Blog Post #16 - Feedly Readings

                The day and the life of an educator spins an emotional story line where the key players determine the outcome of a successful or challenging day.  If a teacher could concentrate solely on her objectives and lesson for the day, it would be like a fairy tale.  With the constant demands from administration, challenging moments with the students, and difficulties with parents, the job of a teacher can be overwhelming.  In the article, “Rediscovering Your Fulfillment as a Teacher,” Dr. Allen Mandler, addresses the importance of finding a new passion in the midst of the struggles.  He summarizes that the daily obstacles a teacher encounters can be enough to squelch a teacher’s dream.  I understand the importance of supporting your teachers as a principal, but all too often, teachers feel underappreciated by administration and unsupported by their principals.  Put into the mix, impossible policies, unmotivated students, and difficult parents, and you have a recipe for disaster.

                It is important to find what works and turn the tables back to your attitude and the calling of being a teacher.  If you are truly called to teach, no matter what obstacle comes your way, you find a way to overcome the difficulties that are causing the stagnation and negativity.  The author talks about becoming playful again.  I remember being in the classroom and doing math yoga with my students.  I was determined to create my own fun.  Singing your directions, stretching out on the floor and telling a story to the students, doing jump rope multiplication and division, are a few ways to engage the students in fun learning.  I feel that finding the inner child in you and being vulnerable with the students helps ignite a positive attitude.   Dr. Mandler discusses the importance of being decisive task driven.  In other words, focus on the journey and the means to the end.  The lens that we look through plays a role in our attitude.  We often want the people around us to change, when in actuality, we should be the change agent.

                I often tell people that as a principal, I do not manage people, I manage their issues.  If I concentrate on the overall landscape of the school community and all the parties that encompass it, discouragement can easily set in.  It is simple for me to be a cheerleader for the teachers and remind them that they can persevere, but when it comes to the parents and students, I have to take one conflict at a time.  Malcolm Gladwell, in his article,” When Transforming & Innovating Your School Seems Hopeless: Three Things You Can Do,” stated that looking at situations as “Goliath Situations,” is so important in the scheme of things.  Most of our problems, when we look at the heart of them, involve misconceptions about the situation and about who really has the power.  The story of Goliath, a giant, and David a shepherd boy is all about misconceptions.  David was able to destroy Goliath in spite of everyone’s opinion of who was stronger and more powerful.  We worry too much about everyone’s voice instead of going with our gut feelings.  When I look at my own dealings with conflict resolution in hopeless situations, I realize the benefit of trusting my own instincts, while taking in the viewpoints of all involved.  Sometimes it means just having the last word of wisdom. 

 

                I gleaned much wisdom from this particular article because it helped me put things into perspective.  Being flexible in a smaller school is possible because of the amount of parties involved.  Also, not having all of the bells and whistles that supposedly makes the process of education better, allows for the ability to change the rules, step out of the box systems put it in and reinvent the game.  Rethinking issues and reacting graciously to changing conditions is acceptable.  Forming the opinion of using what you have and making it better is feasible as well.  Having a different and more positive mindset can determine the outcome in the long run.  We all have troubling moments in our career where situations, people, and circumstances destroy our ability to move forward, but when we sit still, contemplate the alternative, and focus on the reason we do what we do, we recognize that tomorrow is a new day.   Dave Ramsey so eloquently said, “If the why we do what we do is bigger than the journey itself, we should get back up and keep making a difference.”  This simple quote hangs outside my door and reminds me that the big picture has little or nothing to do with ME.  It has everything to do with what I do with what I have been given on my journey.