Monthly Archive for December, 2009

Dec 19 2009

Flat Jack Sells MuseCubes for the Holidays

FlatJackMuseCubes1This Monday I posted a challenge to myself: to sell 126 MuseCubes before the holidays. Well, I didn’t get close to that number (I didn’t quite expect to, but the number 126 was special — see below — to me so I used it as my symbolic goal).

I did sell 41 sets of MuseCubes, though! Not bad given that the extent of my marketing including: (1) two weeks of carrying a basket of MuseCubes around with me wherever I go, and (2) one week asking folks on Facebook and Twitter to repost my MuseCube announcements!

There’s something else I’m excited about: whereas last year I sold 126 MuseCubes to people who know me, this year the bulk of the sales came from people who DON’T know me directly, but are loosely connected through social media. This points to the power of neo-marketing, and gets me excited about putting more effort into nurturing relationships around the globe through my blog, twitter, and facebook.

A final pleasure to announce: just yesterday I received Flat Jack in the mail. Flat Jack arrived to me from an elementary classroom in Vermont along with the following note:

Dear friend,

Our class read “Flat Stanley” by Jeff Brown. In this story a boy named Stanley Lambchop is flattened by a bulletin board. He doesn’t get hurt — in fact, he has many fun adventures as a flat boy. …

Enclosed is my very own flat traveler that I made. Please help my flat traveler to have adventures during his visit with you. In January send him back home in the enclosed envelope along with letters, drawings, and photos to tell us about his time with you.

This is primarily a geography project so please also include information about where you live and what it’s like there.

Thank you,
Mr. Leal’s First Grade
Union Elementary School
Montpelier, VT

I had fun bringing Flat Jack with me as I packaged and mailed all my MuseCubes orders this morning. The picture above shows Flat Jack in the MuseCubes basket along with the new MuseCubes brochures as well as a flower that just recently fell off of a tree. (I think it’s a cool geography fact that California actually has flowers in the winter; in Vermont, where Flat Jack is fun, he just has snow!).

Here’s a picture of the basket underneath the flowering tree…

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And here’s Flat Jack lying on top of envelopes filled with MuseCubes.

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Flat Jack helped me bring the MuseCubes to the post office, and we mailed them off to Texas, Washington DC, Florida, Seattle, and Texas. Soon I’ll actually put a map on the website so that we can watch the MuseCubes fever spread like wildfire across the country (once I launch the iPhone app, I anticipate it stretching across the world as well!

A final note to Mr. Leal: I’d hoped to write a blog entry that’s more first-grade friendly. Sorry that this has ended up being more “grown up” than I expected. Just let your students know — and Jack in particular — that Flat Jack is having a great time. He’s so glad that he doesn’t need his winter coat, since he forgot to put it into the envelope when he got mailed to California.

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Dec 18 2009

Parents: Would You Enjoy This Email From Your Teen?

Keyboard with three family keys

Lately in my academic coaching practice, my teen clients have been writing their parents emails. This is just an experiment, but I think it’s going well and I wanted to share.

My rationale is that teens are much more likely to accept reminders to do their homework if they actually ASK their parents to remind them. Seems less like nagging that way! So I talk them through what their goals are, what kind of support they’d like from their parents, and how to request it of them.  The kids type the email and then we click send!

Here’s a recent email written by a 16 year old boy (I added a few periods for readability, as well as the clarification in brackets, but otherwise it’s all his):

hi
mom

gretchen and i have made a list of stuff i need to do over break. we figured out it would take like 9 hours to do it all. i really wanna go snowboarding over the second week of break [so I need to get my work done before Christmas].

our plan is to start on monday from after i wake up and eat and stuff. ill start my homework and work on it for like 2 to 3 hours. i would like you to remind me to get started on it and check on me a few times. i was wondering if that would work for you or if your gunna be out buyen me presents? ;)

* monday history corrections
* tuesday geometry chapter 6 hw
* wednesday math corrections
* thursday spanish project

and i was wondering if i could reward myself everyday when i finish my work by going and doing something fun like going and hanging out with my friends?

thanks

simon

Emails such as this are such a recent addition to my coaching, I haven’t actually checked it out with the parents yet. I’m looking forward to finding out if they enjoy receiving them, and if so, how it’s helping support their relationship with their teen at home?

If there are any parents out there reading this, what do you think? As an academic coach potentially working with your teen, how can I best support you communicating with each other around homework and school obligations? I’d love to know!

And teens: can you see yourself making requests like this on your own (without a nosy academic coach interfering?). I’m curious!!

Filed Under Academic Coaching | 1 Comment
Dec 17 2009

Do You Need Help, or Do You Need a Plan?

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A student just rushed desperately into my Learning Center. “I need help! Do you have time?” she asked.

Since she was not one of my regular clients, I had to tell her that I had no more than five minutes. But she could have all five of the minutes I have!!

