Conscious Educator Playground

Amelia's Takeover

AI & Education...Let's Play!

The Power of Celebration!

Decision Fatigue

Our students are often our greatest teachers. When we take the time to SEE, HEAR & VALUE them as the unique amazing humans they are we often walk away with insights and wisdom we may have missed in the rushing to "accomplish" the things of life. When was the last time you were immensely present with one of your students or your children? What did you experience? What did you learn? How did you feel; before, during, and after? As we enter then end of this calendar year it's in the micro-moments when we are present with one another where we find the true joy of why we are all here. Tune in as we dive into being present and learning through the lens of what Amelia has experienced throughout her educational career and what she sees for the future of education that can serve us all in the new year!

For some what comes to mind is "the customer is always right"... For some what comes to mind is being a customer shopping for something... What about in our schools? Who is the customer? What about in our lives? Do you consider yourself your first customer? Who do you think of as your customers in your world?...your family, your friends, your colleagues, your clients, your students, your SUPERvisors (more on this another time...just wanted to give you a little food for thought visual 😉)...someone else? Why is it important to articulate who our FIRST Customer is? Throughout our days we encounter other humans in all different ways and when we do so from a place of radical responsibility for who we are showing up as AND awareness of how we are approaching each individual we can radically transform our environments simply by shifting this lens to be intentional vs unconscious. Sending you all lots of love as you navigate this holiday season! 🤗

What does New Year's mean to you? Is it a time of launching into something new?  Are you excited to jump off the starting line? Is it a time of a fresh start, slowly allowing this year to unfold?  Is it an opportunity to reset, leaving behind that which no longer serves you? Do you celebrate a New Year with the Equinox (around March 21st) more so than the Gregorian calendar timeline (January 1st)? However you choose, choose it On Purpose...lead with your heart and mind in sync and create a rhythm that serves you first...then flows with those around you. What does your nervous system crave right now?...do that...listen to your intuition and begin trusting what you KNOW to be true for your needs before others wants. We will be sharing insights into how creating an intentional rhythm for yourselves and your students will pay dividends in the long run and how you can own your powerful intuitive wisdom about what will allow you to thrive throughout the rest of this year (whatever that means for you).  

How many times do we begin each year (for some of us it's each day) with an optimistic lens and dreams that we truly believe are possible?...only to fall short and have our internal voice say "I told you so"...or some other unkind version that we would never say to our BFF. As we dive into the holidays and begin dreaming into the New Year, let's take the intentional time to ground into what we truly desire and create a roadmap of how we can make that dream become our new reality! What I've come to know about optimizing my success is this: being honest with myself from the beginning of my plans, like radically honest and hearing my "itty-bitty-shitty committee" and asking them what they are afraid of...as if we're sitting together on a park bench talking and listening as BFF's, feeling my nervous system relax and allowing my truth of what will work connect me to the alignment of what I want and why I want it, knowing that only the most aligned things I desire will actually come to life taking a look at my past patterns of behavior and deciding how to celebrate what is working and retrain my brain and my behaviors for the habits that aren't working for me choosing one habit to rewire at a time is vital...even though I can see how they all play together...only focusing on ONE at a time to up-level creating a roadmap for myself so I can see it and revisit it versus having to hold it all in my mind connecting my what, to my why, to my when...knowing that when I set a target date for achieving my desired outcome and am anchored in why I want to achieve it and being clear on the specifics of what I am achieving I have the highest rate of success no matter how big or small the goal is Sheeba and I will dive into these details a bit more and talk about the ROI to taking the time to plan and anchor your plan in the data of who you show up as and how YOU CREATE the intentional life you get to live! Join us! We'd love to connect and answer any of your questions on my FB page...just click here.

