Final Monday Mush

I think this is the perfect quote to end our “mushes” on this school year.  We have done so much…we have been through so much, but it is important to remember that we are all here for a reason…the kids in your class are there for a reason. 

Think about all the faces in your class…they were there for a reason.  What did you do for them that only you could have done?  What did they do for you?  There is for sure a reason that paths were crossed.  It is a great time of year to look at the growth kids made, to look at specific ways that you helped kids, and to see the ways that your life was changed.

Next year, there will be a new set of team mates, kids, and parents.  I know that they will be needing you for very specific reasons.   I know each of us will be planning on how to be that person that others can rely on and grow from next year.  I hope that we begin to have that vision to see others that cross our paths as potential.  It is exciting to see how there are others that need us, and I truly believe cross our paths for specific reasons.

I thank you for being such a great team this year.  It was a lot of work and we had plenty of ups and several downs, but we did it together, and I hope you can look around and be a better person because of those around you.  I know your students are.

Thank you for all you do!

Happy Monday!

Final Friday Flush

We are getting close!  Summer is for sure almost “loaded!”  It is coming, and I know we are all very ready!  You guys have worked so hard, and you have accomplished so much!

That beach trip, that time in a hammock, reading a few books, vegging out watching movies, and car trips are all in sight.  You have earned it, and I hope that you get to do so many things that relax you.  I hope it is family time, “you” time, and time to recharge.  But we have one more week to make a difference….let’s remember to focus on the kids this week.

This is the last memory they will have of us for a while…it is part of their memories of Huggins.  Let’s make sure this week is about relationships and not just “to do’s.”  I know we have to pack, move rooms, and complete that checkout list.   But, we have kids that want to know they matter to us…they want to be missed…they want to know that we are proud of how hard they worked.  We pushed them hard and had high expectations….they deserve the chance to hear how proud we are of them!

Next week will be a whirlwind, but I can promise you that next week will come to an end…I promise you that your checklist will get done, they always do.  So focus on your kids and your families! 

Thanks for all you do!

Happy last “Flush” – Happy Friday!

"Monday" Mush

Happy fake Monday tomorrow!  We always like a short week!

I am always a sucker for these personality tests, but I thought this one was VERY user friendly and predictive.  It has great information at the end, and it would be a perfect discussion item for your team!

http://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Takes about 10 minutes, and it is quite good!

Happy “Monday”!

Friday Flush -- Nick Nolte or Socrates?

If it is on the internet, it must be true! I research a lot of quotes, and it is always funny who they are attributed to…this one was attributed to Socrates, Dan Millman, and Nick Nolte.  If you don’t really care where it came from, skip on down to the next paragraph.  Well, they are all 3 kind of right.  Dan Millman wrote a book called “Peaceful Warrior” in which there is a gas station attendant known as Socrates.  In the movie edition of this book, Socrates was played by Nick Nolte.  So truly this quote isn’t from the ancient philosopher, but really from Dan Millman in his best-selling book.

So, regardless of who said it….it is still a POWERFUL quote.  We all have a past…some good, some bad.  We all have things we can brag about, and we all have things we wish were very different.  Our energy cannot change those things.  It cannot preserve the good, and it can’t change the bad.  Our future can.

I am not the person I want to be…I won’t ever be able to say “I have arrived,” but I do want tomorrow to be able to say “I am better today than I was yesterday.”  We get that by using our energy is changing tomorrow, not fixing yesterday.  Tomorrow has potential…we truly have a way to change it…yesterday is static and it can’t be undone.

I hope this weekend is a large time of rest as you enjoy a long weekend….as we are close to the finish line think about what is ahead of you! 

Happy Friday!

Monday Mush -- SEAL Life Lessons

http://advice-223.lifebuzz.com/10-lessons-from-navy-seal/?utm_source=sp&utm_medium=April&utm_campaign=Spots&fp=sp

A few years ago, I read this at our “closing meeting” – was going through my “mush folder,” and I thought it was great advice as we start in “graduation speech season.”  Some great “life lessons” with much larger meanings and purposes.

I think that our “day to day” shows our character…our integrity…our heart. 

I will keep my comments brief, so you have ample time to read.

I thank you for your daily dedication to these students and their families.  We are perfect, and some days are TOUGH….but we don’t “ring the bell” and we find a way to laugh even “neck deep in the mud.”

Thanks for all you do!

Happy Monday!  

Friday Flush

Are you feeling the finish line approaching?  It is coming!  That is a good, good thing…. 

People ask me all the time this time of year, “So things winding down now over there?” Or something similar.   I tell them that we don’t seem to “wind down”….we stay full speed and seem to pick up a crazy pace all the way to the end….we go full speed off the cliff to finish the year. 

I am not a runner…but the few things I have done in a 5K or while jogging prove that I can push myself when the end is in sight.  If I was running aimlessly and didn’t know how long I had to keep it up….I would quit.  I would walk or sit down.  BUT, if I know that the finish line is close and my pain will come to an end soon, I can keep moving.  I can even pick up the pace to get there faster. 

