New Zumba Classes!!

I know that it's not exactly Spintronix, but I am getting really excited about the fact that I'll be teaching Zumba classes starting TOMORROW at Champs Fitness in Mountain View, MO. The class starts at 7:30pm and it's going to be an absolute blast. Then I'll be doing regular weekly classes of 7:30pm on Tuesdays and 5:30pm on Thursdays. I have been working hard to make sure I have great playlists all ready to go and the moves are going to be hot.

If you want to know a little bit about the history of my relationship with Zumba, know that it's a crazy one. I did some Zumba classes with Tish and with Mary and Pam way back in the day, but I never had a regular enough schedule to keep up with doing them very often. I even kept in better shape while I was doing them, and I loved it so much that I wanted to teach it in addition to all of the millions of other things I was doing at the time. I incorporated some Zumba dances into the Spintronix warm-up routine and life became more fun because of it. However, I didn't have the time, money, or energy to get out and get the training necessary to teach classes.

Then came Brazil. My roommate and I enrolled in some Zumba classes and also another class that is similar in structure but more hip hop in style called "Street Jam." We kept on one another about going every day and we both got into great shape. The instructor Wendell is an incredible human being and we both became very focused on making sure we made it to our classes. I started playing with the idea of becoming Zumba certified again and found that it was much easier to do since I was living right there in Rio de Janeiro, the capital of the Zumba craze in Brazil! My roommate and I both signed up and got our training down, and it was a fantastic experience. Another awesome point about it was that the woman who trained us was the girlfriend of our other dance teacher! Just one big happy family there in Brazil...

When I came back to the states, I had no intention of starting my own class just yet. With all of the new ideas I had for my biology classes, an offer to teach at the college level, and of course the new season of Spintronix fast approaching I just didn't think it would be something I would have time to do. But then, I started going to everyone's classes in the area - sometimes driving as far as an hour away - to get my Zumba fix. I went from dancing 8-10 hours per week to dancing 4 hours per week and having to drive at least two of those nights. It made things very stressful. So when the students of one class I was subbing for approached me about starting my own class, i definitely had a lot to consider! And of course, I decided I would... I mean, it would save on me driving far away and it would help me to keep developing myself as an instructor.

Now, I'm just super excited! If you are too, then I'll see you tomorrow!!!

<3 Jackie

Inspirational - Reprinted with Permission

Ever notice how things happen in your life that just plain inspire you? Ever notice how those things don't generally happen online, but out there, in the big, wide, real world?? At least, that's how it happens for me! I do something or see something and it just causes me to want to keep living that way. It may be hard for people to find inspiration in their every day, but they tend to chain themselves to their habits and lifestyle choices like their lives depend on it. In reality, their lives are being taken apart by the very things they are clinging to make them whole!

 

Therefore, I am learning how to be more efficient on my computer so that I can spend more time off of it, more time getting out, and more time letting life happen to me. I have a little notebook where I can jot things down and be inspired for writing later. What a fun life this is turning out to be!

J.M. Hope

Have you ever just felt brain-stuck?

I have had a really hard time in the past having a "growth mindset." The problem was, I always thought I had a growth mindset. I thought that I was as open-minded as I could possibly be and that I had learned everything I needed to know to be able to teach students well. The thing about a growth mindset is that not only should I be looking to grow the minds around me, I need to also leave room for my mind to grow.

Going to Rio for a few months was incredibly helpful for me to switch back into this mindset of knowing that there is still more even for me to learn. With that in mind, I am able to plunge forward and create new and exciting opportunities for my students. For instance, we as teachers are always taught that we have to reach the students in order to teach them, and that if we aren't reaching all of them and engaging them then we are not teaching them anything. On the other hand, there are some so-called realists in the field who will tell you that there are some students who are absolutely impossible to reach and you shouldn't expend your energy because if they don't care and their parents don't care then you shouldn't either. This is where a growth mindset often devolves into a fixed mindset; we think that things are the way they are and there is nothing that we can do to change them. But the world is dynamic and so is the human brain... it could be that one teacher is the difference between the student engaging and learning more than ever or sitting back in class and becoming a bump on a log for the rest of their life. I don't think that a teacher should completely turn his or her life inside out trying to get to a student who doesn't want to be reached, but if they don't even try then how will they ever know?

