Last week was super busy for me yet I had a hard time reflecting on what I actually accomplished when I tried to sit down on Sunday to my weekly blog. I feel like I am working several different jobs currently and I am stressing that I am going to “drop the ball” somewhere along the way in one area or another. I definitely need to work on my time management. This post may seem a bit random and unorganized but I wanted to capture a brief reflection on the four major things I have been thinking about lately.
1. Husband and a Father---- Kerstin and I found out on Friday that we are having a little girl this February and we are very happy. As much as we love having a 3 year old that is “all boy” we were hoping for some balance in our house and our prayers were answered. There is already way too much testosterone in the Feist house hold. We are considering Lilly as a potential name. I am looking forward to meeting “daddy’s little girl”.
2. Classroom teacher----- My students have been awesome this year! The young adults I am working with have higher levels of motivation and attitude than I saw last year and I am enjoying the time we have spent building relationships this September. I have had several conversations with my students regarding the “One School” initiative that Tahoma High is embracing and I feel like the kids get what we are trying to do and are excited about it. As I sat in a staff meeting last Friday listening to a presentation on “Classroom 10” best practices and how consciously including thinking skills and habits of the Mind into our lesson through backwards design, I kept think about the one school initiative and the work we are doing as a staff when a thought came to me and stuck- as the staff continues to engage each other and students around our “One School” initiative, it would be beneficial to connect our work to the habits and skills that are a part of our daily teaching practices. When I asked my students which habit of the mind they felt most closely related to the “One School” Initiative, they identified listening and understanding with empathy
3. Wrestling Coach- last Saturday was the 1st of 5 consecutive training camps to prepare some of Washington’s top wrestlers to compete at the national level. 80 of the state’s Best wrestlers were invited to come train at THS last Saturday and we had 40 wrestlers show up for two three hour sessions. Within the group, there were national champions, all Americans,. Wa state champions and several state placers. Below are a list of objects I prepared to share with the wrestlers and their families. I am proud to say that several Tahoma wrestlers are among the elite wrestlers from our state preparing to compete at the national and college level.
National Team Fall Practices 2009
Objectives:
• Create opportunities for national team coaches to communicate and work with some of Wa st best wresters in order to promote dual team and Fargo participation.
• Create opportunities for some of the best wrestlers in the state to train together in the fall.
• Organize and identify technique, skills and drills that will be used as part of the Wa state national team training plan in the Spring and Summer.
• Help physical and mentally prepare our wrestlers for the upcoming USA wrestling seasons.
• Identify and work on goals setting as a staff and with our wrestlers.
Letter given to select student athletes:
Tahoma Student Athletics Leadership Training 2009-2010
Tahoma Student Athletics Leadership Training 2009-2010
Tahoma Style
“Having great leadership is a big key to success. It’s really the leaders’ team because they are the one whom the rest of the players, especially the freshman, look up to when setting standards. Our team will go as far as our leaders are willing to take us.” Mike Cadrea, Arizona State Softball- 6- Time National Championship Coach
Congratulations! You have been selected by the Tahoma coaching staff to represent your team during a series of leadership training meetings that are focused on athletes. Two athletes have been selected from each team to join this group. We will be meeting once a month to discuss topics such as leading by example, vocal leadership, and “Tahoma Style” in our school, practices rooms, and community. We will also be discussing how we can promote our “One School” initiative as teammates and coaches.
Our first meeting will be October 1st in portable 18 during reading period. We will cover introductions, the proposed agenda for the year and questions the group might have while we snack on some doughnuts and juice.
Please show this letter to your teacher as your pass out of class next Tuesday,
Coach Feist
Cfeist@tahomasd.us
http://headlockhero.blogspot.com/