Category Archives: Mindfulness

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Celebrating Impactful Education: A Recap of My Keynote at DC Everest School District in Wisconsin

I would love to be a speaker at your event!

I recently had the honor of being the keynote speaker at an incredible event hosted by DC Everest School District in Wisconsin, and I couldn’t wait to share the highlights with you all.

First and foremost, let me express my immense gratitude for the opportunity to speak to fellow educators. It’s not just a passion of mine; it’s my favorite thing to do. The experience at DC Everest was nothing short of fantastic. From the moment I stepped into the venue, I knew it was going to be a memorable day. The educators and leaders at DC Everest made it truly special, and I must mention the unexpected surprise of being gifted a walk-up song – AC/DC’s Thunderstruck. Yes, you read that right! It’s a long story, but suffice it to say, we embraced it wholeheartedly and set the tone for an amazing day of learning and growth.

I must extend a huge shout-out to Brady Messenberg, Director of Technology, and his entire team for orchestrating such a remarkable conference. Brady’s dedication and commitment to creating an impactful event that resonated with so many individuals is commendable. The multitude and diversity of sessions offered – over 111 in total – truly showcased the innovative spirit of DC Everest School District. Personally, I found myself reevaluating my own practices after attending Brady’s session on cybersecurity. It’s clear that DC Everest is paving the way for excellence in education, and I was proud to be a part of it.

Brady Mesenberg & Kelly Croy at DC Everest Schools

I also want to express my gratitude to the individuals who made the event even more memorable. From Felecity Treptow to Rita Mortenson, Melissa Piette, Tammy Trzebiatowski, Wes Molyneux, Casey Nye, Tracey Ravey, Jeff Lindell, and many more – your presence and enthusiasm made the day truly special. Special thanks are also due to Jack for his hard work on the video production and Joey for ensuring impeccable sound quality. I made sure Jack received one of my brand new Willy-Wonka-Styled Golden Tickets that ensures him copies of my book, mention in my next book, a spot on my podcast and more! I always wanted to offer a golden ticket, and hid a second in one of the books that day. Fun! DC Everest, you are truly amazing, and I can’t thank you enough for the warm welcome and the opportunity to be a part of something extraordinary.

But the journey doesn’t end there. As much as I cherished my time at DC Everest, I’m eager for more opportunities to connect with educators and leaders across different districts and events. If you’re reading this and thinking about organizing an educational event or seeking a keynote speaker, look no further! I would be honored to bring my insights, passion, and joy for education to your audience. Let’s make an impact together.

Now, as we wrap up, I want to take a moment to address something important. Education is not just a job; it’s a lifestyle. It’s about making a difference, day in and day out. I understand the pressures and challenges that come with it, I was a classroom teacher for 27 years: I know: the constant striving for more, the occasional self-doubt, the feeling of never doing enough. But let me remind you, you are incredible. Your dedication, your commitment to growth, your willingness to make a difference – it’s what sets you apart. So, be kind to yourself, celebrate your wins, and remember, your best days in education are yet to come. Educators are my favorite species.

Thank you all for your unwavering dedication to education. Let’s continue to uplift, inspire, and make a difference, one day at a time.

And for those interested, here are the presentations I delivered at the Wisconsin event:

1. Be Careful What You Label a Weakness! How a Permanent Beta Mindset Transforms Education
Every single person in our schools should feel joy, purpose, and fulfillment. Join me as we explore how adopting a Permanent Beta mindset can revolutionize education, allowing everyone to level-up, make a difference, and feel great. It’s an amazing presentation where we laugh, reflect and adopt a growth mindset and a wonderfully positive mindset on the work we do. So many come up to me afterward and said, “That is exactly what we needed!” Fun!

2. Breakout Session with District Leadership: Lead Every Day & Level-Up Your Personal & Professional Leadership
Elevate your leadership skills and transform your school into a thriving learning community. Learn the six tenets of leadership and how they can serve others, along with practical insights from my book Along Came a Leader: A Guide to Personal and Professional Leadership.

3. Breakout Session with Support Staff: The Six Things Everyone Needs to Hear, The Five People You Need in Your Life, and Why We Get Our Best Ideas in the Shower!
That’s a long title! LOL. Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed? You’re not alone. Join me as we explore strategies to bring back energy, passion, and control to your life, ensuring that no one leaves work wondering if they made a difference. Much of the content here is based on my book Unthink Before Bed which is helping thousands of children and educators reclaim their days and nights with the coping skills they need to confront and conquer anxiety, stress, imposter syndrome, and fear of tomorrow. It’s changing lives.