I've been examining my own lesson plans and my own ideas with this new perspective gained from watching a school system in another country. Since I returned to the states, I have found myself often looking at ways children are taught in a variety of other places and wondering how I can implement something similar into my lessons. There's definitely going to be some lesson edits going on here as the year goes on.

<3 Jackie

Get Ready for It... - Reprinted with Permission

School is in session! Well, not right at this second, because it is the weekend... but it will be tomorrow! Busy, busy. I have a lot to look forward to this semester, and not a lot of time to do it all, Hopefully I can get my schedule all hammered out so that I have time to do everything that I want to do.

 

I think the problem is that I want to do too much. And then I want to be a writer on top of all of that? You have got to be kidding me... I mean, I have got to be kidding myself because I can't possibly do all the things I want to do, plus get back in shape, plus write, plus keep my sanity. Alright kids, help me out here. I think I'm turning into a crazy teacher!

J. M. Hope

Looking the part... How to make people believe you are what you want to be.

I slathered my lipstick on a little too thick in the morning and it caused me to make a face at my reflection. I recalled talking to a student last year who was wearing too much makeup and thinking "oh my goodness, I can't take you seriously while you look like this." But the thing was, I wasn't on my way to school, I was on my way to judge a color guard competition. It would be difficult to be taken seriously as a guard or dance judge if I didn't wear some makeup.

That's the thing about the wide variety of activities and professions we have in our world; they all look different. When we are young, we are told that we should express ourselves and be who we want to be. As we get older, we are told to dress more professional and look professional. But being in two vastly different careers as I am, I have found that the definition of "professional" has a lot more flex than we are teaching to our students. And it's such a big piece of being successful - looking the part that you want to play.

If I'm going to give a presentation in front of the school board, I am going to dress up as clean and straight-laced as I can. This would include a button-down shirt, slacks, and maybe even a jacket or vest. I wouldn't dare wear my Zumba instructor clothes because one look at me and nobody would be listening to any of the words coming out of my mouth, because they would be internally giggling to themselves about my clothes. On the other hand, I wouldn't even dream of wearing a suit to a Zumba class! And wearing the bright colors of clothing and lipstick and whatever in Zumba is fun and inspiring to the students there, so it's the appropriate and professional thing to wear in that situation. When I'm teaching biology, my favorite thing to wear is a polo or a blouse and slacks. When I'm judging color guard competitions it's a polo and khakis for sure. The look changes to fit what I'm doing and I don't think that we teach that well enough to our students.

One of the things I am doing this year is teaching students how to pursue projects of passion. As they do this, they are going to also have to learn to look the part of their chosen passion. Whether it's nursing or beekeeping, dancing or teaching, these kids are learning that they need to really pay attention to how they look if they want to be taken seriously in the field they are discussing. It might not be the most important aspect of the project, but the book cover is never considered the most important part of a book either - and yet what do we use to judge whether we want to read a book or not? What are my students' audience members going to use to decide if they want to pay attention to the presentations? It's not the most important part maybe, but it's definitely more important than we think!

<3 Jackie

Confidence - Reprinted with Permission

DCI Championships was great! I loved seeing all of my favorite corps perform for the last time. There were so many who didn't make it but deserved the honor, and so many who also performed their heart out on that night! I love The Cadets's show the most, Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday!

Band camp season also went quite well for me. I am really becoming more confident in my skills as a guard instructor. I have even been thinking about the possibility of instructing a drum corps color guard sometime soon, what do you think of that? It would definitely be a lot of fun, but I would have to really strive to do it since I generally have very packed summers as it currently stands.

Unfortunately, all of this has really put me behind on writing and lowered my confidence in my writing skills as well. I do have good news there; I have a couple of family members who have volunteered to do some proof-reading so that I don't have to rely on just one friend all the time anymore. It will make things go a lot faster when I get to that stage. Now if I could just sit down and write for a few days straight...

J.M. Hope

Why Monday is the best day of the week

I love Mondays.

How many people will you ever hear say that?? Probably not a lot!

