm comfortable space that a student might choose to return. I typically end this brief encounter with a little reminder what a counselor is and isn’t, limits of confidentiality, and how middle school students might best utilize their counselor. These conversations end with me sharing how to go about signing up to see me in the future…
“I’m never gonna come see YOU,” she challenged sarcastically.
At the time, I remember feeling a little bruised ego by the easy dismissal of my potential services but fully accepted that this relationship would take time. Trust is not built overnight.
After a long pause, I then launched into asking a follow up question I’d never asked before:
“Going through your file, I noticed that you had Mrs. Snell for 2nd grade, Mrs. Roberts for 3rd grade, Mrs. Martin for 4th grade, and Mr. Shelby for 5th grade. On top of that, your counselor throughout elementary school was Mrs. Stanley,” as I began to hesitate.
“YEAH”, she responded with a puzzled query?
“And the principals you had in elementary, Mr. Fiddell and Mrs. Sparks,” I paused taking a long deep breath unsure if I was willing to utter my actual question out loud.
“Yeah, so...what’s your point,” she reiterated with a slight uptick in irritation?
“Well...they’re all white”, I stopped briefly. “And now once again you find yourself sitting in a strange white guy’s office asking you annoying questions trying to get to know you as a person.” I froze for a moment. “What’s it like being surrounded by only white educators all the time,” as I averted my gaze trying to make myself and Aliyah more comfortable with my uncomfortable question?
“What do you mean?” She said, sitting forward making increasingly stronger eye contact with me.
“I’m just curious about what that’s like for you. I’m guessing you’ve experienced racism in real ways that I as a white guy might not really understand,” I said with a hint of vulnerability.
Aliyah’s shoulders immediately relaxed and she moved back in her chair saying, “it’s been really hard.”
"Tell me about it, I’d love to learn about your experience in and out of school," I shared.
The next 20 minutes of open and raw relationship building dialogue foreshadowed a remarkable and life-changing positive evolution.
The next 3 middle school years were followed with unprecedented success. Aliyah made the honor roll, successfully participated in activities, and developed life-long friendships. Her behavior and attendance were exemplary and she connected with countless educators at our school. She proved to be a gifted college bound student and athlete throughout high school and continues to reach wild success in all aspects of her life. I have a wonderful relationship with this former student and relish the chance to hear her first hand account of present day successes.
Careful readers might feel upset that I’m oversimplifying the slow transformation that happened with Aliyah. It’s not as if my genuine warmth and curiosity were the resounding systemic change she deserved. Her experience was far from perfect in life or at our school, as we know racism is a mega problem and finding micro changes to build trust doesn't dismiss the real societal work that needs to continue throughout education and beyond.
Sexual harassment, bullying, oppression, and injustice are probably microcosm of the bigger workplace and societal inequities that are fostered in unsafe cultures and climates. Schools have an obligation to drive societal conversation as the leaders in safe and welcoming organizations.
I’ve held tightly onto Aliyah’s story; although, many incredible details I’m intentionally leaving out. Her story served as a guide for me to find the courage to talk with students about race. Through the years, I’ve become much more culturally responsive as I strive to view all people through an equitable lens to better understand their unique world. But here’s the long winded uncomfortable insight from this blog...
For a long time, the story I told myself was that we helped transform Aliyah into an amazing kid. That our award winning culture provided the opportunity to BECOME...
Until George Floyd, I’d felt a sense of pride reflecting on Aliyah’s blossoming INTO…
Here's the cold hard truth. Aliyah always WAS…
The white lensed obtuse arrogance to think that I created an anti-racist space for learning only highlights my ignorance on race.
Award Winning Culture can't abolish racism or injustice. Instead it’s filled with educators intentionally willing to challenge and push against all forms of discrimination.
It’s not about creating perfect conditions for every learner. It’s about striving for relentless improvement to reach those conditions!
In reality, she’s ALWAYS BEEN an incredible student capable of achieving monumental success. I didn’t fix her behavior or attendance. I didn’t inspire purposeful learning. I didn’t resurrect a highly at-risk student.
