Simple!

Nothing is simple anymore!  Well, almost nothing.  The idea of simple went away for awhile.  Things got more and more complicated.  Ideas grew and compensations were made.  People's needs expanded, and steps were added to processes to make sure those people got what they needed.  Managers wanted some accountability for the responsibilities of their employees, so boxes and arrows were added to flowcharts to minimize mistakes.

Rube Goldberg would have loved it!  The more steps, the more fun the machine!  Only true with mouse traps, cartoons, and these days...Youtube videos!

Simple is now buzzing again.  Thank GOD!  Question #1 should always be, "What is the purpose?"  Question #2 should be, "What is the simplest way we can fulfill the purpose effectively?"

Sounds simple, doesn't it?  It isn't simple.  But it is worth it!

Homework perseverance with a smile!

It finally happened last night!  My own 8th grader had a challenging math problem that he refused to stop attacking!  At 9:00 p.m., I asked him if he was almost done with his homework.  He told me he was on the last problem.  He said he had been working on that one problem for 20 minutes.

But when he said it this time...I didn't hear frustration.  I heard anticipation!  I heard excitement!  He worked on it for another 30 minutes.  He tested and tried several solutions!  This kid will work for hours and hours to perfect a soccer move, but not a math problem.  I don't know what little intrinsic motivator caused him to persevere this time, but it was fantastic to see it!

After almost an hour, I really wanted to tell him to go to bed!  Instead, I said, "I love that you aren't giving up, but you are allowed to put that problem on hold so you can get a good night sleep!"  He just smiled and kept at it!

I am looking forward to hearing about his results tonight!

Sharpen the Saw

The second semester is rolling.  Middle-of-the-year benchmarks are done.  Data is ready for analysis.  The end of January is when the gas peddle hits the floor and time seems to fly.  It is also when the typical teacher experiences a bit of stress as testing time approaches and some of the kiddos aren't progressing as planned.

If you have done this for a few years, and felt this way for a few years, you know that the stress will wane and you will make it through this time.  Say this to yourself, "I will make it through this time of year because I have done it before."

Then ask yourself, "How will I make it better for my students and for myself?"

One of your answers to this question must be, "I will sharpen my saw!"

Dr. Covey explains Habit #7 so well:

Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. Here are some examples of activities: Physical: Beneficial eating, exercising, and resting Social/Emotional: Making social and meaningful connections with others Mental: Learning, reading, writing, and teaching Spiritual: Spending time in nature, expanding spiritual self through meditation, music, art, prayer, or service As you renew yourself in each of the four areas, you create growth and change in your life. Sharpen the Saw keeps you fresh so you can continue to practice the other six habits. You increase your capacity to produce and handle the challenges around you. Without this renewal, the body becomes weak, the mind mechanical, the emotions raw, the spirit insensitive, and the person selfish. Not a pretty picture, is it? Feeling good doesn't just happen. Living a life in balance means taking the necessary time to renew yourself. It's all up to you. You can renew yourself through relaxation. Or you can totally burn yourself out by overdoing everything. You can pamper yourself mentally and spiritually. Or you can go through life oblivious to your well-being. You can experience vibrant energy. Or you can procrastinate and miss out on the benefits of good health and exercise. You can revitalize yourself and face a new day in peace and harmony. Or you can wake up in the morning full of apathy because your get-up-and-go has got-up-and-gone. Just remember that every day provides a new opportunity for renewal--a new opportunity to recharge yourself instead of hitting the wall. All it takes is the desire, knowledge, and skill.

The best compliment for an educator

Yesterday, I ran into a parent from my old campus.  We were both attending a forum for improving early childhood education.  We talked about her two, fantastic children.  One is in middle school now and the other is still in elementary.  The younger one loves his teacher and is quite proud of his leadership on campus.  Of course, every one is a leader at that campus, thanks to some incredibly dedicated and talented teachers and The Leader in Me!  She told me that her daughter was an excellent middle school student, making all A's and excelling in band, but she missed her old school.