We have a serious problem in this country with hating the work week so much and loving the weekends so much that we absolutely loathe the first day back to work each week. I was one of those people for many years, and it started when I was in high school. I can't put my finger on exactly WHY I started hating Mondays so much in high school, but I'm sure it was some combination of my teachers setting an example of Monday malice, my peers exhibiting modeling behaviors, the general pop culture of distaste for the work week, and normal teenage germinal angst. The serious problem with this topic is that I held on to this bad habit all the way through college, all the way through grad school, and then on into my first few years of teaching full time.

Think about it, I spent one seventh of each week hating the day just because everyone else did. That's one seventh of my life drenched in rancor without purpose.

A couple of years ago a man named Casey Neistat began vlogging every day on YouTube. And he couldn't have appeared in my life at a better time because I was heading down a path of misery and had no understanding of why. What I really needed was a new perspective. And that's what I got from him. He LOVES Mondays. His work ethic and passion for life are unmatched by anyone in their 30's that I know of. Watching him go about his day and exhibit the eagerness of an 18-year-old in the bottom level of their first dream job changed my life.

So why on earth love Mondays? Here are five reasons:

1. It's the start of something fresh and new. Whatever happened last week was last week, and no matter how good or bad it was this new week is a blank slate to start again.

2. I'm the most rested I can possibly be all week. Especially when I get to take Sundays off to just chill, it makes life so much happier!

3. I haven't seen the students all weekend, so they have new stories to tell.

4. I love my job, and I get to do it.

5. With the whole week ahead of me, who knows what could happen!

I hope more people in life find the inspiration and perspective that they need to start living more positively. With this sort of mindset, we can be a more productive society and find happiness in our daily lives.

<3 Jackie

Thoughts Forgotten & DCI Finals - Reprinted with Permission

I bet you thought I had forgotten about you this week, didn't you!! Nope, nope, just been busy as always. I've also been turning to my handwritten journal for a lot of my writing lately since it isn't always inspirations I want to share with the world.

 

This week is world championships for drum corps international, so if you know what that is all about then you are probably as excited as me and most of my friends. We are heading to Indianapolis and it is really going to be a blast of a time. I'm cheering for the Cadets this year for sure (I have been cheering for them for the past couple of years), and Carolina Crown too because their new guard caption head is a really awesome guy. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Muncie, IN show. I can't wait to see Bluecoats again with their incredible glamor (I swear, they sneeze glitter!) and Blue Stars with their lovely ocean-themed show. I love mermaids when I was growing up, so that is a true treat for me.

 

Spirit is pretty phenomenal this year (I mean, come on, they have a Vegas showgirl on the field! Mad props) although I am really upset with the amount of recordings they are depending upon. If I wanted to hear Frank Sinatra or Lady Gaga performing, I would be at a concert or just turning the radio up in the car. I go to drum corps shows to see what amazing things the KIDS are capable of doing, and puching "play" on an iPod doesn't count.

 

Fan favorite for me this year is Glassmen with their "face" flags. I wish I could've been on Glassmen's guard this year JUST so I can have a flag with a picture of my own face on it! That would be awful if you got the wrong flag during a performance, though, so I'm glad they have that organized.

 

There are LOTS of other great shows on this year. I'm busying myself with DCI's free live webcast of prelims right now... anybody could check it out too! Have fun and good luck to all my friends marching!

J.M. Hope

5 Steps for Successful Recruitment!!

One of the big issues we face in Spintronix is the same problem that a lot of color guards face; recruitment! The things we do as a color guard are so thrilling, complex, and teachable that we want to share it with the world. How do you show everyone what you do in such a way that they will want to learn how to do it as well. Here are some of our favorite and most effective methods of recruiting...

1. Create a website and/or Facebook page.

Have an internet location that houses all of the information about your team that people might want to know. How old do you have to be? Do you have to attend a certain school? What skills do you have to have, if any? When and where do you meet to practice? When and where do you perform? Make it look professional so everyone knows you mean business!

2. Set dates.

Set up dates in advance for informational meetings and/or rehearsals so you can have a deadline of when to be prepared.

