With the release of “Innovate Inside the Box” this past week, I was given the fantastic opportunity to share my “Sunday Seven” with the Burgess Consulting community which “IMPress Books” is a part of as a subsidiary company.
The “Sunday Seven” is just seven random things from different people each week and I have found some great educational tools, followed some great people, and found some excellent TV shows. If you want to subscribe to this email list, you can do that here.
Here is my attempt at it this week.
1. An App that makes me smile. TikTok is the new “Vine” for me. When Vine went away, I was destroyed. TikTok is the closest thing, and although it started as “Musica.ly” with mostly lip-synching videos, it is now a wide range of short videos from highlights, to funny sketches, etc. When I am stressed, I scroll through TikTok, and it makes me smile. This app reminds me that sometimes apps are just for mindless fun and that can be okay. This “TikTok” makes me laugh every time I see it.
2. An app that I could not live without. Aaptiv is an excellent fitness app that has different programs from weight lifting, cycling, running, yoga, and meditation. I use it every single day, and the “coach in your ear” model has helped me tremendously. I have improved my running significantly by using this app. It isn’t free, but for me, it is worth the monthly subscription price.
3. Book on education that I just read that I love. “Be Excellent on Purpose” by Sanée Bell is a must-read for educational leaders but has lessons and ideas for all K-12 educators. Not only is it a great read, but I know of Sanée’s work, and her work is legit. This is my favorite quote from the book and one I refer to often:
“Students should have rich, relevant, and authentic experiences at school, across the board.”
It is a simple yet powerful quote and should be the aim of all of the work that we do in education. It is a great book, and Sanée is an even better person. You can connect with Sanée on Twitter.
4. The movie I have watched the most in my life. I can recite every single line from “Can’t Buy Me Love” with a young Patrick Dempsey. If I am ever channel surfing, which I rarely do, and that movie is on, I am watching it. I don’t know why I love this movie so much, but it is still one of my favorite movies of all-time.
5. Instagram account that inspires me. I love the quotes and messages shared from Alexandra Elle (@alex_elle) as they are ones that both inspire and make me think. I recently shared one of her quotes on Instagram, which came to me at just the right moment. It simply stated this;
“the older i get, the more comfortable i am with not entertaining things that make me feel unworthy, uncertain, and unclear.”
After I saw that quote, I just started reading through everything from her account and go back and read her quotes often. Beautiful stuff.
6. Broadway Soundtrack I love. “Dear Evan Hansen” is a fantastic soundtrack and a fascinating story that ties in bullying, social media, and the impact it can have on our lives and our need to be “seen.” I loved the soundtrack, and then I saw the play, and now I listen to it almost daily. I will be honest that I struggled a bit with the message of the play but it really makes me think. A great show and soundtrack
6. An idea for every new parent or grandparent. Years ago I saw the “Dear Sophie” commercial which highlights a dad that created an email account for his daughter and emailed her his life through his eyes from her birth to the present day (if you can make it through the commercial without crying, you might be stronger than I am). I started an email account for my daughter Kallea about three months before she was born, and I take time to write her emails now and then, and it is one of the most powerful exercises I have done as a parent. The thought of talking to her in the future, whether I am here or not, allows me to create something extraordinary for both of us. Even if your own children are older, this is still a great idea and something I am so glad that I started.
You can connect with me on Instagram or Twitter at @gcouros.
(The full “Dear Sophie” video is below.)
