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@lydiadolch
More than enough
I have been hesitating to tell people about this blog because: I am not sure it is the best site for what I need. I don't have photos. I am also not sure I love the layout. Here's what I have come to realize...it is more than enough. How can I come to this realization in other realms of my life?
What about the stage?
Some people need more attention than others. They seek it in various ways. A few of my students make sure to know all the right answers and ask great questions. My daughter meets me at the door with her arms outstretched. Other folks send threatening emails or repeatedly poke their seat mates after their peers ask them to stop. How do we help people access the stage so they will receive applause instead of rotten tomatoes?
Back story
My dad grew up as a pastor's kid, moving around a lot, never having a home to call his own. As a college kid, he started constructing homes for others. As an adult, he built his own home. That is part of his back story. Everybody has a history. Most of the time we have no idea what it is. Somehow we have to develop compassion even without understanding. How do we remember to make room for unknown back stories?
Eeked out time
I just squeezed in almost two hours painting in my art studio. It means less sleep and more work tomorrow but it was worth every second. How do we make sure to eek out space for life sustaining "self time"?
Wow moments
I spend most of my weekends navigating meal prep, laundry, school work and clean up. I realized that I rarely really look at my kids and wife. I mean, appreciate and acknowledge their presence on a "wow" kind of level. When I do pause, it is often in wonder that I have found anything in life that could divert my attention away from truly getting to know them more. How do we pause to allow for more "wow" moments with our students, colleagues and families?
Inner guides
The trickiest part of my job is teaching myself how to teach thinking. It is so much easier to do the problem solving for someone but the results are incredibly temporary. I can teach kids how to think by not giving away the answers but rather empowering their inner guides. How do we go about developing "inner guides"?
One more thing
I kept putting off a planning meeting. I had sick kids and felt totally overwhelmed by the idea of "one more thing". We finally mapped out the spring tonight and it feels so good to have a vision. When is "one more thing" the thing to do?
Conflict
Conflict doesn't feel good. In fact, it feels downright yucky. However, if we can navigate through conflict to find the root and solve it, growth happens. How do we stay bold enough to navigate instead of avoid?
Rituals
Our twins were recently baptized. We were surrounded by family and friends and dressed in our finest. However, it was the ritual of baptism, of intentionally participating in something that so many people had done before us, that truly stayed with me. What rituals can we consciously choose for our lives and our students' lives that will make life more meaningful?
Good friends
Today a colleague came over after work. In the midst of shushing babies and baking cookies, we shared life stories and work challenges and became closer friends. It seems like a lot of life and work is about relationships. How do we make time to invest in these connections that sustain and support us through the nitty gritty?
Letting go of more ego
Thanks to Brian Vangorter at South Hill Elementary, I have recently launched Genius Hour with the fifth grade at Fall Creek Elementary. Students identify an essential question that they would like to pursue and share their new knowledge in a format that is interesting to them. Right now the students are all working. They are helping each other and cheering on their peers. They do not need me. For me to interrupt them would truly be an interruption to the engaged, authentic atmosphere. I have to take my ego out of this. When are there other times where letting go of ego would be beneficial in our lives?
On leadership
I met with one of my administrators today. She shared these words on leadership: be compassionate, honest and keep your integrity. It seems to me like this is the perfect advice for all of us. How do we live this message and instill it in our children and students?
Leaving out of my control
My unofficial goal for this year was for one of our kids to become a STUDENT. He is a kid who has become a student against ALL odds. He needs a lot of accomodations and modifications but he is participating and trying on a consistent basis for the first time ever. Thursday he is moving to an inner city school with unknown resources... When I found out, I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach. How do we continue to give all we have knowing that oftentimes the results are out of our control?
Self doubt
I made the decision to take a half day off today. Most of my family is sick and today, my daughter just turned 3. I am feeling guilty for taking a half day. The family could have gotten by without me and I could have gotten a lot of work done. My ride home is filled with unhealthy self doubt and guilt. How do we become ok about the decisions we make and just move on.
Appreciating the mundane
This weekend I took care of four sick kids. This meant a lot of laundry, booger wiping, liquid prodding, book reading, kid holding and temperature taking. I left the house to get videos from a neighbor. That was my big adventure. Sometimes life is mundane. It is about taking care of the basics whether or this is what you desire. When i find peace in the simple, repetitive things, it makes performing the mundane tasks a lot easier. There are similar tasks at school; paperwork, gadget fixing, file organizing etc. How can we appreciate the mundane at work and in other realms of our lives?
Dealing with disappointment
I am a social butterfly. I love meeting new people and getting to know acquaintances. I love birthdays, playing board games and eating soup just as much. When my family spiked high fevers and complained of sore throats, I knew the responsible family member thing was to postpone my, oh so anticipated soup and games birthday party, and dive into caretaker mode. While I love my family, I was truly looking forward to a few hours with friends, fulfilling my simple pleasures. It took me a while to get over my disappointment and be truly present on the home front. What tools do we use to get over disappointment in our lives? How can we be compassionate to our students and colleagues when disappointment strikes at work?
Delayed payoff
Sometimes I work really hard and the payoff is instant...i.e I make funny faces and my kids smile. Most of the time I experience delayed payoff. Today, I received a thank you email that was 18 months in the coming. What are ways we can help others experience payoff and when can we just get through a task knowing we are doing it because it is the right thing to do and maybe, down the road there will be payoff, or not?.