Dallas White Rock Marathon 2009

This past Sunday, I just completed my 4th straight Dallas White Rock Marathon and 9th overall. WhiteRock2009 The question that I am most often asked is "Why do you do it?" I am yet to have an answer despite much thought and consideration. Is it an addiction? A sickness? The best I can come up with is that involves a pursuing a goal. While my time is not impressive, I did finish. In the same way, it may take us longer than we expect to reach our goals, but as long as we keep the end in sight and persevere, success is possible. I walked more than would like the last few miles, but I kept moving. I think that is applicable in much of what we do. There are hills and valleys, pain and setbacks, but the key is to keep moving! And that is what I did for 4 hours and 35 minutes on a beautiful Sunday morning-

New Project

I have a new project-

In addition to teaching, tutoring, and training, I am looking forward to chronicling my runs and sharing some of my observations as I run. My sights are once again on the White Rock Marathon, as I have learned that it is impossible to stay motivated and train without a concrete goal. Running to "stay in shape" can get you 1-3 miles, but unless you have a goal, it is near impossible to be up at 4 a.m. while the rest of the world is asleep in order to do what it takes to run, and improve my times.

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great!" This is my start--it's a marathon, not a sprint!

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.

Completing Summer School

My students have worked very hard over the past 5 weeks. It is not easy to give up the majority of your summer to spend 6 hours Monday through Thursday, not to mention homework time, to take an optional math class. Although the desire may not come from within (sometimes parents encourage), most of my students are highly motivated and want to be here. They enjoy learning and want to do their very best. It helps to have supportive parents, but after recently completing the book Outliers , I have a better understanding of why some students achieve more. In a nutshell, those students that continue their education during the summer months, be it in a classroom, by reading on their own, or with experiences with their families, have higher levels of success as compared to those students who spend their summers watching t.v., hanging out with friends, etc.

At the same time, how many of us as professionals continue to grow, read, and learn after our formal schooling has ended? We are either progressing or digressing, never remaining in the same place. How many times have I myself chosen to watch television or surf the web when I could be engaging in a book or other material that will take me to where I want to be. I am improving, but I am not yet where I want to be in regards to this level of discipline. I will continue to persevere and in time I will accomplish more.

The choice as to whether or not to teach summer school is difficult for some teachers. Yes, the extra income would be nice, however, we have worked very hard over the past 10 months with the hopes of recharging our battery during the summer months. Teaching a PreAP class as opposed to a credit recover class makes a difference as you are working with motivated students. I do remember my first tours as a rookie summer school when the job was much more demanding, but as I have paid my dues, I am fortunate to have a great group of hard-working students. Some factors to consider when deciding whether or not to teach in the summer:

1. Do I need/want the extra income?

Most teachers get paid for 12 months out of the year, so anything made during the summer is a bonus.

2. What does the schedule look like?

Monday - Thursday? Having a three-day weekend makes a huge difference.
8 a.m. - 12 p.m. or 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.?

3. Will you have any summer left?

Having 3-4 weeks before reporting back still gives me a break.

Whether or not you are teaching summer school, my hope is that you use your summer to make something happen. Have a plan and set some goals. WRITE IT DOWN! Even if your goal is to refresh yourself physically and mentally, have a plan of how to do it. Otherwise, you will wake up at the end of August wondering where the summer went.

If You Aim at Nothing...

...You'll hit it every time. I've heard Zig Ziglar use that quote, and it is absolutely true. If we fail to set goals for ourselves in all walks of life, we will just drift along and really not accomplish much.

I have seen it in my running countless times. When I have a marathon that I know if coming up, I know exactly what my goal is and I start to plan exactly how I what I am going to do in the weeks/months leading up to it. I know I need at least one 20 mile run, and a week or two prior to the race to recover. Knowing that the marathon is coming and if I do not train properly, I will risk injury (either to my pride or physically). Conversely, after running my last my race of the spring which is the Oklahoma City Marathon, my plan is to continue to run and keep myself in shape over the summer in preparation for the fall schedule. The problem is that if I do not have a definite race to train for, it is near impossible for me to remain motivated and stick to a schedule. I like to think of myself as highly motivated, but the stark reality is that without a goal, it is hard to maintain, improve, and continue to press on.

I see this in my classroom as well. If I do not have a goal for myself and my students, we will coast along and wake up in April wondering where the time went. Having an end-of-course exam and setting a goal for all of my students to score commended gives me a target and reinforces what I am doing. All that we do as educators should revolve around helping students be successful and preparing them for their future. When we break that goal up into something measurable, it empowers us and gives us a sense of direction. Students need goals and it is important that we as educators model that process for them.

The summer time is a great chance for teachers to set new goals for themselves in all areas of life as well as begin planning their goals for the upcoming school year. Start small. Make a list of what you want to get done this week and even tomorrow. When I put it down on paper, I have found that things get done. Very few people write down their goals, but if we will make a conscious effort to do so, what seemed at first as insurmountable will eventually be a reality.

You Don't Have To Be Great To Start...

...But you have to start to be great -- John Maxwell. This is one of my favorite quotes, and is on the bulletin board in my classroom. As I undertake this new project, there are many unknowns, but in the words of Zig Ziglar, "Anything worth doing is worth doing WRONG, until you learn how to do it RIGHT."

This is a project that has been in the works for the past 3 years. Right now there are many individuals considering teaching as a profession, and a worth profession it is. There are challenges and rewards, and there are many things that I never learned in all of my formal education.

My goal in putting this together is to help people at different places:

(1) If you are considering a career in education --what to expect, challenges and rewards, and common misconceptions.

(2) If you are a new teacher about to begin your first teaching job -- what they never taught us in our education programs.

(3) If you are a current teacher how to move from survival to stability, and eventually from stability to significance -- finding balance and staying power as a teacher.

If you fall into one of these three groups, this is the place for you! I will do my best to provide insight and wisdom from my time in the classroom.

The summer time is a great opportunity for teachers to recharge their batteries and find balance in their lives. It is also a great time for new teachers to prepare for the upcoming year.

Welcome Aboard!