Decaf, Mike? Seriously?! (Monthly Staff PD Addendum)
Hey there,
Happy Wednesday, everyone! And a high five to everyone who is welcoming students back this week. I wanted to send out a quick email as a follow-up to the September Monthly Staff PD I sent out over the weekend.
First of all, this was the most positively-received email I’ve ever sent. It received tons of positive feedback and almost zero negative feedback. It was by far the most shared email I’ve ever published. And tons of people either subscribed for the first time or upgraded to a paid membership after having received it. I also got lots of requests for quotes related to the full-teacher courses that were excerpted from the videos.
So, thanks for that!
The only question that I received from folks wasn’t even a negative. I simply heard, “Hey, where’s the PowerPoint we’re used to?”
(Well, to be fair, I also need to respond to a few, “Do you seriously drink decaf?” and “Did you actually drink the coffee after your students tampered with it?” questions. I’ll hit those below.)
The decision to not send one was probably ill-conceived. We thought that since we were sending a Google Form as the activity, there was no need for a PowerPoint. That said, I know we’ve set the expectation and have even explicitly stated that we would do so. So, here you go!
September Monthly Staff PD Google Slide
A couple of notes:
You’ll notice that it’s a Google Slide instead of a PowerPoint. We’ll be switching to Google Slides this year just for the Monthly Staff PD emails. They’re easier to edit for folks and don’t require downloading.
Keep in mind, that it’s view only, so you’ll have to make yourself a copy to edit as needed.
Be sure to read the presenter notes on the activity slide (slide #5) to avoid some confusion when presenting to staff.
Thanks again for all the support folks! And if you didn’t have a chance to check out the original email this weekend, you can find it here.
Answers to your burning questions …
Q: Do you really only imbibe decaf in the mornings? With newborns? How is that even possible?
A: First of all, zero judgment to anyone who goes all in on caffeine. I would if I could! About a year ago, my blood pressure was doing a slow and steady creep. My doctor recommended cutting out caffeine. After picking my jaw up off the floor, I said I’d consider it. I weaned myself over a couple of months and haven’t looked back. Blood pressure fell and I no longer have crazy headaches when I can’t get my fix. But, make no mistake, I look longly at the stash of full-strength coffee beans reserved for houseguests. Every. single. day.
Q: So, in the video, you never said whether or not you actually drank the coffee that your students sabotaged. What happened?
A: A few compassionate souls yelled out right before I took a sip, thus avoiding disaster. Looking back, I have mad respect for those brave 7th graders. I’m sure they caught some flack for their loyalty. I don’t always give middle schoolers enough credit … they are some of the bravest souls I’ve met.
Have a great week, everyone! Keep an eye out for the weekly email on Saturday!
Mike