To make Aliyah’s success, the standard, rather than the exception--white educators must start BECOMING...
Looking back with clearer perspectacles, I’m aware that I changed far more than Aliyah. She was always award winning. I simply helped a student remove a protective mask to avoid being hurt by continuing my journey to BECOMING…
Floyd’s murder reinforced to me that I’m…
BECOMING SELF-AWARE
BECOMING DRIVEN FOR CHANGE BECOMING OBSERVANT BECOMING INTOLERANT TO INJUSTICE BECOMING COLLABORATIVE BECOMING ANGRY BECOMING ACCOUNTABLE
AND...HOPEFULLY...BECOMING ANTI-RACIST.
WHAT ARE YOU BECOMING?
About the AuthorHans Appel is an educator, speaker, and writer deeply committed to inspiring the whole child. He’s the author of, Award Winning Culture: Building School-Wide Intentionality and Action Through Character, Excellence, and Community. Additionally, he’s the Director of Culture for the Teach Better Team, Co-host of the Award Winning Culture podcast, and the Co-Creator of Award Winning Culture.
Written by: Hans Appel  “The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.” -Thomas Berger Questions lead to answers like leadership leads to culture. While great leadership builds amazing culture, weak leadership can foster toxic culture. Educators and students are co-leaders in an Award Winning Culture. In terms of learning, in order to discover helpful answers we must learn to ask the R.I.G.H.T questions.  Modern educational thought leaders have emphasized the learning power in asking smart insightful questions. In essence, there is an entire body of research to suggest that educators should be striving for learners to question and interact with academic content rather than seeking an ongoing answer factory. Questioning helps students generalize skills beyond a limited set of circumstances. Despite our knowledge on the importance of questioning, I’ve long wondered why school seems to regularly devolve into a repetitive question/answer series of activity. It’s important to understand standardized assessments came about because of a need to make things simpler to compare, contrast, and label. For instance, it’s ‘easier’ to grade and therefore assess student knowledge if there’s an obvious answer to a predetermined common assessment. On the other hand, simplicity for educators, parents, and lawmakers does not equate to value for learners. My colleagues, who preach alternative assessment options like standard based grading or student conferencing, might be quick to point out the fallacy in traditional questioning models. Additionally, these same colleagues would explain how this limited inquiry based approach prevents learners from stretching up the pyramid of Bloom's Taxonomy or reaching higher levels on Webb’s Depth of Knowledge.  Furthermore, lower forms of questions reinforce barriers to learning like gender and racial bias. If a question doesn’t allow room for me to wrestle with big ideas while infusing my own uniqueness into the answer, it’s probably a poorly conceived question. Educators get what they model and practice in their own learning. It's time to start thinking about some of the questions we ask of our peers... Are you a part of any ongoing learning community? Maybe a PLN, PLC, Facebook group, etc. I’ll bet some of the questions below look familiar. Here’s a few common low-level questions I regularly see in online learning communities:
Some queries don’t even take the form of a question:
On the outside these targeted questions seem to drive specific shotgun answers that might help guide educators; but, in reality there’s a common thread underscoring each question. These routine inquiries from educators lack the PASSION, PURPOSE, and PRIOR KNOWLEDGE to ignite game-changing professional development. Receiving a laundry list of ideas or suggestions, is nothing more than an efficient way to poll.  It’s much more relevant and helpful to understand the thinking that goes behind the answer. Why do I value this kindness lesson, leadership book, or ice-breaker? The real answer to any of the above questions is-- it depends. It depends on your school and class culture. Please don’t assume that one educator’s must-have program, strategy, or thought is exactly what your community of learners needs. In order to answer these questions effectively, we’d need to know more about the BIG PICTURE. Where are you going? Who’s the audience? What are your goals? Why is this question important to your classroom, school, or learners? If educators hope to expect deeper levels of questioning from our students we must DEMAND the same rigor in our own learning. Sometimes the right questions are the ones we ask OURSELVES. “Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” -Margaret J Wheatley Locating the strongest educational learners is pretty easy, they’re the ones CREATING, REFLECTING, and CONNECTING. They reframe knowledge based questions into metacognitive analysis of thought:
Before seeking level 1 input from external sources, start by reframing your basic questions into reflections to rekindle your WHY. When exploring professional development pursue multi-points of entry into your passion. Focus less on seeking answers and more on practicing an award winning mindset driven to discover and develop YOUR OWN JOY.  In Award Winning Culture, I wrote about what prevents others from asking questions, “educators in an award winning culture recognize current and past barriers toward seeking help and actively create safe and welcoming conditions to support students, parents, and educators.” Taking it a step further, the additional barrier is ensuring we’re asking ourselves and others the deeper level questions while wrestling with ever-changing answers. What’s one thing you’re struggling with this week that might benefit from a reframe? Are you asking the RIGHT question? About the AuthorHans Appel is an educator, speaker, and writer deeply committed to inspiring the whole child. He’s the author of, Award Winning Culture: Building School-Wide Intentionality and Action Through Character, Excellence, and Community. Additionally, he’s the Director of Culture for the Teach Better Team, Co-host of the Award Winning Culture podcast, and the Co-Creator of Award Winning Culture.
Written by: Jennifer Appel
In a time filled with trauma, inequity, and fear, creating a healthy imaginative world focused on emotional regulation seems like a revelatory antidote to the world’s disconnection and anxiety stemming from social distancing. As children navigate forced remote learning and hybrid models, parents and educators are desperately seeking a myriad of ways to infuse joy back into students’ lives.
I’m Who, beautifully lays out a high interest picture book for children of all ages to wrestle with their own uncomfortable feelings as they redefine their everyday coping strategies through the eyes of a furry dog named Ginger. The heartfelt story centers around a seemingly perfect dog who’s haunted with conquering daily negative thoughts and stress. With the help of a wise old friend, vivid imagery, and calm surroundings, children vicariously learn how to take back control of their own world.
Our children today have an overwhelming sense of anxiety. We can teach young readers how to overcome these internal barriers to joy with literacy based social emotional learning.
Growing up with childhood testing anxiety, from an undiagnosed reading disability, I recognize the immense pressure to fit it and pretend like everything’s alright on the outside. Children spend tremendous energy sustaining the illusion of what society tells us is normalcy. This dissonance between thoughts, feelings, and behavior directly interferes with a child’s ability to learn. Psychological research refers to this faking of one’s feelings as emotional labor. Emotional labor often forces people to constantly remain in an inauthentic or forced space through surface acting. Obviously, surface acting is exhausting!
Parents often experience their anxious child’s exhaustion at night, boil over after hours of ‘keeping it together’ at school. It’s critical to help our learners understand that it’s ok to not be ok and that their intense feelings are actually completely manageable.
“The average student today has as much anxiety, as the average psychiatric patient of the 1950’s” (American Psychological Association)
Picture books deliver an awesome conversation starter for kids to discover and develop their best selves by being a catalyst for teachers and parents to carve out their own Award Winning Culture.
As a long-time lover of the power of visual storytelling, I’m thrilled to have created this canine universe to help shape the minds and hearts of our young people. Teaching social emotional learning and character education are not just a good idea but are crucial to helping children thrive in an ever-changing world. From my own experience, I know that books like--I'm Who--reinforce an internal belief that young readers determine their attitude and path forward.
In addition to offering free elementary lesson plans, we’re able to provide virtual read alouds to further support literacy based SEL. It’s no longer acceptable, safe or even efficient to exclusively focus on academic content to the detriment of children’s mental health. Supporting healthy learners in this crazy world is everyone’s job!
Parents and teachers now have a wonderful resource at their fingertips to support youth mental health by instilling self hope that “I’m Who controls my own anxiety.”
This week, think of one child who might benefit from this life impacting learning.
Who knows...maybe...You Too Can Be Who.