Our school cultures are transforming whether we are making it happen intentionally or not. This ever evolving...rapidly evolving world we are living in is creating shifts in our schools that some have seen coming for decades, generations even...and some that none of us could have foreseen. How do we take our power back and create aligned cultures, healthy environments for teachers to work in and students to learn in? When will we say 'enough is enough' and lead from our intuitive strength and wisdom to design and live our Cultures On Purpose? Acknowledging that there will always be forces for and forces against these changes...and they are happening everyday in patterns we can take control of if we zoom out and take the time to invest in the waters we are swimming in each day...and when we all take radical responsibility for who we are showing up as. We can transform our cultures into comprehensive, sustainable, positive working and learning environments. We can create the lives we dream of, for ourselves and for our students. You are not alone, it's going to take all of us, in this together, with one another, without judgement and with a unity of THERE IS A BETTER WAY...we've got this, we're the ones we've been waiting for.

Have we lost sight of the true purpose of school? What are we really doing here? And after another tragic school shooting, I'm at a loss for words as I'm sure you are too. 😢😡 There is no "sense" to be made when families are grieving a senseless tragedy. And yet, we must continue to find a way through this epidemic. How many of us have to say ENOUGH?! Why are we in school...beyond learning, beyond teaching, beyond the surface of because we've always done it... Without asking "for what greater purpose" over and over again and really really diving into the depths of CONSCIOUS CONVERSATIONS in every school, in every community, in every state, across this country...we are going to continue to treat the symptoms. There is no one of us who has the answer. It's going to take all of us, all of us who are DONE with the way the current system is, to wake up each day focused on our purpose, our intuitive genius to come together and collaborate. We get to get to the root cause and create a better system that serves all children and all adults who serve them. We can create better, we can solve this, we're in this together.

Look for the moments of joy not just for the big wins... Easier said than done, right!? We know that being connected to a bigger why, a bigger purpose is a vital component to the science of happiness and how we can live happy lives...AND does it have to be a BIG why? I know that throughout my life I've always had a desire to be a part of something bigger than myself and I am grateful to have found work that fills my greater purpose cup..and yet it's not where I find the majority of my joy. The majority of my joy, my wellbeing, my happiness comes in the simplest of moments...the seemingly mundane micro-moments in life. For example, today one of my favorite moments that brought true joy to my entire nervous system was opening a package I got of packing-bags to use for my move and while on FaceTime with my niece joking that I could fit inside these bags and proceeded to climb in! 🤭😂🤓 We often focus on the big picture of how life is going or if we've achieved the milestone or goal we are aiming for, not being truly satisfied until that point. Which leads to not being fully present where we are and enjoying the journey. Life's a game and if we learn to enjoy the game, the play of it all that's where the true magic is. Why wait for just the big celebrations...build them in throughout your day...notice what is working. I promise it's life changing! It's not easy at first, since we are hard wired to look for what isn't working and keep ourselves and others safe from any impending danger...AND with practice you can change your life by shifting what you focus on and as Wayne Dyer's book titled "Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life" talks about, you have the ability, you can truly create the life you dream of, one micro-moment at a time! Tune in as we dive deeper into how transformational living for the micro-moments can be!

In the wake of any crisis we see servant leadership show up in enormous ways. The challenge I hear from so many leaders is how to maintain an environment where servant leadership is the norm and doesn't need a crisis to see it in action... Simon Sinek says it best in his book, Leaders Eat Last: "Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build a "Circle of Safety" that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside." How does trust show up within your teams? Is there an intentionality to creating a safe environment for everyone?

