Friday Flush

I love this quote….seems to be such a simple statement that leads us to powerful reflection.  This school week alone has had 4 “yesterdays” so far.  If I was better each day than I was yesterday, that is tremendous growth in just a week. 

2015 has had 118 “yesterdays” to date…118!  If I changed one small thing each day, that would be 118 things that have made me better.  I can say that I for sure haven’t done that, but I want to.  I want every day to look at how to be better than yesterday.  I want that to be in my personal life and in my professional life.  I want those around me to see me becoming better.  I want people in my life that expect that of me and don’t settle for good enough. 

I hope this weekend you can see the power of learning from yesterday.  I hope we can all be better each day.

Thank you for all you do!

Happy Friday!

Monday Mush

Ok, STAAR week is officially over, and these made me laugh probably more than I should have!  With STAAR over, we can breathe easier, and I know the results will show us some great things.  This is a fun time of year as everyone becomes more and more excited about the summer.  We start to look forward to that “energy saving mode” that is coming!  So we know that a couple months of rest and bacon will cure all….we just have to get there!

April and May are long months, but they are beyond valuable in education.  Keep remembering the importance of pushing through to the finish line…next year’s teachers will thank you greatly.  This is a great time to hone in on those skills that next year’s teachers will need.  Start looking at what gaps we can continue to fill. 

The year isn’t over, and that is a good thing.  We want to be able to do our jobs without the “stress of the test.”  So, now we have that….enjoy it!

I hope this week is a great one!   We have a busy calendar the rest of the year….it is time to enjoy the journey and enjoy our students! 

Thanks for all you do!

Happy Monday!

Friday Flush

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRaTpTVTENU (5:35)

This video is a type that is popular on YouTube right now….mixing motivational speeches with clips of athletes and movies.  There do an amazing job of putting a “picture in our minds” that goes with the speaker’s intent.  It solidifies their message.

I have seen many of these about overcoming fear, embracing change, and being a person driven to succeed. 

In this clip, there are many powerful messages….many that truly deserves their own time of reflection….I hope this weekend, you are able to reflect on “what you want to be remembered for?”  I hope that we are able to create an environment that allows kids to start to see that they can make choices and decisions that get them closer to their dreams and their “legacy.”  Thank you for all you do in working with kids to achieve that as well as helping them see the power they have in themselves despite their current circumstances.

Here are some ideas that stuck out to me:

1.       People won’t find their sense of “completion” in their wealth or fame.

2.       The effect you have on others is the most valuable currency you have.

3.       Hope is a beggar….hope walks through fire, but faith leaps over it.

4.       He who says that he can, and he who says they can’t are usually both right.

5.       What do you want to be remembered for?

6.       I hope you want to be remembered as a “grinder”…Do not give up on your goals and dreams.

7.       No one should have to convince you to do what you have to do.

8.       It wasn’t their job to take care of me because it wasn’t their dream….it was my dream!

9.       There is always someone on your heels wanting to take what is yours.

10.   You are always replaceable. 

11.   Don’t be outworked…period.

12.   You will fail your way to success.

13.   Not about putting in hours…it is about what you are doing with those hours you are putting in.

14.   You just need to go one more mile…one more day.

15.   There is something inside you that man can’t give you.

16.   Today is the day.

Happy Friday!

Monday Mush

Tomorrow, everyone should reopen their email, and say this to themselves.   Then, you need to remind your students as they walk in….and believe it about them too.

This week is going to be a great week…truly….it is a chance to shine for some of kids doing all that testing.  It is game day, and game day can be quite fun.  Practices are hard…tiring…and we see so many things to fix.  But, game day is a chance to show off all that conditioning….be excited for that.

I know this week will be awesome….believe that….stand in front of the mirror and say it till you believe it….hopefully you don’t get hoarse in the process.

Expectations have been high all year, and this is where you are thankful for that. 

Enjoy the “games” this week….

Happy Monday!  

Friday Flush

I think this a great quote that talks about keeping our eye on the journey ahead and not weighing ourselves down with the potholes we have already crossed. 

I use the analogy many times about being in a car (yes, you are rolling your eyes now…).  There is a windshield and a rearview mirror in front of you when you are driving.  Both serve a purpose…that rearview mirror lets us see what is behind us, what might be coming, and where we have been.

But it is a small part of what we need to drive….the bigger piece is the windshield….it is probably 50 times bigger than the rearview mirror….it is MUCH MORE important.  It shows us the road ahead, we can see obstacles to avoid, and we see potential. 

