“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” -Jim Rohn
I heard this quote for the first time a few years ago. After hearing it, I began to think about the people with whom I spend time. I reflected on how those people make me feel. I quickly recognized the people who make me a better person, teach me new things, push me to reflect, inspire me to be better and help me grow. I created a list in my head of people who help me bring up my average and also started to recognize those people who bring down my average. Most importantly, however, I reflected on myself. I started to think about whether or not my words and my actions were adding value to others? I definitely don’t want to be a person who would bring down the average of someone else! The theory of being the average of the five people you spend the most time with directly connects to the values we embrace in our school district. In Hilliard City Schools, we are immersed in R Factor training. One of the principles of R Factor is the concept of no BCD. As we all know, BCD stands for Blame, Complain and Defend. In a recent blog post, Tim Kight explains that BCD “afflicts millions of people every day, and is often triggered by work stress.” This time of year brings about a lot of stressors-testing, end of year assessing, data team meetings, IEP meetings, moving grade levels, new initiatives, and more. So now more than ever, we need to reflect on our own mindsets, words and actions. We can all fall into the habit of BCD. BCD makes things worse. When we BCD we bring down the average of those around us. I challenge us all to think before we BCD. We control our self-talk and we control the story we tell ourselves. As we continue on our journey to ELITE we must surround ourselves with people who raise our average. Take a moment to think about the five people who you spend the most time with at school, at home, at the gym, etc. What do these people do to your average? Are these people habitual BCDers? Now think about yourself. Do you inspire others? What do you do when you’re stressed? Are you raising or lowering averages? To read Tim Kight’s blog that was referenced in this post, click here. Here is your staff update for March 31.
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I always think of Spring Break as the equivalent of coming down the home stretch of the school year. Before I completely destroyed my ankles from years and years of running and never adequately healing from injuries I ran many, many races. For me, there is nothing like the feeling of coming to the last mile in a race and then the last half-mile and then finally seeing the finish line in my field of view. No matter how tired or sore I was; it seemed that when I came down the home stretch I was able to dig deep and keep running. If I dug really deep I could even feel myself speeding up and I would start passing people. I never raced because I wanted to win, in fact I knew I would never win a race; I ran because I wanted to push myself to run faster than I did during my previous races. I ran because I loved the feeling of accomplishing something that was hard. Just like the races I ran, the end of the school year is hard. It’s easy to want to slow down because we’re tired, but now is the time to dig deep, keep the end in sight and not give up.
Throughout the past week, I have had to keep myself focused, push myself forward and remind myself that I have not yet crossed the finish line. Positive self-talk always helped keep me moving forward as a runner and it has the same effect in my professional life. On many occasions this week, I found myself thinking about the answers to five questions. These questions have helped me as I have dug deep to push myself down the home stretch:
It would be easy to slow down and say, “It can wait until next year.” It’s also easy to get lost in the minutia of the school year and forget about the importance of taking time to truly connect with the students, parents and staff who are so important to me. I will continue to reflect on these questions as we move into testing season and then the final part of the home stretch, which is the month of May. I hope that we can all continue to dig deep and if we do, this just might be our best finish ever. Here is you staff update for March 17th. The school year is winding down. It’s March, spring break is almost here. The end of the school year is in sight. We’re looking forward to next year by submitting budgets for the 17-18 school year, looking at staffing plans for the upcoming year and thinking about summer PD. One would think that as educators we would feel like we’re almost “finished”. And, in all honesty in years past I have felt exactly this way around this time of year. But, this school year has been different. This school year has been one of transformation, change and new adventures. During this week alone, my staff and I have been interviewed by the Teachers of Critical Language Program team located in Washington, D.C. because we are semifinalists to receive a grant that would pay for an Arabic teacher to work at our school next year. We were visited by a team from Apple Education that included the Vice-President of Apple Education and Sales. On Thursday, I was part of a committee that is rewriting our language arts course of study. If that isn’t enough, my staff and I are taking another crucial step in redesigning elementary education on Friday as we work to plan ways to provide our students with experience that will help them identify and learn about their own personal passions. For some, a week like this could be stressful and overwhelming. And, while we all had a lot of work to do this week, we are feeling energized and inspired.
As I was driving back to school from my course of study committee meeting on Thursday I had an overwhelming feeling of excitement and anticipation about the future for my students and my staff. Instead of thinking about the end of the school year, I was feeling like I was just getting started. Often times as we embark on a journey we are anxious to arrive to our destination. But, for me, it’s not the destination that excites me; in fact, I don’t even know what our destination is going to be. Right now, I’m excited about the first steps, the beginning of the journey. I can’t wait to see what new risks we take and what we learn along the way. Here is your staff update for March 10th.
Over the past week I had the pleasure of working with the one and only Dave Burgess, author of Teach Like a Pirate. He is truly one of my favorite “edu-celebrities”. He is a great speaker, engaging writer, and an inspiring leader. But, most of all, he practices what he preaches. What I mean by that is that Dave values learning, risk taking and stepping outside of comfort zones.