This wild ride of a week!… So you know those times when you just have one of those weeks that every possible emotion comes flooding in all at once and your body can’t seem to choose which one to feel so it’s a wild mixed bag of all of them…which makes you feel crazy and debilitated and frozen? This has been that week for me! Let’s go through the list for just the 24 hours of Wednesday morning to Thursday morning… Catastrophic hurricane with a bee-line direct for my sister and brother-in-law that had our entire family on pins and needles for 36 hours going through all the worst-case scenarios in our minds while trying to remain positive…CHECK My little sister going through surgery #2 after her car accident last May…mind you at the exact time that the eye of the hurricane was flying right by where my older sister lives…CHECK Opening escrow on my house to sell after living in Vegas for 24 years and now shit is REAL and I haven’t found my place to move into yet in Portsmouth…CHECK Waking up to a call from my son at 12:44 am because he had just hurt his fingers really bad and was wondering if he should go to the hospital…CHECK Mom watching the news about Florida calling and waking me up early worrying because there is absolutely nothing we can do…CHECK Finally hearing from Stacie that they are safe and their home is safe…CHECK Hearing from Hunter that his fingers are sore but going to be ok…CHECK Feeling love and connection from so many friends and relatives around the world…CHECK Trusting that selling my home and making this move is going to be a great start to this next book in my life (because this start is too big for just another chapter)…CHECK …AND BREATHE! 😮‍💨🧘🏻‍♀️ Sending you all love as you navigate the wild ride we are on as conscious humans feeling all the waves of our evolving world! We’ve got this…because we’ve got each other! Love you! ❤️🤗

I can show you all the ways you ARE...an Edupreneur... And all the benefits of leading through the massive transformation that is happening in the world of education from this mindset! If you're wondering what it means to be an Edupreneur, check out this blog we wrote a couple of years ago HERE.

Is there a moment in life when you've questioned everything? Where were you? What was happening?  What lessons were you seeking to uncover but may have not known you were looking for at the time? As I sit here getting ready for this upcoming podcast with my friend and former boss, Jenn Lim to talk all things happiness, I am reminded of the time she and Tony Hsieh "pushed" me out of the nest to truly follow my passion and purpose at a time when I was definitely questioning EVERYTHING in my life. And here we are almost 10 years later and I'm at another big transition phase, questioning everything as a new empty nester, having sold my home with no solid place to call home yet and feeling more connected to my intuition and trusting myself more than ever before. It's this interesting paradox as I grow, finding the rhythm between fear and joy and consciously choosing to be brave before I'm good at something. This space of questioning everything and embracing the uncertainty of life is leading me to the freedom I've been seeking my entire life. I am SO looking forward to this conversation with Jenn as I know we will GET REAL and raw about not only our own journeys Beyond Happiness but reminiscing about our dear friend, the late Tony Hsieh who brought us together as friends and fellow happiness travelers in this game of life. Tune in for this special episode of the Conscious Educator Playground Podcast live with Jenn Lim and dive deep into the nuggets of wisdom Beyond Happiness! Here's a little more about Jenn: Jenn Lim is the founder and bestselling author of Beyond Happiness and CEO of Delivering Happiness (DH), a company she and Tony Hsieh (the late CEO of Zappos.com) cofounded to create happier company cultures for a more profitable and sustainable approach to business. Delivering Happiness started as a book (New York Times and WSJ Bestseller, which sold one million copies worldwide) and evolved into a business consultancy and global movement that has impacted and inspired hundreds of companies and organizations worldwide. In her new bestselling book, Beyond Happiness: How Authentic Leaders Prioritize Purpose and People for Growth and Impact, Jenn draws on her decades of experience in culture and strategy to translate it into a practical “how-to” framework for more sustainable workplaces and modern organizational design. She guides all of us—no matter our title or role—how to live more meaningful lives through the work we do every day. Jenn’s mission is both simple and profound: to teach businesses how to create workplaces—led with happiness and humanity—that generate more profit, sustain all people at every level of the organization, and share how we can make a greater impact by being true to our authentic selves.