Let’s continue to inspire and uplift one another. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our students and colleagues. Thank you for being amazing educators!

Always forward,

Kelly

I would like to speak at your event!

Order Kelly’s books, Along Came a Leader and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker
Twitter: @kellycroy
Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast
and of course: Facebook.

Sign-up for Kelly’s newsletter here.

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Silicone Bracelets are My Tattoos

Advertising to Myself the Mindset I Need

My dad served in the Navy during the Korean War, and he had one tattoo. It was on his left upper arm, tattooed in green, depicting his beloved horse, Bud Will.

Bud Will was Dad’s racing horse, a cherished companion. Bud had passed away before I was born.

When I was little, Dad would sometimes call out to me, “You want to ride a racehorse?”

“Yes, of course!” I’d respond with a gigantic grin.

Dad would then roll up the sleeve of his white t-shirt to reveal Bud Will. He’d place me on his knee and perform a pretty good imitation of a bugle before a race. If you know, you know. “And they’re off…” Dad would say, bouncing his knee, announcing the advancing positions of each horse, who was on the inside lane, every turn, with me almost falling off in excitement.

Bud Will always won. Every time.

After the race, Dad would put me back on the floor, look me in the eye with forearms as thick as tree trunks, and say, “You better never get a tattoo.”

And I didn’t. And I won’t.

Those memories are precious.

Tattoos are cool. I see guys with with sleeves of intricate designs and they evoke sincere admiration from me; however, I’ve come to the realization that tattoos just aren’t for me, and I promised my dad.

Jewelry, too, doesn’t find its place in my wardrobe. Instead, I opt for silicone bracelets – a guilty pleasure of mine.

Silicone bracelets… you know, the ones with motivational messages on them. 

I’ve been sporting them for as long as I can remember. My very first was the yellow “Live Strong” bracelet endorsed by Lance Armstrong before his fall from grace. It’s curious how swiftly people abandoned wearing his bracelets that aimed at supporting cancer research. I guess we showed him. Really?! I still think the bracelets and Lance were cool. Live Strong. Yes, I will. Good message. Great cause. A lesson in hubris.

The other day, I found myself donning four silicone bracelets simultaneously – a personal record I’m inclined not to repeat as it felt like a wee bit of an excessive display.

The inscriptions on the bracelets read:

  • “Don’t tell them, show them.”
  • “Nothing is Impossible.”
  • “Listen. Learn. Connect.”
  • “E+R=O”

Indeed, quite a collection, like a sleeve of tattoos concealed beneath my shirt, barely noticeable to others.

Though mostly inconspicuous, these bracelets serve as reminder to myself. They embody principles and values I strive to uphold, rather than serving as a means to proclaim my uniqueness or to convert cynics into motivational gurus.

Once, a friend glanced at my bracelets and remarked, “I’m not into that.”

Curiously, I wondered, “Into what?” Did he mistake my bracelets for symbols of membership in a cult? These silicone bracelets are my tattoos.

Perhaps he presumed they were intended for him. It reminded me of Carly Simon’s song “You’re So Vain,” where the lyrics go, “I’ll bet you think this song is about you.” These bracelets are for me.

I don’t have much fashion sense, and I try not to wear brands of companies with bold logos. However, when it comes to messages that are uplifting or push me, well… I embrace them because I’m into positivity. I’m into advertising positivity to myself.

We need to watch what we say to ourselves. Whether we want to admit it or not, we talk to ourselves more than anyone else talks to us. (Hopefully mostly inside our head, but outside is okay sometimes. Sometimes.) We need to be kind to ourselves and choose our words carefully. We shouldn’t even joke about calling ourselves dumb or worthless because every single advertisement adds up and makes an impact. We choose our thoughts about ourselves and we choose our words. It matters. That’s why I wear silicone tattoos. I am advertising to myself. I advertise to myself about the person I want to become. These bracelets reinforce the mindset I need. 

Silicone bracelets are my tattoos.

Bud won every time, and so will I.

Always forward,

Kelly

 

I would like to speak at your event!

Order Kelly’s books, Along Came a Leader and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker
Twitter: @kellycroy
Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast
and of course: Facebook.

Sign-up for Kelly’s newsletter here.

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My Reflection on My Personal and Professional Goals for 2023 and The Best Advice I Received

A Year Ago I Published a Blog Here Stating I Would Podcast How I Did With My Goals

Happy New Year to you.