I’m Who, is available on Amazon, Etsy, or at awardwinningculture.com.
About The AuthorJennifer Appel is an educator, coach, speaker, and writer. She’s the Chief Heart Officer for the Teach Better Team, Co-host of the Award Winning Culture podcast, and the Co-Creator of Award Winning Culture. She’s the author of a line of picture books focusing on social emotional learning and character education which includes, “Award Winning Dog and I’m WHO.” Furthermore, Jennifer has been a contributor on two books: Teacher’s Deserve It and an upcoming project yet to be titled.
Written by: Hans Appel  “Success is more than achieving your goals. It’s living your values.” -Adam Grant I’m incessantly attracted to successful people! I love learning from leaders who are at the top in their industry no-matter what their industry might be. I know that examining what creates game-winning athletes, must see performers, or mind-bending corporate champions are often a mix of similar drive, talent, and practice. But the people who most peak my interest are the influencers who actually live out their inspiring vision-like values in their daily lives. These edu-stars teach beyond their words as they captivate with their authentic action. While William Shakespeare famously shared that “all the world’s a stage…” I would argue that: All the world’s a classroom and these culture building educators are generously sharing a VIP pass behind the curtain of life-changing learning. Welcome to my 3rd annual 50 must follow educators! This year, our list focuses exclusively on Culture and Climate edu-stars that push, challenge, and encourage me to be BETTER. With the close of 2020, I find myself taking stock of the educators who continue to inspire me to chase an Award Winning Culture. And while I generated a list of nearly 200 difference makers initially, the following 50 Culture Builders continue to reach rarified air. As a dream team of disruptors, difference makers, and dynamic do-gooders--I’m truly in awe of the work these educators are creating. Rather than simply consuming content their breathing whole child life into classrooms all around the world, by sharing their knowledge and secrets with all of us. This is not simply a list of my favorite people, PLN, or best friends--in fact, a few people here don’t even know I exist. Instead, it’s a carefully curated group of people who YOU need to be connected to. The world desperately needs to hear their messages and I encourage each of you to lean forward and listen closely. In no particular order, I present to you the 2020 TOP 50 Culture Builders: Jorge Valenzuela: Jorge is an award winning educational coach, thought leader, and author of Rev Up Robotics. He’s the creator of LifeLong Learning Defined, and offers PD for Teach Better and PBL Works. He’s a social justice advocate, SEL resource, and general superstar! Houston Kraft: Houston is a Speaker, Curriculum Developer, Kindness Advocate and Professional Hugger. He’s the Co-founder of CharacterStrong and author of Deep Kindness. He’s a must follow because he’s actively teaching the WORLD how to live, practice, and think more intentionally about kindness! Evan Whitehead: Evan is a district administrator, national consultant for the Aha Process, Mental Health Advocate, and soon to be author. His #BalanceBoundariesandBreaks platform has been a refreshing lens for understanding Self-Care in the context of valuing mental health. He makes vulnerability cool! Jami Fowler-White: Jami is an administrator, Founder & CEO of Digital PD For You, Podcaster, Speaker, and author of Educator Reflection Tips. Along with her husband, Dr. Frederick White, they offer an outstanding presentation called: Colorism: The Unspoken Ace. Randy Russell: is a Superintendent, Founder of RLR Leadership Consulting, Podcaster, and author of The 3 Ships: Relationships, Leadership, and Partnership. Randy truly lives his WHY out on a daily basis and he practices what he preaches! Livia Chan: Livia is a Head Teacher, Ambassador and Digital Content Editor for the Teach Better Team, and soon to be author. She’s a talented blogger and joyful leader who lives out Maya Angelou’s famous words into existence: “they’ll remember how you made them feel.” She’s a rising educational star who models humility, kindness, and compassion on a daily basis. Lindsay Titus: Lindsay K-12 Educational Behavior Specialist, Teach Better Ambassador, Podcast Host, Speaker, Coach, Founder