Trust is really important. As I leader I try to be keenly aware of my words and my actions. I think about and reflect on how I treat people, how I handle hard situations, and whether or not I am consistent in my responses to situations. I know that in order to build trust I must act with character. How YOU experience ME is important. I strive to get better at connecting with each of you and I hope that I competently and effectively serve the staff, students and families in this school.
This week I sent all of the grade level data team leaders an email about black history month and our ideas for making this a focus for February. I was really excited about the continuation of Diversity and Inclusion Week and the conversations that our study of famous black people would bring to our school! I wanted to get HONEST feedback from our data team leaders because this year is crazy and the last thing I wanted to do was put one more thing on your plates. The feedback I got from all of them was incredible! Everyone loved the idea and hopped on board. But, what I was the happiest about was the HONESTY with which one team in particular, shared their concerns. This team did not have a problem with with black history month but instead they weren't sure if they could accomplish the task in the appropriate way with all they had happening in their particular grade level at this time of year. They wanted to be supportive and participate but asked if they could do so a little differently! This might sound weird but the fact that people on our staff feel comfortable sharing how they really feel and what they're really struggling with makes me so HAPPY! I do not want you all to feel like you have to agree with everything I say! I want you to feel like you can come to me with your honest feelings and concerns and know that I will support you! I hope you all know that this is the kind of leader I strive to be.
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I didn't even know it, but today I realized that I had lost some hope. Weird right? How do you lose hope and not even know it? Well I think it's the same as when you have a really small hole in your tire and you drive along, day after day, thinking everything is just fine. Then one day all of a sudden your tire is flat! Yep, that's exactly what I think was happening to me. Luckily though, I caught my loss of hope before it all ran out! You know, kind of like when you go in for an oil change and they check your tires and say they found a small hole that needs fixed so your tire doesn't go flat? Don't you feel lucky when that happens? It's like you dodged a bullet and avoided an annoying situation. That's exactly what happened to me today. I sat down at my computer to check email and this was the first thing I saw:
Of course I quickly clicked the link! Take a look for yourself!
When I watched Isaiah's video I couldn't help but feel hope being restored inside me. I felt like what we are doing and the messages we are sending are making a difference. The children here in our school are taking the lead from us and we are paving a beautiful path for them. Now, I feel energized. I feel like my hope (that I didn't even know I had lost) has been restored. If you know me, you know I LOVE words! Words can help. Words can heal. Words can provide hope. Words can also damage. And, words can destroy. For these reasons, I have worked for years to make sure my words are intentional, purposeful and skillful. That's why it's a very big deal for me to choose a word to guide me each year.
I spent a long time reflecting on my word for 2021. This year, I chose the word, CHALLENGE. Now, many of my friends asked why I didn't choose an easier word like RELAX or CHILL! Well, first, it's important to mention that I truly believe that my word chose me. Second, I wanted to make sure that my word helped me grow and helped guide me through what I had a feeling was going to be a "CHALLENGING" year. Unfortunately, I was right about that. As you've noticed, so far, 2021 hasn't been a walk in the park. We're two weeks in and we have had a lot of turmoil to endure. This year, as I live out my word CHALLENGE I want to: 1-Challenge myself to stand up for what is right, even when it might be uncomfortable. 2-Challenge myself to be a better leader. 3-Take on challenges with an open mind and heart when I am faced with them. 4-Stay positive and hopeful in the face of challenges. 5-Be brave and courageous when challenges arise. The challenges are here. I am sure even more are coming! I am ready to live out this word and I can't wait to see what it teaches me. I hope you have chosen a word, too. If you haven't, I implore you to read the book One Word That Will Change Your Life. Check out a preview here. And, when you choose a word be sure to share it with others, hang it on your walls, print it on things, let your word take on a life of its own! You will be surprised by how much you learn from it. On September 11th 2001, I was a first year teacher. I taught 6th grade social studies. On September 12th, 2001, I walked into my classroom and looked into the faces of scared children who were looking to me for answers. I didn't have any answers, but I tried to offer hope. Hope that America would rise up and become better in the face of such disaster. Hope that our country would come together and lift each other up and hope that the future would be better than our present.
Today, you walked into your classrooms. You may be a first year teacher; a fifth year teacher; or maybe like me, you have lost count of how many years you've been at it; no matter how long you've been doing this I would guess that you felt a little uneasy this morning. You may not have been sure what your students would be asking you about today, you may have been worried that you wouldn't have the answers they needed. But, what you can do, what we can ALL do, is share a message of HOPE! Take some time to think about it. What is YOUR message of hope to students. My message is that we rise up in the face of adversity. We can look at the mistakes of those who came before us and those who have caused unrest and chaos and learn how we can be better. We can make an effort to be a positive force in our world by doing things for others such as volunteering, spreading kindness, standing up WITH people who need an ally. This is the time to talk to students about the power of THEIR RIPPLE EFFECT! One small act of kindness, goodness and hope will spread far beyond what we can all imagine. As teachers we have a responsibility to positively influence the children we are given the opportunity to spend our days with. DO NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY! It would have been very easy to write a blog post about how much 2020 has sucked. But, I don't like taking the easy path! I have challenged myself to reflect on what I've learned in 2020. Much to my surprise, I have learned and grown a lot this year.