Even if our past was great and the road behind us has been amazing….we can’t see what is coming if we only drive in the rearview.  Great things that happen in life are great when we are in the moment....but great things dull as we view them in the rear view….  We want to experience the full GREATNESS of the “next chapter.”

I hope this weekend you can reflect some, but I hope you spend more time thinking of the road that is laid out in front of you.  The cool thing about writing a new chapter is that right now it is blank and has unlimited potential.  It could be anything…

I hope everyone has a great weekend…

Happy Friday!

Monday Mush

I love this pictorial….seems like a striking contrast in perspectives….  I think we often times forget the power that others around us have on us….I think that we always forget the power that we have as teachers and coworkers.

Are you just a “critic” or are you a “critical friend.”  They have some similarities, but they are VASTLY different.

I think the powerful descriptors about each one are the words are the bottom.  Critics are a dark cloud….there is no positivity or hope.   Critical Friends see the potential and the silver lining.   They offer hope in what is to come.

The circumstances could be the same that each group is looking at….but there perspectives completely change the game.  It is how they “frame” the problems they see…  It is the idea of hope and helping someone get better that makes a difference.

Do our students feel that?  Do they feel that we are pointing out flaws or building upon strengths?  Do they feel we are holding them back or moving them forward. 

We all have “dark days”….We all have times that we need support.  Which “camp” do you want to be your support? 

I hope this week is about finding those that give you hope and give you a brighter horizon.  I hope you are that critical friend to others.

Happy Monday!

Friday Flush

I must admit, I love a good flowchart.  I feel the world would be a better place if we only utilized the flowchart more!  It is logical and simple, so it speaks to me as one that is simple minded….

I loved this flowchart…I think it highlights a few things that are helpful for us to reflect on.

The main question is one that we can all relate to….we all ask ourselves that at some point.  Are we happy?  There really are only 2 answers to that.  It sometimes seems like a complex question, but 2 answers are all of the options….

Sometimes we waste a lot of energy on people that are not happy….we try to change them….we want to figure out how to bring them happy…but maybe they answered “No” twice in the flowchart….maybe they don’t want it.  People have to “want” change.

If you are happy, take some time to enjoy that…look at the things you are doing that cause that feeling and keep doing it. 

If you aren’t happy but want to be….you can look at things to change ….that would lead you back to the beginning and hopefully a different course.

I hope this weekend, you realize the blessings that are in your life…I hope you can realize the blessing you are to others….I am hope you hum “Happy” all weekend too…yes, I know, now it is stuck in your head!

Happy Friday!

"Monday" Mush

I though this quote was cute….I strongly believe in the power of educators that stay positive.  We have a lot of things we could focus us that are negative….things that would drag us down…things that we can’t control or fix….things that waste our energy.

All attitudes are contagious…you can sense a person’s mood very clearly….that is truly of a genuinely positive person as well.  It is contagious.  People that are positive choose to put aside what is “going wrong” with their lives and focus on either what is going right or what could be going right soon.  They truly see a bigger picture.  Today may be dark, but tomorrow has a better forecast.

Positive people focus their energy on making a difference and being better.  Negative people focus on blaming circumstances and being bitter.  One of those positions is MUCH easier to take….that of being negative.  Positive people make a choice….a choice to be better for those around us.

I hope this week is a great week…not just because all things work out perfectly for you….I just hope that we all choose positivity over negativity.  I hope we choose to focus on what we can do, not what we can’t.

Thank you for being “Cinderella” for these kids.  Thank you for being that positive person that sets aside their own baggage to make a dream come true.

Happy “Monday”!

"Friday" Flush

I think we have all had things in life come on us that seems to make time stand still.  Something that makes all those super important “to dos” suddenly not feel so pressing. 

“What matters” is a subjective thing….what I choose may be very different from what you choose.  But, I think it worth us reflecting on over the weekend.   We have tough jobs and tough schedules to keep…we have lots of demands placed on us from all sides...sometimes we are more scattered than focused.   So this long weekend take a moment to see what needs our focus.  How can we do better at staying focused on that?  How can we let other things “go” to a point that gives us that opportunity to focus.

We I think of us as educators…our students know that we care about the subject matter…they know that we want them to learn….but do they know you truly care about them.   Capturing Kids Hearts is truly school-changing when we focus on making sure we have “captured their heart first” because the head will follow.  That is tough during “testing season,” but certainly just as important.

You are an amazing staff…with so many talents….thank you for sharing those with the kids and families here.  I hope this weekend is a time to share those with your own family and friends.  

I hope you enjoy the super long weekend…you earned it!

Happy “Friday”!