3. Create posters.

I'm not talking about slapping some information into Microsoft Word and then printing off a million copies; I mean make some serious posters with full color photos from performances, beautiful (but readable) fonts, and a nicely designed layout. Make sure you have your website and/or Facebook page clearly printed somewhere on the poster so people can find out more information. Again, look professional! This is serious business we are talking about doing here!

4. Print smaller informational flyers.

These are great to hand out at your performances or any other event where it is allowed, and they can just be a small, quarter-page with some text explaining who your group is and how to find more information. They don't need to be as flashy as your posters as they are usually for people who are already interested.

5. Perform locally.

It may seem like a no-brainer, but just doing performances in the town where you are based is so helpful in getting your group's identity out there where people can see it. For winter guards, this might mean performing during halftime of the high school (or college) basketball games, attending pep rallies, performing in parades, or just getting together to do smaller performances at local festivals and fairs.

Having an advertising budget and plan can also be really helpful if you have some money for your group. Facebook ads are really helpful and can be modified to target only people in certain geographical areas you want to target. Printing flyers and posters can cost money as well so be prepared! Then get ready to have the biggest guard you've had yet!

Back in Shape - Reprinted with Permission

This week has been really great for getting the blood moving and having some exercise to spare. I got into some really good habits and I am hoping to keep them going!

 

It is important to me to stay healthy, especially since I sort of have a desk job. I know I probably won't ever have my drum corps body back, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try. My family made the comment the other day while watching beach volleyball that the girls there look the way I used to when I marched! It can get embarassing when people compare me to what I used to be!

 

I started in on Sparkpeople.com, so I can track what I eat, track how much I exercise, etc. It is going to be rather intensive but I think once I get used to entering information in daily I will be able to do it rather quickly without trouble. I have already gotten into the habit of writing in my blog weekly, doing push-ups at least three times a week, and checking eBay daily (people have been buying things off of there like crazy for some reason!).

 

Wish me luck, I am going to need this.

J.M. Hope

Why making new friends is so hard for adults

When you were a kid, making friends was so super easy. You saw someone wearing a Spongebob Squarepants shirt or playing with a toy you were fond of and you just walked right up to join them. Sometimes that went well and you became friends with the kid, other times they didn't want to share and you either had to back off or fight them for some play time. The fact of the matter is, as you got older you took in all of this information and became more calculating when meeting new people. You wanted to find friends who would share and stay away from situations where you might have to show somebody who's boss. By the time you got to high school, you were probably involved in so many "Mean Girls"-style situations that the cost of the squabbles far outweighed the benefits of making a new friend.

Now, welcome to adulthood. You might not like to admit it, but somewhere deep down you are afraid to make new friends. It can be hard to break out of this pattern learned as a child and then a teenager, but I have to tell you that it's worth the trouble. Do it, and realize that the other people are probably just as afraid to make new friends as you are, but they will be thankful that you made the first step (or at least responded positively to when they make the first step). Do it, and know that you are making someone else's life richer so long as you are allowing them to make yours that way as well. We all need friends, and so many times as adults we tend to push friendship aside in favor of working or hobbies or some other thing that we learned was more important. The truth is, our relationships with other people are what make any of that other stuff worthwhile.

Being in another country, I had to keep myself in check a lot of times with this. I would often see another person and find myself inspecting their expression, their body language, their demeanor... when really all I needed to do was go up to them and say hi. It's a good learned habit to be precautious, you don't want to walk up to someone who could potentially pull a gun out and mug you, but when you are in a situation where you are supposed to be meeting new people it can be let down a bit more than what I was doing. What I often found when I greeted someone new or gave an unexpected smile or wave was that the other person was wanting to be friends just as much as I was, they were just scared to take the next step.

Continuing with your timeline, I can also say that it has been my experience that as you enter into your senior years the "fear" seems to be reversed. I can't tell you how many elder adults had no problem walking right up to me and talking to me without even caring so much if I spoke their language let alone if I was going to be a nice person or welcome their company! If their wisdom has taught me anything, it's to be brave in the face of your fears, even if those fears manifest themselves in some form of social anxiety. It will be worth it later.

<3 Jackie