“So, I need major help doing this history essay on Rome. But I lost the assignment sheet, and –”

I cut her off. “You lost the assignment sheet? How are you planning on writing the essay.”

“I know! That’s why I need help. I just can’t figure out what to write.”

“When is it due?” I asked.

“Today!!!!!!!” she moaned, and I shot her that grown up look. You know, that Exasperated-You’ve-Got-To-Be-Kidding-Me glare (luckily, I’ve perfected the art of doing glare playfully).

When I gave her the following instructions, it was like a lightbulb going off in her head:

Step One: Go to the teacher and ask for a new assignment sheet. I happen to know he’s available RIGHT NOW!

Step Two: Ask the teacher for a brief extension so that you can write with some relative peace, without freaking out.

Step Three: Come back to me if you still feel confused, and we’ll make a new plan.

An hour later this student was busily working away in our school’s study lab. I checked in and discovered that she’d successfully received the information she needed, including an extension (she’ll email the essay to her teacher tonight).

I smiled at her. “Sometimes when you think you need help, what you really need is a good plan, huh?” She nodded and smiled back.

This is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned as an academic coach! Kids can usually do the academic work that’s expected of them; when they freak out about the work, it usually means they don’t have a clear way to approach their assignments. What they need is a plan. Modeling how to make a plan is one of the most important things we can give our kids in order to mitigate their stress.

Have you experienced the same thing — that having a solid plan decreases stress? How does this play out in your life (or the life of your teenager?). I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Dec 16 2009

Wanna Make F-ing Great Improvisational Art?!

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For the past two-and-a-half years I’ve been blessed to teach InterPlay with dancer extraordinaire Elizabeth Mendana. Tonight Elizabeth taught her last Tuesday night class (sniff!) and soon I’ll be leading it alone (holy cow!).

For those of you new to the blog, InterPlay is an uncommon, artful global social movement. It incorporates storytelling, movement, and vocal expression with an emphasis on community and play.

So often InterPlay is taught as a personal development tool, but it is also an improvisational performance technique. Four months ago we added a performance emphasis to the Tuesday night class.   Tonight after class, Elizabeth and I went out for dinner and reflection. In the course of our conversation, I asked how InterPlay has made her a better performer.

Eyes shining, she answered that InterPlay has:

  1. Given her access to the full spectrum of expression, especially the fullness of her voice (not an area that usually gets much of a workout for a modern dancer)
  2. Awakened her passion for (and skill with) infusing story into choreography
  3. Helped her embrace silliness on stage, and
  4. Through its affirming community, validated her as a professional artist.

Whew. Talk about gifts…!

And then there’s InterPlay’s uncanny ability to build ensemble. It’s no easy feat to make beautiful art on the spot…but to do it with others, with little-to-no rehearsal as a company…is amazing! And yet the InterPlay company Wing It! (of which Elizabeth and I are members) consistently creates amazing knock-your-socks-off-they’re-so-powerful performances with casts of (gulp!) 15 or more. As an ensemble we’ve learned to listen to each other with a depth, generosity and artfulness that astounds me.

The more Elizabeth and I talked, the more jazzed I got about sharing the InterPlay Performance Technique with other artists! It’s time to be intentional about sharing this hidden gem of a technique with other performers who want to broaden their range.

So get ready, Oakland, California! On Tuesday nights from 6-7:30pm starting January 5th, 2010 we’re gonna bust out some of the meanest, coolest, deepest improv you’ve seen. With an emphasis on storytelling, movement, vocal expression, and ensemble, it’ll be…

Subversive. Surprising. Silly. Sacred. Sexy. Sneaky.

Come make F-ing* good art with us! (And if you can’t join us in person, rest assured: you’ll be able to read all about it — maybe even see some of it — on my blog).

We’ll miss Elizabeth for sure, but we’re in for quite a ride in 2010. I hope you’ll join us.

*A note about the swear word: Tonight at class Elizabeth had us dancing side-by-side solos. At the end of performing for each other, someone explained, “This is F-ing good art!” And so it was. And so it is. Can’t wait to share.

Filed Under InterPlay | 1 Comment
Dec 09 2009

Advice from an 8th Grader to Herself About How to Do School

Photo of the White Board in My Learning Center; One Student's List With Advice to Herself

One of my academic coaching clients just bounded into my office, joy bubbling over. She’d made an A on a test and had improved her overall grades in all her classes into the A & B range.

She’s so proud, and I wanted to harness her feeling of momentum. I asked her to giver her former self — the one who struggled with school — some advice about how to “do school.” I also asked her to explain why she was giving herself this advice. The list was so brilliant, I took a picture of the white board to share with the world. Because it’s so hard to read, here’s a transcription (with a little reorganization by yours truly):

ADVICE: Do homework at school and not at home
WHY?: No stress from mom.