of Define YOUniversity and upcoming author of the Define YOU Journal. Whenever Lindsay speaks, I find myself taking copious notes. She’s an authentic, Rachel Hollis-like educator who lifts others to incredible heights! Jeff Gargas: Jeff is the COO and Co-founder of the Teach Better Team. He’s a speaker, champion for educators and co-author of Teach Better. But more than all the accolades, accomplishments, and achievements--Jeff is on a ridiculously spectacular quest to reimagine education. Nicole Biscotti: Nicole is an educator, parent advocate, and the upcoming author of I Can Learn When I’m Moving: Going to School with ADHD. She’s the creator of ADHD Global Convo and provides incredible parental resources! Jennifer Appel: Jennifer is an award winning Educator, Speaker, Podcaster, Co-Founder of Award Winning Culture, Chief Heart Officer of the Teach Better Team, and author of multiple books: Award Winning Dog and I’m Who. Additionally, in the spring of 2021 she’ll be releasing the sequel to Award Winning Culture. Simply put--Jennifer’s a game-changing educational thought leader who believes in the power of JOY! Traci Browder: Traci is an award winning teacher, global thinker, and podcast host of Intelligogy. She’s an upcoming author of her highly anticipated BetterFlies Book. She’s a gifted communicator with a servant’s heart who’s become a go-to resource for understanding equitable education. Sheldon Eakins: Dr. Eakins is an administrator, Co-Founder of the Leading Equity Center, and Host of the Leading Equity Podcast. He has a talented way of bringing visionary clarity to complex social issues to a diverse group of educators. He’s empowering, unifying, and culturally collaborative! Tre Gammage: Tre is an administrator, educational SEL Consultant, Teach Better Speaker, Host of the Dash Podcast, and author of Every Decision Counts: 8 Lessons I Wish They Taught Me in School. Tre brings a special passion to reaching and teaching adult SEL! Mariah Rackley: Dr. Rackley is an award winning administrator, lead learning change agent. She’s built an incredible school culture by influencing student voice, choice, and agency. She inspires educators to become a digital leader! Evan Robb: is an award winning administrator, keynote speaker, co-host of the Robb Review podcast and blogger. He’s the author of, The 10-Minute Principal, Team Makers, and The Principal’s Leadership Sourcebook. Evan believes in creating a culture of reading that transforms a school of students into a community of learners! Joshua Stamper: Josh is an exceptional administrator, Teach Better Podcast Network Manager, and Host of the award winning Aspire Podcast. He’s an upcoming author and recognized speaker on Trauma and Restorative Practices. Josh has a passion for blending creative content with supportive connection to build aspiring leaders! Neil Gupta: Dr. Gupta is a Director of Secondary Education, ASCD Board Vice President, Creator of Farther Together, and a Teach Better Speaker. He’s a cultural energizer capable of walking arm and arm with educators on their quest to create exceptional learning spaces! Chad Ostrowski: Chad is the CEO of the Teach Better Team, creator and mastermind behind The Grid Method, speaker, trainer, and author of Teach Better. Chad is uber committed to supporting, connecting, and inspiring educators to be BETTER TODAY than yesterday, and BETTER TOMORROW than today! Jacie Maslyk: Dr. Maslyk is an administrator, speaker, blogger, Solution Tree Associate, and author of: Steam Makers, Remaking Literacy, Connect to Lead, Unlock Creativity, and All-In. She flourishes in leadership and learning through relationship development! Steve Sostak: Steve is the Director of Inspire Citizens, Director of IC Master Teach Endorsement, author of Global Impact School Self Study, and a facilitator of Sustainable Development Goals. Steve’s dedicated to positively influencing the whole child to impact communities around the globe! Barbara Bray: Barbara is a coach, blogger, speaker, host of the Rethink Learning Podcast, and author of Define Your Why. She’s a brilliant advocate for student agency, voice, and choice through learner centered classroom! Rae Hughart: Rae is an award winning teacher, keynote speaker, blogger, creator of Teach Further Model, trainer, the Chief Marketing Officer for the Teach Better Team, Host of the Teach Better Talk Podcast, and the author of Teacher’s Deserve It