What is your natural rhythm in any given day? Do you wake up at the same time each day? Do you have a morning routine that fills your cup each day? Do you have a nighttime routine that satisfies your nervous system to rest easily each night? Do you find micro and macro moments each day when work feels effortless and time passes with joy, giving you more energy? How would you define your superpower in this life? We all have one...even if the experiences of life and the itty-bitty voices in your mind tell you otherwise... We all have a superpower that when we find it, embrace it, nurture it, celebrate it and amplify it...we find a flow and a rhythm to life that accelerates our attraction of all the success, wealth and desire we dream of. It's taken me a couple decades of intentional practice...and there are still days when I fall out of rhythm...to create a flow that serves me in all areas of my life. I'd love to accelerate that learning for you so that even in the midst of the craziness that inevitably happens, you've got this and you know exactly how to find and follow your unique flow. Want to learn more? Stream this episode to join the conversation as we dive a little deeper into amplifying your superpower in the midst of this wild ride called life.

You can try to mandate what matters... Yet most often it is met with resistance... So how do we define, measure and hold others accountable for what matters most? Humans thrive when they are connected to a greater purpose, engaged in meaningful work, and in an environment that leads with trust and safety, unifying a sense of progress on what matters most. In John Doerr's book "Measure What Matters", he brilliantly layers in the foundational elements of a comprehensive, sustainable, positive culture with OKR's (objectives and key results) as the system to achieve increased productivity and innovation in any organization. In its simplest form we can apply this wisdom to our daily lives at work or home: Set your objective (or intention or vision). List the important key results (milestones/ways you will know you are on the right track). Set the dates of when you will achieve those milestones/results. Layer in healthy communication (with yourself and others), aligned values (to ensure you and anyone else involved have the authentic buy-in and belief that this is in fact important and meaningful to you) and rewards...and you have the recipe for success. It takes time and practice...AND the results make it all worth it!

How many of us are good planners? How often do we really have time to plan ahead? As humans who live to serve others, it's why we wake up every day...we often feel as though the best laid plans get derailed. So then, why plan (says the itty bitty shitty committee in our brains)? 🤪 We all know that having a roadmap to follow helps us get to the destination we desire, whether that's an actual map to drive or fly or walk somewhere, or if that's a plan for how we will teach throughout our time with our students, or if it's a roadmap for how we want our life's journey to be. And yet, it's not always easy to slow down long enough to actually put that plan together in a way that we feel in our bones that it is real and WILL HAPPEN. This week in the Culture Playground Masterclass we are going to go through a simple structure to allow you to apply it to all areas of your life, your culture, your classroom and feel a sense of control and authentic resonance that your plan will be realized over the next 12 months. In 25 minutes I'm going to share with you the simplicity of designing, creating and living your life and your culture...ON PURPOSE! Come Play, Learn & Grow in the Conscious Educator Playground! You'll be happy you did...& you may even take something with you that you can share with your students and your colleagues. :) We can't wait to see you Thursday at 9 am PT! And remember if you can't make it live, please watch the recording at your convenience...it's only 25 minutes and I'm positive you'll walk away with at least one nugget you can use to your benefit.

What impact would you notice if we all showed up to communicate with the desire to create trusting, healthy relationships on purpose? Do you believe it's possible? My ever optimistic mind believes it is...AND that it will take time, practice and intention from all of us to create the spark and the ripple to make it happen. We have the wisdom and the power to design, create and live our lives as we dream them to be. And it starts with our relationships, most importantly our relationship with ourself and those we spend the most time with. Tune in as Sheeba and I discuss the cost of the lack of effective communication and trusting relationships in our schools, the ripple of impact that is has on all facets of our world and how we can take radical responsibility to change it one trust building conversation at a time.

When was the last time you took a deep dive into your current culture and experienced it with all of your senses? Culture is the collective capacity of who we all show up as. The culture we experience is connected to our senses. What's it like for you, your staff, those you serve to walk into your school, your office, your classroom (virtual or in person)? This week in the Culture Playground we are diving into all of our senses to discuss the power we have to create our environments on purpose and the impact that has on all those who enter our spaces. Ask those who come to visit what they experience...it's a beautiful window into designing, creating and living your CULTURE ON PURPOSE. Tune in for a 25 minute deep dive conversation that will empower you to own each piece of your environment to create the experience you desire.