Survive the first week!

As we just finished our first week of school, I have tried to stick to my own advice, and GO HOME! There is so much that could be done, and you are never totally finished, so it is important to separate the necessities from extras so that you can do what you need to do and then leave. Remembering it is a marathon and not a sprint is critical to having a great year. There are plenty of days left to put in 12-14 hour days so work when it is time to work, and then work to accomplish your other goals away from the school building.

It's going to be a great year!

Back to school

Lots of changes taking place in our district. Should not be too surprising. Change is difficult, and there is always opposition. We will continue to do all that is asked of us (and more), and great teachers will continue to make a difference.

3 days and counting

3 days and counting until summer break is over for teachers and we report back to school. For me, it has been an eventful and fruitful summer. From the birth of our daughter, to self-publishing a project designed to help teachers, being an educator has enormous benefits!

As we kick off a new school year, it is important for me to set new goals for this school year, and assess the progress I have made over the past year. I believe that taking time to reflect is too often neglected, and we don't pause to consider or reflect on the experiences that shape us. Some lessons that I have learned over the past year:

1) Teaching a 6:45 a.m. class is possible and fulfilling, but requires enormous discipline, especially when training for a marathon and private tutoring. Find a routine and create a new habit.

2) You can have everything you want, if you just help enough other people get what they want (Zig Ziglar). This is true in teaching, tutoring, or any other profession. If you provide exceptional service, your influence will spread.

3) I am blessed to be part of a great group of teachers and administrators. These people are selfless and generous. They are leaders and passionate about what they do. Not all schools have such a sense of community, but I am blessed to be a part of this group.

These are just a few of the lessons that I have learned/been reinforced over the past 12 months. There will be challenges and victories over the coming weeks, and my goal is to continue to provide insight and wisdom about not only how to survive, but to come out on top.

Tribes and Teaching

I highly recommend Seth Godin's new book Tribes. It is a paradigm shift from the traditional thoughts on leadership. My question is how do we as teachers implement and develop our "tribe" as we move through the school year.

Leadership is not management. We try to manage our class and our students, but in doing this we are not effectively leading our students. Our administration may be impressed with the lack of students we send to the office, but are we training our students to think. If we are not being criticized then maybe we aren't taking the chances that we should.

The best way to grow used to involve reliability and consistency, while the enemy was change. While these values are important, change is coming, and we can either lead or be left behind. The Internet is a resource we must learn to use and embrace as we develop ourselves and our students.

We are really talking about a mindset. The status quo is not good enough. Taking initiative is fulfilling and rewarding. We can react or respond, but to be happy and achieve results, we must be proactive and take initiative. We need to be willing to take a chance. We will face blame and criticism, and that is the true fear that we face.

So amidst my rambles and thoughts, my question is this:

How do we as teachers develop our tribe and the tribe mentality with ourselves, our students, and our administration?

Comments welcome-

Mediocrity

I can do better than I did today! Today I had an opportunity to do something meaningful. As a teacher, I have enormous opportunities during my summer break. But today slipped away, and I let it do so. Before I am too hard on myself, I do realize that there are times when we need to take a break, and I got to spend time with my 2-month old daughter. However, I spent little time reading, writing, and my workout consisted of a 3-mile run. I know that in about 2 weeks when school kicks off I will be overwhelmed so days like this are important, but without a plan, as Dave Ramsey would say, "I wondered through like Gomer Pile on Valuum." Since I was up at 5 this morning, I had a chance to get something done--I didn't.

Tomorrow will be better! I already have my list, and hanging out with my wife and new daughter are at the top. School is right around the corner, and I will being making the most out of my last week!

Why Teacher's Appreciate Summer

#3) My email inbox can stay empty and free of new messages. We live in a connected society, which is a double-edge sword. It is easy to communicate, but the downside is that sometimes, some individuals want instantaneous responses. It is nice to see zero new messages during the summer!

What I like about Summer Break (2)

I have time to work out! Whether at the YMCA or running on the road, I am not pulled in so many directions by teaching and tutoring. Now it is hot in Texas, and it is only slightly cooler in the a.m., so running at 5:30 a.m. only provides a little less sun. And Dallas humidity is brutal. Nonetheless, I can catch up on my physical goals/workouts that were hard to squeeze in during the school year.