and Teach Better. David Geurin: David is an award winning principal, keynote speaker, blogger, an author of Future Driven. He’s an advocate for reimagining our schools to reach the whole child and prepare our students for both their current realities and a future unknown! Amy Fast: Dr. Fast is a Principal, Education Commentator, speaker, and author of It’s the Mission Not the Mandates. She’s a boots on the ground educator who has masterfully crafted award winning school culture and climate in McMinnville Oregon by focusing on the real “sweet spot” in education! George Couros: George is a teacher, keynote speaker, blogger, podcast host, and author of The Innovator’s Mindset and co-author of Innovate Inside the Box. George is a generational thought leader who continues to raise education and learning culture to inexplicable heights! Brian Aspinall: Brian is the founder of CodeBreakerEdu, Keynote Speaker, University Instructor, and author of Risk Taker and Block Breaker. Brian’s ability to inspire educators to infuse coding, critical thinking, and problem solving into their school wide community is unmatched! Eric Sheninger: Eric is an award winning principal, ICLE Associate Partner, international keynote speaker, and best-selling author of Digital Leadership, Learning Transformed, Uncommon Learning, and Brand ED. Eric is at the forefront of innovative leadership! Jimmy Casas: Jimmy is an award winning educator, the CEO & President of J Casas & Associates, leadership coach, Future Ready Faculty, and author of Culturize and Live Your Excellence. He’s a charismatic and gifted speaker and lead learner who believes: Every Student. Every Day. Whatever it Takes. Elisabeth Bostwick: Elisabeth is an award winning educator, speaker, coach, blogger and the author of Take the Leap. Elisabeth is a passionate whole learner advocate who believes in igniting innovation to better serve each student! Dave Burgess & Shelly Burgess: Dave and Shelly are award winning educators, keynote speakers, publishers, and authors of Teach Like a Pirate and Lead Like a Pirate. Dave Burgess Consulting continues to push the envelope in high impact literature focused on all areas of school culture! Marlena Gross-Taylor: Marlena is a district administrator, publisher, speaker, founder of Edu-Gladiators, and author. Her passion to create exceptional learning communities makes her a game-changer in all educational spaces! Brian Mendler: Brian is a former special education teacher, dynamic staff developer, host of the Brian Mendler Show Podcast, and author of That One Kid and Watch Your Mouth, Tips For Teachers, Power Struggles, and Turning Tough Parents into Strong Partners. Brian is kid behavior expert who’s driven to make school amazing for each and every learner! Pete Hall & Kristin Souers: Pete and Kristin are a dynamic duo of leadership and learning. They provide incredible professional development and are the authors of Fostering Resilient Learners and Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation. By combining forces to create Fostering Resilient Learners, Pete and Kristin are widely recognized experts in trauma informed practices! Wendy Turner: Wendy is an award winning teacher, SEL Warrior, speaker, writer, and trainer. She’s an SEL expert who practices what she preaches in her own classroom. Tara Martin: Tara is an educator, coach, national speaker, PR & Communications Director of Dave Burgess Consulting, Host of the Real Journey Podcast, creator of BookSnaps, and author of Be Real and Cannonball In. Jeff Kubiak: Jeff is an educator, speaker, advocate for ALL KIDS, and author of One Drop of Kindness and It’s Me. He’s a big hearted edu-star who’s kindness first focus is changing the narrative on equity, inclusion, and acceptance in school houses around the globe! Sara Johnson: Sarah is an educator, speaker, coach, host of the In Awe Podcast, and author of Lead with Faith and Balance Like a Pirate. She's a nationally recognized consultant supporting educators with her message of balance, building resiliency, and empowerment! Chuck Poole: Chuck is a classroom teacher, founder of Teachonomy & Teach Success Summit, podcaster, blogger, and author of Unforgettable. Chuck supports educators through virtual and asynchronous learning opportunities designed to lift learning everywhere! Chris Woods: Chris is a teacher, speaker, host of the STEM everyday podcast, and author of Daily Stem. He’s a forward