Start Right Now
Friday morning - October's all day teacher's in-service. This in-service is usually a county wide thing and usually fun to meet up with teacher's in the area that you haven't talk to in a while. But- this year only 3 school were attending and one on the schools is 4 times bigger than the other two and the big school's teacher's don't play well with the others. Which is fine because we don't play well with them. First two hours was a key note speaker. Last year's key note speaker had no interest in the smaller schools - Not a good experience. Actually, it got pretty heated. SO- not looking forward to this year's speaker.
I sat down with "my group" - the teacher's I meet up with everyday. They were equally dreading the next few hours.Then Jimmy Casas walked out on stage.
Passion...Purpose...Pride
Lead with Passion...Live with Purpose...Love with Pride It's Your Choice How You Want To Live Each Day
And for the next two hours we all listened - I felt I was on an emotional roller coaster. He talked about being from a school of Excellence - but "are we always Excellent?" No - then we are average. I opened up my Google Keep and took notes. So many little things I can do to change my average.
Interview students - make a relationship - have an Art Show during a basketball game - jazz band play at lunch- add something from Every student-each being as important as the other.
I knew I could do better! - Just start making it happen. "Everyone Deserves to Be Part of Something Great"
So this in-service was so much more than I expected - I was touched! I went on to the ed-camp after the key note but keep thinking of Jimmy's message and as I was talking to a colleague right before the end of the day. I got a message that won one of the books, just as I was telling this colleague that I was so excited - Jimmy Casas stopped and put his hand on my shoulder. He said he had heard us talking about the keynote and was so pleased to hear that we were already making plans on how to implement a change on Monday morning. We talked for quite a while longer and shared numbers and he signed my book.
I need to be reminded that things can change and people can make a difference. I can't wait until Monday to start "changing my average!"
(n.d.). Start. Right. Now.: Teach and Lead for Excellence: Todd Whitaker .... Retrieved October 29, 2017, from https://www.amazon.com/Start-Right-Now-Teach-Excellence/dp/0996989684