ADVICE:Eat more food at school
WHY: It keeps me energized

ADVICE: Do homework with friends and not by myself
WHY: If I have a question I can ask and I don’t have to struggle through it

ADVICE: Go to bed earlier (8:30pm)
WHY: So I have more energy to do homework and other things

ADVICE: Ask questions in class
WHY: So I know how to do things and not struggle on tests

ADVICE: Study right before tests:
WHY: I can remember things better.

ADVICE: Use class time to finish homework rather than talk to my friends
WHY: I can get more sleep, less stress, and eat more. (Note: This student has identified that stress makes her eat less which makes it harder to concentrate; therefore, having less stress helps her eat more which in turn improves her focus.)

I love this list because it reveals how much awareness this student has about what works and what doesn’t work for for her.  This student started the school floundering! Her tips might not be the greatest for every student (like the advice do homework with friends); but it’s such a good sign that she noticed what works for her and and chose more of it .

It’s the skill of NOTICING that I hope to foster in more of my clients. That, plus ACTING ON what they notice.  And I’m thrilled that my client got to experience the joy that comes with her own ability to improve her situation. Yay!!

Filed Under Academic Coaching | 1 Comment
Dec 08 2009

So Many Ways to Use the MuseCubes!

Today at Wing It! rehearsal I was feeling kinda down in the dumps. But then Bobbie, one of my fellow performers, knew just how to lift my spirits: she told me about some of her recent MuseCube moments! I made a point to snag her at the end of rehearsal and ask if she’d be willing to repeat her stories to my iPhone camera. And voila!

Enjoy this short video in which Bobbie shares how:

  • how a teacher of gifted and talented students uses the MuseCubes she received as a gift
  • how her grandson is a bit shy about “moan”, but loves them anyway, and
  • they’re such a great icebreaker at her church meetings.

Do you have a story about your favorite MuseCube Moment? If so, do tell!

And if you’d like to create a MuseCube Moment of your very own, I’d be honored if you bought a set or two.  I’m hearing over and over what a unique, surprising, and useful gift they are. Order a pair at www.musecubes.com.

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Dec 04 2009

One Of The Most Thoughtful Gifts Ever

Taiko Kathryn

Awwwww! I’ve always known that MuseCubes make great gifts. But it’s nice to hear it directly from the recipients. Here’s how composer and Taiko drummer Kathryn Cabunoc, describes how the MuseCubes helped her break through stuckness:

…writing solos is so hard. That’s one of those things that have never come easy for me. I sit down and get up and sit down again and I get one line out at a time–and very laboriously so. I suppose it will get easier someday.

A friend of mine gave me a great gift a week ago. They’re called Muse Cubes, and when you find yourself with writer’s block, you pull out these babies and give them a roll. … The instructions said that we’re more creative when we’re not standing still. And they’ve worked! I’ve howled and bended, sang and wiggled. It’s helped! It lets me get out of my head for a minute and then return to work again with a fresh mind.

They’re one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve gotten in a long time.

MuseCubes KathrynJudging by the picture in Kathryn’s blog post, she got one of the original MuseCubes sets, no two designs alike. Some day this might be worth a lot (finger’s crossed!).

Feel free to read the rest of Kathryn’s blog entry about MuseCubes here. To order MuseCubes, go to our Etsy store.

This blog entry was first posted to www.MuseCubes.com on November 27, 2009.

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Dec 04 2009

Can Howling Make You Smarter?

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Wowzers! I invented a new use for the MuseCubes today. Story first, then tip below:

The Story: Singing Unlocks Brilliance

My friend Annie came over to cowork with me this morning. We usually meet for 3 hours, each working separately on important projects. Nothing like a fellow warm body to get these two solo entrepreneurs focused!

Today Annie needed some help. She was trying to write an essay, but was feeling stuck. I suggested she get up, dance around my big living room, and talk while she moves. In InterPlay lingo, this is called a Big Body Story.  I took notes, because I know that amazing ideas get unlocked when we move our bodies. And boy did I have to scribble hard — she was saying some great stuff!

I was surprised, though, that movement wasn’t the only trick to unlocking Annie’s creativity.

Afterwards I pointed out that Annie often uncovered a new brilliant idea whenever she would sing! More specifically,  when she sang the words “I don’t know what to say!” Usualy her singing was silly, often her head was thrown back with a more full throated sound. Each time (at least 3!), she always found a fun idea right after she sang.

MuseCube Tip: Roll Just the Voice Cube

Of course I couldn’t help think of the MuseCubes.

If you own a pair of MuseCubes, try this next time you find yourself feeling stuck:

  1. Roll the voice cube alone.
  2. Sing some words in the manner that the cube suggests. For example, if you roll a howl, try saying “I don’t know what to say!” in a howling way. Or if you roll “whoop”, try whooping the words “What should I write next!?”
  3. Roll the cubes at least three times.
  4. Go back to your work and see what’s new for you.

If you don’t own a pair of MuseCubes, you can still play with making silly noises while you talk. But if you’d like to get your own set of Cubes (or if you know someone who needs them!), please visit www.MuseCubes.com.

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