Here is a list of the top 5 things I've learned in 2020: 5-I don't need to be busy That's right. I don't really need to be busy. I have become perfectly content without having a million things to do on the weekends. I don't need to have a packed calendar all the time. And, I'm perfectly happy watching Wheel of Fortune at 7:30PM in the evenings instead of running from one event to the next. 4-People WILL step up to the plate I have seen amazing acts of kindness this year. When things are hard, there are so many people willing to give help. From Veritas church donating $5000 to us for snack to the Hilliard Police providing coats to organizations like Muslim Family Services and Kiwanis helping our families, when we need help there always seems to be someone out there to step up for us. 3-I need to STOP taking things for granted For the past 41 years I have spent holidays with my HUGE extended family, I have spent weekends going out to eat with friends, I have spent evenings at sporting events but this year those things all disappeared in the blink of an eye. I am trying to enjoy the little things, enjoy the small moments and really be present. I do not want to take anything else in my life for granted. 2-I don't need to have a plan I've always been a planner. I like setting a goal and taking steps to achieve that goal. This year all of my plans just blew up! There were times when I couldn't even plan for TOMORROW because things were changing so fast. And, what I realized is that I survived! The school is still standing, kids are here, my family is in tact and surviving and I didn't have to have a long term plan! 1-Anything is possible-I mean RIGHT! Anything is possible. A pandemic can happen and cause us to have to change everything. And, we can do it! Who would have thought that we could figure out how to do school virtually, deliver food to kids, provide wifi to families and use technology the way we are now? If someone had told me that this was going to happen I wouldn't have believed them! HERE'S TO 2021~MAY WE CONTINUE TO LEARN AND GROW~MAY WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE GOOD!
On Monday I got a phone call from Monica Campana, the principal at Washington Elementary School. She was laughing as she said that she had a really funny favor to ask.
Monica proceeded to explain that she had spent some time asking kids at every grade level some questions about the school year. She asked the kids to share what they thought was going well and what they thought she could do to make school better. Well it turns out that the kindergartners made a list of several things that could make school better: Snack More recess Dancing Dolphins Trampolines A visit from Wolfie (their mascot) Yes, you read that correctly! Dancing dolphins!!! So, Monica immediately knew that she could grant the "dancing dolphin" wish, which was why she called me! And, of course you know that we granted the wish. So, just in case the Washington Elementary kindergartners were correct, here are some dancing dolphins for you! "Teacher well-being and student well-being are our top priorties right now.
We don't know our time table. We don't know what's to come." -Dr. Marschhausen If there is one thing this pandemic has taught me it's that it's not worth my time to worry about things that haven't happened yet. Worry steals my JOY! When I worry, I am not present in the moment! It's hard, I know! It's hard to control our self-talk to keep ourselves from worrying about this crazy time in our lives. What I've also learned is that right now, it's best that I don't plan too far ahead. What I know I can expect, is that things are going to change. So, for now, I am working hard to enjoy my moments, be present and do my best to support all of YOU the best I can! So as Dr. Marschhausen asked us during his Zoom this evening, I am asking you this: WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO THE BEST WORK YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW? Click the question to share your thoughts with me! FiHow long has it been since you have taken a minute to take care of YOU! No one else, just you! And by this I mean with NO GUILT, NO SECOND GUESSING and NO OVERTHINKING. If you had an hour to do whatever you wanted, what would it be? Would you take a walk, take a nap, go shopping, go for a run, drink coffee in a quiet place all by yourself, would you talk to a friend on the phone, read a book, what would you do?
I am giving you homework! I want you to take an HOUR for yourself this weekend. Give yourself the gift of TIME to take care of YOU! When I take care of myself I either get my nails done, go shopping ALONE, or sit on my porch with a cup of coffee ALONE....have you noticed a theme here....I LIKE TO BE ALONE! I am also holding you accountable----fill out this form to tell me what you did for YOURSELF, for an HOUR this weekend! It's not often that we are told to do less, but this week that is exactly what we've been told. Now, the true challenge is to be honest with ourselves about what we can eliminate and what our priorities are. Remember our kids need LOVE---they are living through a very stressful event as they navigate daily life in a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. Normal school no longer exists. Normal life no longer exists. So, we have to give ourselves permission to do things differently.
I love this quote from Dr. Marschhausen (so get ready to hear it constantly)-“If we do less and we do it better, it’s going to end up being more for our kids.” I don't know about you, but is this hybrid schedule messing with your mind like it is with mine? I was talking to Jeff about a student yesterday and we came to the conclusion that every day of the week feels like MONDAY and FRIDAY at the same time.
Think about it for a minute... The only time we ever see kids two days in a row is every other actual Friday. Otherwise, we are seeing kids the day after they've had a break and the day before they have another one....thus every day is both MONDAY and FRIDAY! So, what's my point, you may be thinking? I'll tell you.... This school year is CRAZY.....like, can't make this stuff up kind of crazy! So, for crying out loud even though we are talking about guided reading groups, math running records, mental health and wellness data teams, R Factor, state testing, phonics and phonemic awareness and more we HAVE TO REMEMBER that we are NOT GOING TO MEET THE EXPECTATIONS WE HOLD FOR OURSELVES THIS YEAR! It's not going to happen. So, we can choose to live in a constant state of stress and anxiety or we can be okay with just getting by! (PS----this blog post is written so you realize that you can give yourself permission to "get by"). Happy Thursday....or is it MONDAY or FRIDAY? I don't know. |
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