That is where we are now…we have the days numbered…we know it is coming…there is a beach or pool or hammock in our sights!   But, we have lots to accomplish and push through to get there.  There is nothing wrong with picturing the finish line…actually I think it helps you not sit down or start walking!

Thanks for pushing through the end for these kids!

Happy Friday! 

Monday Mush

Steve Jobs had a life of driven passion and excellence.  He had a vision for how to live each day….of course he had big broad vision, but he took it in chunks.  So each morning he asked himself a simple but highly motivating question…..Below is a short youtube about it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5SMyfbWYyE (1:53)

I hope that vision provides you with motivation.  I hope it provides you the ability to say “yes, I am doing what I should and want to be doing” – I hope that is true for all of us.  I hope that every day we can see the world clearly as we would if we knew our days were numbered. 

Thank you for giving your passion and your energy to tomorrow’s future….thank you for being all in here.

Happy Monday!

Friday Flush -- Reflection Time

Today’s “Flush” is going to be a little different….I often ask for reflection on a topic or idea.  But, this weekend, I will leave it more open ended….I would love for you to find someone to share your thoughts on one of the above quotes with.  Over the phone, over coffee, over email….find a way to process through with a good friend, spouse, or relative.

I believe strongly in what we do as a profession…it is our mission…we plant seeds….seeds that will one day be harvested….and I believe everyone deserves a second chance….a chance to become someone better than the day before.  I know that as educators we see the meaning behind these quotes in our students’ faces.

I hope your weekend is great…full of family and friends and sun…pools are open and we can almost taste summer….but make sure that you find time to reflect and to grow. 

Thank you for all you do!

Happy Friday! 

Monday Mush -- Teacher Appreciation Week

Happy Teacher’s Appreciation Week! 

You deserve much more than a week of celebration for all you do!  I hope this week that you are spoiled, and that you realize the impact that you have on so many people.  The future will literally be changed based upon you passion and your dedication. 

I appreciate you….I know the hours…I know the tears….I know the pain of putting up with me….You guys are stellar.  You give every day, and you go home time….then, you get up and do it again.  But deep down you are driven to do so because you want a better tomorrow.  You see in kids things that they don’t see in themselves. 

Thank you so much for all you do…thank you for making a difference….I hope it is an amazing week!

Happy Monday!

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”!

Monday Mush

This seemed appropriate and funny as we start our first round of STAAR testing tomorrow for a couple grade levels! 

I wanted to thank you for being diligent in what you do…we were able to not be anxious about a “test” because you did your jobs so well every day….thank you for not passing down anxiety onto the kids, and I know that will increase their performance.

Kids know the information…they know the strategies….but more importantly they know your heart and your love for them.  That is a win regardless of the STAAR results. 

I hope that this week you are able to find a way to still make a difference in a kid’s life….find an unexpected way to have a conversation, play at recess, or eat with them at lunch.  Kids stress about lots of things, and I bet we would find that they are not only stressed about school and STAAR, but probably 50 other things.  We can show a lot by slowing down our own worries and fears to just be there for them.

Thank you for all you do every day for kids.  You have given so much for them.  It is amazing to think of the impact that you are making on the lives of so many.  These kids will leave us one day, and they will have more opportunities to build on their knowledge as based upon the love of learning you gave them.  70-80% of them will have jobs that don’t exist today.  They will be doing work that hasn’t been invented yet and they will be making a difference in the world around them.  You job wasn’t to make them successful on that bubble sheet….it was to make them successful in that job or in their life.  We have great kids with great hearts, and I appreciate all you do for them every day!

Happy Monday!

Friday Flush

Love this quote…I need to read it quite a few times.  There are many, many times that I have quotes or stories that I need more than anyone.  I have used this one before, and I think it is probably one that I need the most. 

It reminds me of something I would call a “grand parent quote.”  One that maybe you heard so often you stopped thinking about it…one that almost sounds too cliché like “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” or something.  But, quotes in that category are compelling because they are simple, catchy, and right on the money. 

Too often, we get distracted by all things that are shiny, and it seems are lives are getting more full of shiny things.  We are pulled by work, family, hobbies, and a long laundry of to do’s that don’t seem to stop.  But, what matters isn’t on that list.  That to do list needs to get done, but it shouldn’t be our goal each day.  Relationships should be.  That is why we chose the field that we are in.  You didn’t decide to be an educator to grade papers, answer emails, or run copies….you chose it to make a difference for kids and invest in their lives.  When kids know that you are there for them and truly care for them, the other stuff becomes easier.

Just remember that today only happens once…those people around you aren’t always going to be there in the same way.  We can capitalize on that moment by being ready for it.   When someone interrupts your “plan” or your to do…remember that people are the most important thing.  We can learn from others, and that relationship is what actually makes us a team. 

I hope this weekend is a time of relaxation for you.  I hope you are able to reflect on being all there wherever you are.  Thanks for being a part of this team!

Happy Friday!