thinking lead learner modeling how to infuse STEM into the daily fabric of the school! LaVonna Roth: LaVonna is an international keynote speaker, consultant, author, and Chief Illuminator of Ignite Your Shine. She’s a highly impacted presenter and coach of social emotional empowerment driven to help all learners discover their inner SHINE! Kris Felicello: Kris is a superintendent, blogger, speaker, Co-Founder of The Teacher and The Admin, and author of The Teacher and the Admin. Kris is a master teacher, leader, and culture building dynamo who believes in the limitless power of teacher and administration collaboration! Kristen Nan: Kristen is an award winning teacher, speaker, and BELIEVER in SEL, Risk Taking, and reaching the whole child. In addition to being a heartfelt blogger, she’s the co-author of All In: Taking a Gamble in Education. Kristen oozes authenticity in her actions, words, and life! Joe Sanfelippo: Joe is an award winning superintendent, next level keynote speaker, and author of Hacking Leadership, The Power of Branding, and Principal Professional Development. He’s an electric and energizing leader who brings out the best in educators around the world! Kevin Butler: Kevin is an off-the-charts engaging teacher, director of curriculum and instruction, keynote speaker, PD facilitator, blogger, and host of the LIghts, Camera, Action Podcast. Kevin’s classroom for both students and educators is the type of MUST SEE experience that you’d buy a ticket for! John Norlin: John is a former district level administrator of the whole child, master SEL and character education trainer, keynote speaker, curriculum developer, Co-Founder of CharacterStrong, the host of the CharacterStrong Podcast. As a recognized leader in reaching and teaching the whole child, John has taken his experiential leadership skills and married them with research based best practice science to offer the GOLD STANDARD in professional development and curriculum within social emotional learning! Evo Hannan: Evo is an international administrator and speaker specializing in design, innovation, and agency on a global level. He's also the host of the Ed Talks Live. His collaborative style in building people up has earned him a reputation for exceptional school culture and climate that knows no borders! Michael Earnshaw: Michael is a punk rock principal, speaker, and inspirer. He’s the co-host of the Punk Rock Classrooms, blogger and the upcoming author of Edu-Culture Cookbook. Michael’s authentic style leadership makes him an irresistible influencer capable of transforming the thermostat of any room! Sarah Thomas: Dr. Thomas is a 100% educator who balances between regional tech coordinator and founder and CEO of Edu-Match. Edu-match is a publishing company who specializes in working with educators who have diverse stories and messages to inspire the world! Dwayne Reed: Dwayne is a rapping teacher, keynote speaker, and author of Simon B Rhymin. He provides daily inspiration to his students, social media followers, and educators around the world! CJ Reynolds: CJ is a breathtakingly REAL teacher, speaker, and author of Teach Your Class Off. Additionally, he’s the star of Real Rap with Reynolds, a viral YouTube Channel devoted to his brand of comedy, engagement, and relationship building directly from his own classroom! About the AuthorHans Appel is an educator, speaker, and writer deeply committed to inspiring the whole child. He’s the author of, Award Winning Culture: Building School-Wide Intentionality and Action Through Character, Excellence, and Community. Additionally, he’s the Director of Culture for the Teach Better Team, Co-host of the Award Winning Culture podcast, and the Co-Creator of Award Winning Culture. |
About AWCAward Winning Culture was created by Hans and Jennifer Appel with the sole purpose of creating an educational mindset of Positive INTENTIONALITY and ACTION; with a daily mantra to make our sphere of influence stronger through Character, Excellence, and Community. Part of AWC's mission is to highlight outstanding educators, companies, and resources that support an Award Winning Culture. Both Jennifer and Hans work at Enterprise Middle School aka Wildcat Nation. Wildcat Nation received the 2018 ASCD Whole Child Award in Washington, for its award winning culture and the 2018 Global "Class Act Award" for Kindness. Archives
August 2021
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