Dave also coaches people up. Every great leader, every great teacher, everyone who wants to really make an impact understands the importance of being there to coach others. Dave has done that for me on multiple occasions. I’ve only officially met him once, but even before we met he took time to answer my questions, retweet my blog posts, join me for a Google Hangout and most recently, he agreed to co-moderate #ohedchat with me. Dave doesn’t just do these things for me. He connects with educators all over the world who are inspired by his work. Working with Dave this past week has taught me more than just lessons that I can take to the classroom. Working with him taught me what it really means to be a leader and a teacher. We must take the time to share our ideas and talents with others. We must take the time to coach others up. That’s what Dave has done for me. I want to do the same for others. That’s how we make a difference. I was so inspired by the questions from our chat on Wednesday that I have to share them with you. Take some time to read the archives of the chat last night. I encourage you to read the questions and reflect on your own answers to them. Then, think about why it is we do what we do each and every day. Here is your staff update for March 3. We are all on a journey. But sometimes we have to force ourselves to continue the journey. Other times we have to set out on a journey on our own. And still other times, we are asked to begin a journey but must find our own path.
The journey will be daunting. If it isn’t we’re not pushing ourselves enough. Along the way, it’s easy to get discouraged. Often times we wonder when we will arrive; when will our journey end. However, as I’ve traveled along the twist and turns of my journey, I’ve learned that there is no destination. In fact, this week I came to a new realization that has energized me: I HAVEN’T ARRIVED AND I NEVER WILL. How can this energize me, you may ask? It’s simple, this realization helped me be comfortable with knowing that I will never stop growing and learning. The great things I do today or tomorrow will help catapult me to new challenges and opportunities tomorrow. The failures and struggles of today will help me reflect and grow so I handle challenging situations differently tomorrow. I haven’t arrived, and I never will. I will keep putting one foot in front of the other and learning with each step I take. That’s what it means to be on a journey. And you-you haven’t arrived either and you never will. Enjoy the journey. Learn from it. And, never stop. Here is your staff update for February 24th. “If you permit it, you promote it.” Focus3 posted this quote and picture on their Facebook page earlier in the week. After I read the quote, I found myself reflecting on the words and the things that I permit.
There are many things that I permit that I’m happy to also promote. I permit risk taking, failing, dreaming big, and not asking permission to try new things. I permit teachers to step up as leaders, as well as collaboration and innovative thinking among other things. It is my pleasure to promote these things. It would be easy to simply pat myself on the back for permitting such a culture, but instead I have forced myself to reflect on the things that I permit that I may not be so proud to promote. Often times as leaders, colleagues and friends we let certain things go because we don’t want to ruffle feathers, rock boats or make others feel uncomfortable. But, deep down we all know that there are things we’re permitting that we shouldn’t be promoting. I encourage you to join me in the process of truly and honestly reflecting on the things you permit. I ask you to think about the things that occur in your classroom or school that are out of alignment with your culture. What do you do when you’re faced with things that make you feel uncomfortable? Do you do nothing? Do you step up and address it? On our journey to be ELITE we must remember that when we see things in our culture that are out of alignment we must not permit it. We must step up and do something about it. It's not easy, it's not comfortable but it's necessary as you work to keep your culture strong. If we permit it, we promote it. Here is your staff update for February 16. Relationships. As educators we often talk about the importance of building relationships with children and families. We work hard at the beginning of the school year to get to know our students. We have kids and parents fill out surveys. We have students share pictures of their families and tell about themselves. Then, the hustle and bustle of the school year takes over. And, certainly not on purpose, it can be very easy for relationships to be pushed to the wayside.
We are faced with state mandates, standardized tests, SLOs, RTI, data team meetings, professional development sessions, teacher evaluations, progress reports, parent teacher conferences and much more. Let’s be honest, we get busy and something has to give, right? We are laser focused on helping our students grow and succeed. We want them to be the best they can be. But, we must remember that we cannot forsake relationships with our students and their families in the midst of everything else that we’re expected to accomplish during the school year. Next week, my teachers and I embark on a week of parent teacher conferences. This can be a stressful time for teachers as they prepare for 25 to 30 conferences with parents. However, it is important that we don’t lose sight of how important these meetings are to families and how crucial they can be for educators as we continue to build a bridge between school and home. As we move into conference week, I encourage us to remember:
As the great Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Here is your staff update for February 10th.
I’ve always believed in the power of words. I enjoy writing and reading. I love to see the joy on children’s faces when they discover that they can pick up a book at read it all by themselves. But, over the past few years I’ve realized the power of One Word. That’s right, the power of how one word can actually change your life.
Four years ago, I read One Word That Will Change Your Life and that’s exactly what happened. A few weeks ago in my blog, I shared my One Word for 2017-JOURNEY. This word is causing me to reflect more than ever. I’ve been reflecting on my journey so far and on what I want the next steps in my journey to be. As I’ve reflected I’ve realized just how much my words have changed my life. Think about it, in four years I’ve chosen four words; just four words! And, when I look back over those four years I can cite hundreds of specific examples of how my life changed because of those four little words. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to pick a word for 2017. It’s not too late and it can truly change your life. Here is a list of my past words: 2014-CONNECT This was my first word. When I chose it I was just learning about twitter and the power of building a professional learning network. Since choosing this word I’ve collaborated with educators and authors from across the world. I’ve made connections that have helped me grow professionally and personally. 2015-THOUGHTFUL Thoughtful was my most difficult word. I needed it to be my word though. This word came at a time when I was overwhelmed with the quantity of decisions I had to make every day in my role as a building principal, wife and mother of four. I felt that I was making quick decisions to “get things off my plate”. I needed to remind myself to take a step back and really think things through. This word also taught me about failure. I struggled to be thoughtful. I failed multiple times a day. I still have to work on giving myself permission to think things through. This word helped me learn more about myself and how I handle stress-I’m still working on this one. 2016-CELEBRATE Celebrate was my most fun word! I had the best time celebrating all of the greatness around me. This word taught me how important it is to take time to let people know how much they are appreciated. This word helped me strengthen the relationships I had with people and also helped me connect with colleagues, family and friends on a deeper level. 2017-JOURNEY I am already loving my word for this year. I can’t wait to see how this word changes my life. So-what’s your word? Over the next few weeks I challenge you to “look in, look up, and look out” and discover your One Word. After you discover it, you must share it. In a few weeks we will come together as a staff to share our words and begin to live our words. Remember: “Look in” to prepare your heart for your word. “Look up” to discover your word. “Look out” to live your word. Here is your staff update for February 3. “Research has shown that most people choose negative and use up to 80 percent of their days preoccupied with unproductive thoughts…Choose the positive, the constructive. Optimism is a faith that leads to success.” -Coyte G. Cooper, Ph. D. -Make Your Mark By Wednesday I had professed that I was having a crappy week. I felt like bad stuff just kept happening. The week consisted of a few angry parents, kids and families in crisis, the lack of substitutes for professional days, a student who said he wanted to kill himself, phone calls from the lawyers of parents in nasty custody battles, and more. I seemed to have forgotten that I had a choice. I allowed myself to get bogged down in the negative. I could have chosen to find the good in the situations that occurred, but instead I complained; I rolled my eyes; I had a “woe is me” attitude. I was exhausted. Everything felt chaotic. I shared my frustrations with a good friend and colleague of mine. To my surprise, bright and early the next morning he showed up in my office with hot chocolate for my secretaries and me. He told us that he hoped we had a better day. Those few kind words and that small act of kindness changed my mindset. When my mindset changed I was able to see the good in the events I encountered. That small act of kindness allowed me to reflect on the week and realize that a lot of good came out of every situation: -The angry parents just cared about their kids and needed an explanation. Then everything worked out. -The family in crisis had just moved to our school from a terribly unsafe situation. We were able to help them get back on their feet with new coats, new clothes and connections to resources they needed. -We rescheduled our professional development. -We kept a child safe and made parents aware of how sad their son was. We were able to direct them to resources so they could help their child. In the midst of a bad day or a bad moment it is hard to stay positive. It’s a skill that I need to build. Positivity is powerful. Small acts of kindness are powerful, too. This week I learned so much. I’m thankful for the difficult situations that helped me grow. And, I’m thankful that my friend Herb reminded me that the littlest gesture can make a big impact. Spread a little joy. Choose positive. Here is your staff update for January 27th. Educators are given a special gift each and every school year. Each year of our teaching career we meet new students and families. One of the most amazing blessings in my life have been the way in which so many of my students have touched my heart. I’m sure that every educator can look back over his or her career and think about all of the students from whom you have learned so much. While we love all of our students, there are always a few who touch our hearts in special ways.
Six years ago I met a little 6 year old boy, he touched my heart because of the pure chaos that was his life. When I met him, I was a working as a full time literacy coach and was completing an internship with my principal for my administrative license. This little boy was troubled. He was angry. He was covered in flea bites and his clothes were dirty. He wore glasses but they were broken. This little boy threw chairs and yelled at his teacher. And his teacher, who is one of the kindest people you have ever met, bought him new glasses and gave him clean clothes. On several occasions this little boy became so angry that my principal had to restrain him. He called Children’s Services in hopes of getting help for this sweet child. This little boy’s teacher and principal tried hard to help make his life better. The next school year I was at a different school as the principal. However, over the next few years, I often thought about this sad little boy. I wondered what had become of him, and prayed that his life had improved. I hoped and prayed that the system worked for him. Just yesterday I sat on my living room couch reading his obituary. He was 11 years old. He killed himself. He had no voice. The teachers, principals and caring adults in his life tried to give him a voice. The system failed him. Educators I implore you to continue to be the voice for the voiceless. Fight the fight worth fighting. Our job is so important. Academics are just a small portion of the impact we make in the lives of children. Don’t let our current political debates distract you from the important work that we do each day. We couldn’t save this child, but hopefully we can learn from this tragedy. Fight the fight worth fighting. Here is your staff update for January 20th. |
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