(Last year I wrote the blog post “Goals for 2023” and shared I would record a podcast of how I did at the end of the year. Hit play above to listen episode I promised.)

Regardless of age or circumstance, there’s something truly enchanting about the beginning of a new year. It’s a time to set goals, make resolutions, and dream big. I’m a firm believer in the power of intentional goal-setting, and I want to share some insights and tools that have significantly enhanced my own journey.

Having just wrapped up a fantastic winter break with my family, I’m fueled by the warmth of shared experiences and the anticipation of what lies ahead. I’m a dedicated goal-setter, and I find that setting objectives and journaling are invaluable tools for planning and living a fulfilling life.

I just hit publish on ​Episode 235 of my Wired Educator Podcast​. It’s a personal reflection on the highs, lows, and everything in between that defined my journey in 2023. In this special episode, I delve into the impact I made, the setbacks I encountered, and the successes I celebrated. It’s a candid exploration of the lessons learned and the growth experienced over the past year.

Overall, 2023 was a fantastic year. That doesn’t mean I hit all my goals or even most; it means I made progress.

Exactly one year ago, armed with my trusty Moleskine Journal, I set forth a comprehensive list of over 50 personal and professional goals for 2023. To hold myself accountable and invite you into this journey, I committed to breaking down each goal in a dedicated podcast episode. It wasn’t an easy task, but transparency and accountability are crucial for personal development. ​Join me as I share the results of this ambitious goal-setting venture.​ Discover the achievements, the lessons in resilience, and the unexpected turns that shaped my year. I hope this episode serves as both an honest account of my journey and an inspiration for you to set and pursue your own goals.

This was a humbling but fun recording. So, why do I do it? It’s not about bragging; it’s about the belief that sharing our experiences and knowledge can genuinely help others. Just like a classroom setting, I see blogging, newsletters, and podcasting as platforms where we can learn and grow together.

Listen to the episode here: • On my website: ​https://wirededucator.com/goalreviewof2023/​ • On Spotify: ​https://open.spotify.com/episode/3odj9QW0OSYfMpf33ANECO?si=2uicDM73T7OgYCbG_qHawA​ • On Apple Podcasts: ​https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wired-educator-podcast/id974270220?i=1000640159417​

Best Advice I Received in 2023: I collect inspirational words and excellent advice. In fact, I write them down in the front of my journal under a section titled “Words to Live By.” This year the best advice I received was: “The magic fix you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.” I don’t know where I found this gem, or who said it. They’re not my words, but it has guided me in 2023. I love it. Another inspirational bit of advice I received was from author, Jon Acuff. He said, quite simply, “Stay in the game!” This spoke to me because I almost let my podcast go. I was being inconsistent in several areas of life because I had broken the streak. He emphasized to me the importance of sticking with my art and work. Love these two bits of advice. I hope they serve you.

Also,I’m offering a Coaching Opportunity: Want to start a podcast, speak on stage, publish a book, build a website, start a blog, become a better leader, complete the goal of your dreams? I have helped many educators publish books, start podcasts, and begin their service as keynote speakers and EDU consultants. I haven’t offered this in a while, and I am only going to keep this link open for a short time. I ONLY work with three people a year. If you are serious about moving forward complete the following form. Click here to learn about a paid coaching opportunity with Kelly: https://forms.gle/S3PK5194CyEGqT3o6

Always forward,

Kelly

I am a professional speaker, and I would like to speak at your event.

Order Kelly’s books, Along Came a Leader and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker
Twitter: @kellycroy
Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast
and of course: Facebook.

Sign-up for Kelly’s newsletter here.

 

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October is National Bullying Awareness Month

Free Guide: What to Do With your Life when a Bully Steps into it

October is Bullying Awareness Month. This is a great time for schools to organize events and programs to help educate students, families and staff about bullying.

I have created a free resource you can download titled, What Everyone Needs to Know About Bullying. I hope you will share it with everyone you can. I believe it delivers a message that many need to hear and practice.

I will be updating this this free ebook very during the month of October. I also hope to release an audio version of it on my Wired Educator Podcast so you can listen to it while you drive, workout, walk the dog, or whatever. I really want this message to spread to help as many lives as possible.

The bottom line is this: The opposite of bullying is leadership.

We need to teach and train students to be better leaders online and off. It’s that simple. Everyone talks about the importance of leadership, but few, very few, take the time to teach it.

I will be sharing my What Everyone Needs to Know About Bullying with schools and parent groups throughout the school year. I would love to share it with you!

