Day 2: Today You Are You-#SOL17

"Today you are you, that is truer than true.  There is no one alive who is youer than you." -Dr. Seuss 

It's Read Across America Day! Working in an elementary setting, we take today to honor the birthday of our beloved Dr. Seuss.  As I walked from classroom to classroom this morning, you could see how this man has left a timeless impact on all of our hearts regardless of age. I sat alongside some students as they listened to a Dr. Seuss favorite and was immediately drawn to the familiar text. The celebration of reading is evident and another level of excitement fills the air within our school community.

I'm sure many of us can attest to growing up alongside some of Dr. Seuss's classics that are still thriving on bookshelves today.  Do you have a favorite? His words, while fun to read, often provide deeper meaning and messages to pass along way. Who else can get away with making up silly, rhyming words, and send a message to the reader at the same time?! His genius was instilling a love of reading within us all that won't soon be forgotten.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND THANK YOU, DR. SEUSS!

Day 1: Trust Your Journey-#sol17

Two Writing Teachers

Today is the day.  Today marks the start of another journey as a lifelong learner.  A journey of risk, self-discovery, reflection, and growth.  I was just explaining to a colleague today how much I truly enjoy writing, so today marks the start of seeing words come to fruition consistently for the next 31 days as I embark on the Slice of Life Challenge.  This SOL "newbie" is open to trusting the process of this journey and can't wait to see what slices will be unveiled throughout this month.  

It's time to jump in with both feet and see what happens...ready or not, here we go!

When in Doubt, Hit Send

Have you ever been on the receiving end of an unexpected email, note, call, text (you get the idea) that seemed to come just when you needed it the most? Maybe you had a great day or maybe you had a less than ideal day, but regardless, it was as if the messenger had the perfect timing unbeknownst to them.  How did you feel?

via QuoteFancy

Recently, this has happened to me several times, and has lead me to reflect on the importance of timing.  In the hustle and bustle of day to day living, we get moving fast and often forego taking the time to say or send those words of encouragement and appreciation to others, whether this be adults or children.

These don't need to be grand gestures by any means, but even the smallest of gestures can resonate deeply within an individual.  Think about a time where you wished you had taken an opportunity, yet you let it slip by for whatever reason...yes, we've all done it.

via CindyWords

As we continue to lead with a grateful heart, I challenge you this week and in the days ahead to make the time to show others, adults and children alike, that they matter. You just never know how perfect your timing might be for them.

Believe in timing and when in doubt, hit send. 

Thankful.Grateful.Blessed

Anyone else feel as if they blinked and now the holiday season is upon us?  We live in a society of perpetual busyness, but how often do we stop, slow down, and thank those who support us and help us grow? Giving thanks shouldn't be reserved for one time a year. It should be embedded into our lives daily.  We all matter and need to make leading with gratitude a priority through our words and actions. 

As I reflect on successes and challenges, there is much to be thankful for both personally and professionally.  Thankfulness can come in all forms, but today I take the time to say THANK YOU to all those experiences and individuals who have contributed to who I am today. Today, I form my thanks around one word...FAMILY. Now, we all have our own notions about family, but expand your thinking and watch how your "branches" can grow.

Family doesn't always mean someone who is related to us. My FAMILY extends far and wide. Of course, without the love, support, and guidance of my immediate family I wouldn't be half the individual I am today. Friends are family. Colleagues are family. Complete strangers can become family.  Family can encompass a much larger scale and with the addition of each "branch", comes gratefulness and growth. 

• Colleagues

These individuals support, challenge, and grow me as a learner and educator. Over my time in education, I've had the pleasure to work alongside some amazing and passionate people both at building and district level.  These individuals have encouraged me, stretched my thinking, and at times, pushed me outside of my comfort zone. We've laughed, cried, and even had some hard conversations, but ultimately they've made me a better educator and person for it. They're more than just colleagues-they're my family.

• School Community

There's something to be said about a strong school community.  When you see all stakeholders invested in collective efforts towards seeking and taking action on what is best for all learners, you know you have a strong school community.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to be both an educator and parent in our school community.  There are thankless and tireless efforts being done everyday to keep our school community strong.  It's more than just a school community-it's family.

• Students

Yes, these individuals make up a large part of our school community, but we couldn't do what we do without them. You'd be surprised how much I've learned and grown from these little minds.  Seeing the world through their perspectives is inspiring.  They're matter of fact, speak truth, and can lift your spirits on a rough day. They're unpredictable, yet some of the most growth-minded individuals I've ever seen. They look to us to support their growth as learners, love and support them unconditionally, and lead by example. They're more than just kids-they're family. 

• PLN

My PLN is an ongoing evolvement of awe-inspiring individuals, some of whom I may never even meet in person.  I've met these individuals from friends of friends, Twitter, colleagues, and the list goes on.  My PLN expands globally and provides such a wealth of knowledge.  These connections have been invaluable to my growth as an ongoing learner. These individuals are more than just connections-they're family.  

Although our "branches" of FAMILY may look different, they are the root of who we are as individuals.  As we enter into a time of thanks, I challenge you to lead with gratitude not only today but everyday.  How will you continue to lead with a grateful heart?