Then she told me what I consider to be one of the best compliments I have ever received, "It is clear that your school was all about relationships, yet the expectations for excellent academics was equally amazing!"

This was music to my ears!  I have always believed that people come first.  Make sure you take care of their hearts and their minds will follow.  Yet I also know that learning is the reason every school exists.  Academics are paramount.  By no means was I perfect in my efforts.  Most assuredly, I made many mistakes along the way.   It is still one of my burning questions, "How do we ensure that the little people we get for seven hours each day leave as caring human beings with as much smarts as we can get in their brains?"

School is not only meant for filling brains and creating a growth mindset, it is also meant to create little humans who genuinely care for the people and the world around them.  I loved hearing that we did both!  I still say all the credit goes to the fantastic teachers and staff that made it happen, but it was nice to be included in the best compliment an educator can hear!

What's your story?

Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, writes, We are our stories."  He says that our need to be heard is more prevalent and urgent in today's world than ever before because it allows us to express how we fit in this world and why it matters.

Spend an hour in any Kindergarten classroom, and you will undoubtedly hear 60 different stories about 60 different things, and that may just be from one kid!  We are our stories.  We take vacations and we tell people about them.  We get a flat tire and we tell people about it.  We hear a story from a friend and respond with our own similar circumstance.

For years now, my response to folks who fall victim to Murphy's Law has been the same, "Look at the great story you will be able to share for the rest of your life!"  Indeed, we love to tell the stories of our best adventures...and misadventures.  My friends and I have quite a few college stories that we continue to tell 25 years later.  There were many misadventures to be sure!

Wouldn't it be incredible if we created a culture in our schools where we shared our misadventures in learning?  As we encourage kids and teachers to take risks in their learning, let's also encourage them to brag on their misadventures.  Everyone loves to say, "I got it right on my first try!"  Let's create a culture where even more pride comes from, "I got it right on my 20th try!"

Happy Dance!

Last year, at a regular faculty meeting, the disco lights came on, the music played and we danced!  We talked about the courage it takes to make our school worthy of all the little people that were counting on us.  We also talked about the need to stay happy in our pursuit of excellent learning.  These talks were not preachy by any means, as the faculty owned a brave and happy attitude and brought it to life!

A few teachers, a bit out of character for them, decided they were going to head out to a local restaurant for lunch and courageously crank up some music and start dancing.  I don't remember why it didn't quite work out for them, but I thought it was really cool for them to try it!  Very happy and brave!

Buckets!

I have always had career goals, but I've never written a career bucket list.  The idea excites me!  I'm definitely going to write down the things I want to do!  I'm also going to give myself a running head start by writing down some of list-worthy items that I have already accomplished!

What is on your career bucket list?

I googled the term, "Career Bucket List," and, as usual, someone else has done this before me!  This website by Tal Gur has some ideas: http://belowzerotohero.com/career-bucket-list-ideas

My favorite is, "Become the sheriff of a small town."  I'm probably not going to add that one to my list, but it is fun to think about!

I go to Work!

In 1989, Kool Mo Dee released, "I go to Work."  Great song!  For years and years, I never said this phrase.  I always said, "I'm going to school."  Until quite recently, pretty much my entire life has been at school.  Whether I was the student or the teacher or the administrator or the consultant, I was always going to school.  I loved saying that!  I am proud of my profession and I am proud of my service to children and teachers.

Over the last six months, my career path has taken me into an office setting.  I still care passionately about high-quality education and I came here to see if I could serve our students from this vantage point.  Luckily, I can!  Upon my arrival, I knew that my learning curve would be HUGE!  Six months later, it is still steep.  I am still learning more than anyone in the building.  I still ask questions all day long. I am still the lead learner!

Yet, over the last six months, I have said, "I'm going to work."  Perhaps...since I am still learning so much, I should still say, "I am going to school!"