If you are a parent, read this ebook with your child. If you are a teacher, make copies and share it with your students. If you are and administrator, share it with your staff. Have conversations about the material.

Kelly

Order Kelly’s books, Along Came a Leader and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library.

Looking for a speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 226 episodes of interviews and professional development. •

 • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

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Sharing My Children’s Book at Right To Read Week at Bataan Memorial School

Ten Social Emotional Tips for Parents and Children

Last week was Right to Read Week at Bataan Memorial Intermediate School, and I had the honor and privilege of being invited to share my children’s book, Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness.

First of all, the students were absolutely amazing! Over 300 students gathered in the cafeteria for my presentation which included my start as a reader, writer and illustrator, then transitioned into a read aloud of my book, then a live speed drawing of characters from the book set to music, and ended with a question and answer with me any my co-author, Jedi. Jedi is my dog and a character in the book. Everyone was so well behaved and mannerly. Each listened actively as I read the book aloud to them and shared images of the pages on the computer screen. They loved the speed drawing. The question and answer was a lot of fun, but Jedi stole the show when he came out at the end. Every student petted him as they left. Again, these kids were so polite and well mannered. What a great audience. I love Bataan School.

Contact me if you’d like Jedi and I to visit your school.

The Presentation included:

  • My love of reading, writing and drawing.
  • The most influential books in my childhood.
  • How I made the book.
  • A read aloud of Unthink Before Bed.
  • A speed drawing I created to music using my iPad projected on the screen set to music. (Kids loved it!)
  • Question and Answer time.
  • Everyone met my dog, Jedi, a character in the book.
  • Everyone pet the dog as they left. (Almost everyone.)

I encouraged the students to use devices to create not just to consume. I also shared a highlight from the book that devices have bedtimes! Devices are great, but they are often only used for consumption and limits are not placed on them. I like to show people what they can really do with a device creatively.

Unthink Before Bed teaches some great Social Emotional lessons. Imagine reading a book to your child that is fun and entertaining, AND helps them learn great coping skills they will need the rest of their life.

There were ten social emotional lessons in the book that I reviewed with students to help them cope with anxiety and stress: 

  • Create a routine.
  • Put on pajamas.
  • Devices have bedtimes.
  • Store devices in another room.
  • Practice long, slow breathing with eyes closed.
  • Picture your surroundings and your body.
  • Use all of your senses to picture nature.
  • Think ‘just one thing; and the eventually ‘nothing.’
  • Give thanks.
  • Know you are loved and that tomorrow will be great.

I think Unthink Before Bed is a great book and hope you do too. You can order your copy here.

~Kelly

If you like what you’ve read, please share-out with our friends on social media and tag me. Don’t forget the #LeadEveryDay hashtag. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker
Twitter: @kellycroy
Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast
and of course: Facebook.

Sign-up for my newsletter here:

I’ve written two books, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness .

Send me an email. 

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Get Out of Here!

Every time we leave town our problems shrink because our perspective grows. 

I had the pleasure this past week to leave town and visit family.

While I enjoyed: hanging out with relatives, good food, and exchanging fun stories, another blessing crossed my mind; it is a wonderful gift to change your location, routine and perspective.

The nine hours in the car wasn’t easy, but my wife and I really got to spend some time with one another. Physical discomfort of sitting for so long aside, there is a genuine importance to switching up your routine and literally getting away from the perspective from which you see the world the majority of the time.

As hard as I try to bring variety and a fresh perspective to my work and my family life, I fall into a routine. I see the same things. I do the same things. I talk about the same things. Most significantly, I observed, my approach to life becomes a bit routine.

Just being on the road allowed me to count my blessings and change my perspective as we encountered people who were: homeless, in distress, in trouble, sour to the world, and challenged in many unique ways. Our family has our own challenges too, but what we saw was a reality of life that we are typically spared from during our work and school week routines. We don’t encounter these harsher realities, or when we do it’s on the news and a bit distant. (Don’t even get me started on how our social media consumption literally and figuratively filters the world into a false ‘magical place of beauty and perfection.’)

We all need a change in perspective a little more frequently.

My biggest takeaway: The problems I thought were problems are not really problems.

I had more fun than I deserved with some amazing family, but I am also thankful for the needed change in perspective our travels highlighted.

Routines begin to narrow our focus ever so gradually until we have a pretty fixed mindset.

Every time we leave town our problems shrink because our perspective grows.

I challenge organizations to encourage visits to conferences and other organizations, even ones outside of their line of work, and to bring outsiders with powerful stories and uniques perspective into your organization. We need to share ideas and takeaways. We must consistently work to expand our perspective.