Be Somebody's Somebody

As a new school year approaches, we experience a myriad of emotions.  For many of us, we are feeling excited, renewed, and optimistic about possibilities that await us. Our spark has been rejuvenated from a summer of flexible schedules, relaxation, and maybe even some vacationing. Although some will attest summer goes by way too quickly, nonetheless, we are ready to catch up with our colleagues and conquer new goals. 

As I'm sure most would say about their respective buildings and district, I love our school and more importantly, I love the staff, students, and families that make up our school community.  I view my colleagues within my building my second family and school is often my home away from home.  I consider myself blessed to work and grow alongside such passionate educators on a daily basis. We truly are like a family.

We, as a school, create our culture and our school identity. As I reflected on the previous and upcoming school year for our own building, I kept coming back to the same idea that, in my opinion, truly is the core of education...it's all about RELATIONSHIPS.

Without trusting relationships, we will never progress beyond the surface level of actionable change within our schools.  It takes a village to make an impact on student learning, and it all stems back to building and fostering those relationships with all stakeholders.

"Where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came."

Lyrics taken straight from the Cheers theme song, but holds so much meaning and truth behind the words. Our job is a collective effort and while there are highs and lows throughout a school year, there is a sense of comfort knowing the people you surround yourself with all share the vision and goals for your school community. We want to work where everybody knows our name, so to speak.

As we, as educators, head back into our respective schools and classrooms for the upcoming school year, I would challenge you to focus in on the heart of relationships with your students and colleagues. They will provide your foundation to support the building blocks of learning and achievement.

How will you be somebody's somebody this year? 

Embracing a Work In Progress

Hello, it's me...

I'm an ongoing learner, plain and simple. This past school year presented so many opportunities for me to grow alongside my colleagues (which I hope to elaborate further on in future posts).  This isn't to say we didn't have our fair share of highs and some lows, but we grew and most importantly, we grew together!

To say I've been on a blogging hiatus is an understatement.  At first glance, it appears I've been absent from my blog for some time,  but this isn't to say that my learning stopped. This isn't to say that there aren't several posts still currently in DRAFT mode from months ago as well as new ideas currently swirling just waiting for the green light to post. This isn't to say that my learning will cease to continue moving forward. What it is saying is that I'm ready to dust off the keyboard and get back into business with new goals and aspirations for both my colleagues and myself as we continue our growth together.

Some background...

Simply stated, I like to write.  OK, actually I LOVE to write! While I was in the classroom, my students used blogging as a means of connecting their writing with an authentic audience, but it also gave them a sense of empowerment and purpose within their writing. It amazed me to watch excitement flourish as each student found their writing voice.

After stepping into my role as an instructional coach, that same excitement that I had seen in my students led me to seeking my own writing voice.  For me, blogging has served as a means of reflection as an educator but over time, has also served as a possibility of instilling empowerment and inspiration to others.  My goal and my "why" is that I use one of my passions to not only provide insights into instructional coaching, but to also inspire others to see themselves as ongoing learners who can always grow.

In what ways do you embrace being a work in progress?

Every Week Matters

Time.  Time relates to so much in our lives from day-to-day interactions to the monumental picture of life itself.  It all revolves around time.  Speaking of time, regardless of the time that has passed since my last post, I couldn't wait to dust off my blog tonight and jump back in with a post that I was inspired by earlier this morning from @pastorstevepoe.  

Did you know that the average number of weeks a parent will have with their child from birth to graduation is a mere 936 weeks?  936 weeks?!  While that may seem like more than enough to many, as a parent myself, that number seemed shockingly low.

Infographic credit: @NorthviewCarmel

As you can see from the infographic above, 936 weeks seems like an incredible gift as time continues to pass as a child gets older and older.  Wow! Talk about perspective!  The more I thought about the gift of time not only with my own children, the more I started thinking and reflecting about the students in our classrooms and the value of their time spent with educators during their years of schooling.  

The following is my own creation of an infographic as it relates to a child's education: 

Created using Piktochart

Ironically enough, the TOTAL amount of time a child spends in school grades K-12 equates approximately to only about 8 or 9 years of a child's life as seen in the first infographic.  Powerful message, isn't it?  

As educators, how are we choosing to spend the time that we have with our students each and every day?  When thinking about the role of the elementary school years, it becomes even more apparent about how crucial these weeks are in laying the foundational blocks in a child's learning.  

As we think about our instruction, are we using our time wisely with our students?  When we begin with an end goal in mind for our students not only now but in the future, we are able to use every minute of time in our classrooms as a gift and opportunity rather than as a burden that often leaves us falling victims to content "coverage".  Each teacher's 36 weeks with a student could either push them  36 weeks closer to that end goal or 36 weeks farther away.  

In the end, every day and every week matters with our students.  The time we get with them now all contributes to that magical number of 468...468 amazing weeks of opportunity and promise.  An educator's influence is inevitable and substantial on a student regardless of their age or grade level.

How will you choose to spend your 36 weeks?