Many who are not in education have no idea the fights we have to fight each day, no idea how vilified we are by the community and have no idea the ridiculous accusations that parents make against us….
-you told my child he lied -you wouldn’t let my child go to the bathroom -my child said you told her no -my child is being bullied by you -you’re picking on my kid -but my kid’s food needs heated in the microwave -my child wouldn’t do that -you forced my child to confess to that -my child isn’t doing well in school because of YOU -your school is terrible These are just the minor things Then we have… -you can’t read that book to my child -I want to opt my child out of this lesson -my child can’t participate in social emotional learning -you’re teaching critical race theory -stop teaching my children that some people have 2 moms -you read a book to my (white) child about a black ballerina and now she thinks she (white child) can’t be a ballerina -I want a list of all of your “diversity” books -why are you telling my child about Ramadan -why do you make a list of kids who need to fast for Ramadan that’s not fair to the other kids (These are all real examples from this school year—-this post could be way longer but I think you get the point.) And, even with all of the negativity we get from parents, all the times they question us, vilify us, post about us on their “community Facebook groups”——WE’D STILL TAKE A BULLET FOR THEIR CHILDREN. The next time you’re on one of those FB groups or at the soccer field or in your neighborhood and that one mom or dad starts trashing teachers, please remind them of what I said above. WE’D TAKE A BULLET FOR YOUR CHILD. But, of course most think we are trying to push some liberal political agenda when in fact we just want to teach children to be accepting and kind to everyone, learn to read critically, understand different opinions and be problem solvers. And, we do this all while watching our backs and the backs of our students for potential active shooters. And that is the day in the life of an educator. WITH MUCH HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, Jacki
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Before my grandmother passed away a few months ago, I walked into her bedroom and from her hospital bed she looked up at me and said “you’re the director of this whole trip, aren’t you!”
My aunts and cousins laughed because they knew it was true-I’ve always been a “take charge” kind of person. For me it’s not about trying to be the boss or be in charge though. I’ve always felt like I have this ability to motivate and bring out the best in people. As I finish this, my 10th year as the principal at JW Reason, I’ve found myself reflecting a lot. I’ve spent 10 years as the “director of this trip”. In fact if you’re reading this post, it is likely that I’m the person who hired you! We’ve had many ups and downs together over the years. And, I certainly have not done everything right. I’ve tried to learn from my mistakes and successes. Most importantly though, I’ve learned from all of of you. As the “director of this whole trip” I have learned that I don’t have to have all the answers and that the best things happen when I let each of you lead in your own ways. The “director” should never be the smartest person in the room! Thank goodness, because I am definitely not! But, the “director” needs to be able to create conditions that allow everyone to use their own strengths to benefit the entire team. I hope THAT is what I do. As you reflect in this school year, I hope you feel a sense of pride for what you’ve accomplished; a desire to keep learning and growing; and the motivation to bring your skill set to the team so we can all be better because of you. May you rest and rejuvenate! May you enjoy some quiet and peace. And may you laugh and play and enjoy your well deserved break. Thank you all for being leaders and giving the best part of yourselves each day to this “trip” we’re on together that I get to “direct”! We all have hard moments here at school, whether it's with a tough student, a parent, a behavior situation, or maybe looking at our test scores (like I did yesterday). Sometimes it's hard to even feel like it's okay to stay positive when things are not going so well or when you're feeling defeated and frustrated. But, this quote helped me remember that I don't have to be happy all the time, and even in the face of adversity I can still be POSITIVE because I have HOPE and I'm holding onto the belief that better days are coming!
When things get rough in these last few moments, days and weeks remember that better moments, days and weeks are coming. We have the gift of starting fresh every school year! We worked together to make changes that will help us all grow! Also, we have accomplished so much together this year. In the hard moments that we are all sure to encounter in the next 12 days, remember that better ones are coming. Look for them and you will find them! Many of our students and a few of our staff me members just celebrated Eid after a month of Ramadan. We decorated our school, set up a system for prayer and organized locations for our students to go during lunch if they were fasting. Most importantly though, throughout this month I have hoped our students felt our respect for the special time in their religion. As our students return to school from Eid, I know that we all will take a moment to ask them how their celebrations were and give them time to share about the fun they had. Yesterday, Stef and Mallory received this message from a parents. I know we are making a difference in the lives of all of our students and families. Take a look: Our parents feel that we LOVE and care for their kids!
LOVE is truly an intervention! Please don't forget that! |
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