~Kelly

If you like what you’ve read, please share-out with our friends on social media and tag me. Don’t forget the #LeadEveryDay hashtag. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker
Twitter: @kellycroy
Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast
and of course: Facebook.

Sign-up for my newsletter here:

I’ve written two books, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness .

Send me an email. 

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Great Leaders Care for Themselves

Great leaders care for themselves.

Whether you are the leader of a Fortune 500 company, president of a university, an organizer in your community, or a leader of your home, there is one person that if neglected, will negatively impact all those you serve and lead; that person is you.

After facing a crisis, a challenge, a monumental setback, or a scare, the most common takeaway for those involved is that they will remember to always put their family first and take care of themselves. It’s the number one lesson reported. It’s also, almost always, short-lived.

I remember the promises I made when my father died, the commitment I made after our automobile accident, and the priorities I set during quarantine. I also remember, ever so slowly, drifting away from each over time and back to overworking and over stressing.

Whether you are the leader of a Fortune 500 company, president of a university, a leader in your community, or a leader of your home, there is one person that if neglected, will negatively impact all those you serve and lead; that person is you.

The truth is we almost always go back to our old ways. Our old habits re-emerge and take over once again. We overwork ourselves. We hyper-focus on things we shouldn’t. Our families slowly but surely start to get less of our time and certainly not the best of our time. The time we give ourselves and others soon becomes whatever we can fit in, if any at all, and in short bursts at best.

Our true priorities and values soon only receive whatever is left of our day. The workout isn’t scheduled but rather squeezed in somewhere. That activity that we found such value in, the one that made us feel alive, gave us purpose and fulfillment is reduced and undervalued. Playtime with the kids and quality time with your spouse becomes infrequent.

I hope I’m wrong. I fear I’m right.

Great leaders, great humans, the happiest of people, honor their values and prioritize taking care of themselves.

It’s not selfish. 

Would you want to work for someone who treated you as poorly as you most often treat yourself?  Would you want to work for someone who talked to you the way you talk to yourself? Probably not.

Don’t allow yourself to become a statistic.

How you treat yourself becomes the example you set for all those you lead, whether it be in your home, your company, community or organization. Let others know that self care is as important as how we treat others. Remind each other to set goals and push yourself, but equally treat yourself with kindness and care.

Work hard! Set goals! Get after it! Just do it in a way that builds you up, not tear yourself down, and possibly inspires others to live in a similar way.

~Kelly

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 188 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

 

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Consistency Happens by Choice Not Chance: Schedule it!

Consistency Happens by Choice Not Chance: Schedule it!

Three hundred and eleven days. That’s as far as it went. I missed a full-year streak of closing all three rings on my Apple Watch by 54 days.

What happened?

Well, I could make the excuse that it has been 24 degrees outside for the past three days. I could defend myself and tell you about all of the projects I have been working on and how busy I’ve been. I’m sure I could come up with a lot of legitimate reasons why I missed my goal of 365 days of closing all three rings on my Apple Watch. The bottom line, however, is this: I didn’t schedule my walk. It’s that plain and simple. I worked on a couple of projects, lost track of time, and the next thing I know it’s 12:12 AM and my Apple Watch says the exercise ring didn’t close. No going back in time. No do-overs. I missed a day.

There went my streak. There went my goal.

If something is important we need to schedule it. This is true in our personal life and our professional life.

When we decide something is important we must look at where is it going to fit in the year, each month, each day? When? Where? How do we hold it accountable?

As an educator I often hear a common response to new initiatives, that it is the proverbial, “one more thing.” Why? I think it is in large part not because they don’t believe it’s important, but rather they don’t feel it is important. They don’t feel it is important because no time was reserved for it. It feels like one more thing because it was added onto a busy day, week or year.

Examine any initiative in any organization, scrutinize any successful individual’s goal and you will find a common traits.

When time is reserved for it, real time, it feels different. It feels important.

When time is reserved for it, real time, it gets accomplished.

We can say anything is important, but that doesn’t make it so. Things become important when we put them on the calendar.

Personal goals, professional goals and organizational goals might be met if we talk about them, but that is truly just a matter of chance.

We we make the choice to add them to our calendar, schedule them in our day, they happen.

That is how we make things a priority. We schedule it.

Don’t wait to celebrate the big win at the end; celebrate every mile marker along the way.

Oh, and the Apple Watch Streak? I started over. Just 364 days to go.

#culturejourney

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 187 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram