In a "regular year" (whatever that means) we start to feel a new kind of stress in mid-September. The beginning of the year has passed and the honeymoon period has worn off. Now, we are digging in and getting down to business. But, still in mid-September we haven't always landed on the perfect schedule or the perfect routines. Of course, in a COVID year, this feeling of stress is multiplied because we are adding contact tracing, preparing lesson plans for kids in quarantine, wearing masks and don't forget the societal unrest that is all around us.
This is the time of year though, that we need to remind ourselves of the SMALL VICTORIES. This morning, Amanda Davell and I took some time to reflect on the small victories we've felt this week. And, there were more of them than had expected. It felt good to focus on the GOOD THINGS! You are all doing a great job! Take some time to share your small victories with your teammates today!
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These days everything is fast. We feel like we have to answer text messages, phone calls, emails, tweets, DMs, comments, talking point messages and more right away. This can be draining and it distracts us from our real work. It distracts us from who we want to BE!
I know many of us check emails at home, respond to talking points all day long and feel like we constantly owe people a quick and immediate reply. I'm here to remind you that you don't. WHAT DEMANDS YOUR ATTENTION DOESN'T ALWAYS DESERVE YOUR ATTENTION. I had to remind myself of this a lot this week. People can be demanding and expect an immediate response, but that doesn't mean you have to give it. Remember that PRESSING PAUSE and giving yourself time to GET YOUR MIND RIGHT before replying to a parent or addressing an issue is a GOOD THING! Remember that NOT checking email at home is a GOOD THING! We all need to give ourselves some space between the demands and our responses. WHAT DEMANDS YOUR ATTENTION DOESN'T ALWAYS DESERVE YOUR ATTENTION. We have made it a week already! In some ways it's flown by and in other ways it's seemed LONG! As I drive in each morning I try to give myself some time to think about who I want to BE that day. Each day, I have chosen a few things to add to my "TO BE" list. Today, I want to be HELPFUL, POSITIVE and PRESENT. I'm not sure why I pick three things for my "TO BE" list each day, but it seems to work. I hope you are getting into a rhythm of forming your "TO BE" list, too. And, I hope you feel like it's helping you to BE a better teacher, colleague, friend, parent, spouse, son, daughter, or whatever it is you want to BE.
I know that it is easy to think "we've been in school for a full week and I haven't gotten anything done yet," but I want you to remember to "PAY NOW OR PAY LATER". Keep investing in the what you want your classroom to BE like. Do not expect less and do not rush to academics. Take the time you need. Remember our word---BE! THANK YOU for all of the hard work you have put into making this day so AMAZING.
I hope you've been able to remember your TO BE list today. I hope you have been able to enjoy the little moments with the kids and your colleagues. What is on your TO BE list when you go home this evening? The to do list can wait. I DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT JUST HAPPENED. I mean it seems like we were just mourning the loss of the 19-20 school year and here we are wrapping up 20-21. The things we have accomplished and quite literally pulled off on a wing and a prayer are nothing short of amazing. This experience will forever change my mindset about what is possible.
Now, I know for a fact that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! I'm feeling drained. It's been a long week.
But, as I sit here and 5:37 PM in my office writing this blog post, I know that tomorrow will be better. I know it will because there is no better place than JW Reason. We're all in this together. We're all feeling drained so now more than ever let's keep LIFTing each other up. Thanks to everyone who LIFTed me up today: Michael and Chelsey who handled some crazy issues. Kim who told me all of the things I was forgetting to do. Allison who handled a bus issue and gave consequences. Hanan who made me cry in her interview because I was so inspired by her. Alicia who came into my office for no other reason than to tell me a few funny things. Jamie who laughs at all of my sarcasm. Jerry who unloaded 100 chapter books from the back of my car. Whitney who walked into my office, took one look at me and said, "oh this is a bad time" and just left! Kelli W who investigated a weird email... and I'm sure I'm leaving people out! I didn't even get to school until 11:45 today so this is a lot of LIFTing in a short time! Tomorrow will be a better day! Today I got invited into Stef and Mallory's room to hear some opinion writing about why Mallory's dog Rufus should get to come to school for a visit. The kids were thrilled to share their writing. I was amazed by how much they have grown this year and even more proud of watching them beam with pride as they showed me their hard work. After I heard their pleas for a visit from Rufus, I told them that Dolly and I would have to read the rest of their letters and then we would have a meeting.
Instantly one of the children said "What's a meeting?" So, Stef asked the class, "What's a meeting?" A few hands went up and then one student said (in her sweet accent), "You know, it is like on the zoom! Everyone pops up on the computer." At that moment I was reminded of the innocence of children! In their short lives they have done school fully online, partially online and face to face wearing masks! They have learned to communicate remotely via Zoom, they can submit school work using an online platform and they can remain (somewhat) socially distant at the ages of 6 and 7! AND, they still were so joyful about their learning. How crazy is it that we have a whole generation of kids who think the definition of a meeting is being on Zoom?!?! How resilient and adaptable these kids are! I love kids! I know you do too! Please, don't ever forget how lucky we are to get to see the work through their eyes! It's May! I know you already know that, but it feels good to say it!
We've made it to the end of the year. One year ago we were still in the midst of lockdowns, eLearning and figuring out how to live life in a pandemic. Now, we're experts! We've overcome so much and we GET to experience all of the end of the year stuff with our students that we missed last year. I share these thoughts with you today so that you don't take this time of year for granted. It's easy to get overwhelmed with all that goes into closing out a school year, but remember how much we missed this not so long ago. Enjoy the ride! The end is near! This time of year, I often feel like I'm in the middle. I'm being pulled in lots of directions. As we move into hiring season, many of you may start to feel the same way. You're happy for your colleagues who are getting new and exciting opportunities, you're happy that you have a job you love, but you're sad and nervous for the friends and colleagues who are still longing for their chance to have their own classrooms.
I will never forget the JOY of getting my first real teaching job. I still remember the phone call when the principal offered it to me. I still remember walking into my classroom for the first time and the feeling of accomplishment that came with it (I also remember crying for the first 180 school days because I was a terrible teacher-but that's a post for another day). Now, one of the most exciting things I get to do as a principal is to be the person who others will remember when they think back about getting their first teaching jobs. However, I also remember the feeling of getting the call and being told that I did not get the job (cough, cough, I'm talking about you Goshen Lane Elementary School in Gahanna circa 2000). I remember feeling hopeless and questioning if this was the right profession for me. I got tired of people saying "everything happens for a reason," even though they were right. And, you guessed it, crushing peoples dreams is one of the things that I hate about my job as a principal. It is so hard to watch some great educators try year after year to get hired only to have circumstances out of their control keep them from their dreams. It is also hard when you have only a few positions to fill and so many great people to fill them. As we move through hiring season I am going to be intentional about ensuring that I make decisions and announcements with care and concern for people's feelings, hopes and dreams while still being excited for those who have finally reached theirs. To all of you who are reading this, you are all in different stages of your journeys but if you can LIFT up a colleague or friend who is struggling and anxious right now, I know it would be appreciated. As a middle class white woman I can honestly say that I have never been on the receiving end of racism. In fact, for a long time I didn’t really "see" it because I was not effected by it. I thought I was “not racist” and by being "not racist" I had no role to play in changing things. I thought that by simply “treating everyone the same” I was doing the right thing. However, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, we began to look at race and racism differently in the United States. I began to look at myself differently and came to realize that I have been blinded by my privilege. For example, I have never been afraid that my 16 year old son’s life may be at risk when he is walking home from school or to a park to play basketball. I’ve never been fearful to be pulled over by the police for a minor traffic violation or that I’d be profiled as a run errands in the mostly white suburban neighborhood where I live. This year I have realized that my freedom to live without fear on a daily basis IS my privilege and it is many of your privilege too. I find myself trying to imagine the constant trauma, anxiety and stress that those who are black or brown in America must be feeling. But, I will never be able to fully comprehend these feelings. Instead, I need to be an ally. I need to be vulnerable enough to say that I don’t understand but that I am learning and will continue to learn. Even though a verdict of guilty was rendered in the Derek Chauvin trial on Tuesday, we have a long way to go. We need to be intentional as we continue to support our black and brown students, friends and neighbors. We also need to continue to say the names of other people who have been murdered due to racism. We must work to be anti racist. While we are each just one person, collectively we can make a difference. We have the power to impact the lives of little children every day. We must continue to have courageous conversations about current events, racism, justice and equality. We do not have to have all the answers but we must create a safe place for students to have their voices heard and their feelings validated. I feel like I was very late to the fight against racism, but I'm glad I am part of it now. I'm glad our school is part of it too. We have a long way to go but we have taken the first steps! Let's keep fighting. |
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