For now, in our county we are fortunate enough to have academic coaches.....those who spend their every waking moment...during school, at night, on the weekends...at my beck and call....to discuss another one of my brilliant plans about how to SAVE OUR SCHOOL. Not only are they on my speed dial, they spend time researching best practices, embellishing curriculum, providing professional development and most importantly, working with teachers, for the mere purpose of leveraging their skill set for student achievement. They build relationships with teachers, work with students and look for every possible way to bridge the gap. Since my last posting a major event has happened in my life. I loss my mother in law, who was not only a colleague and confidante, she was the epitome of poise and grace. She possessed a passion for life and those who she loved that I can only imagine passing on. QUITE UNEXPECTED...in the MIDDLE OF OUR HIGH STAKES TEST!!! I am having a difficult time getting accustomed to this "new normal," but she said words to me that I will hear for a lifetime..."You can do it," "they have the right person," "If you can't do it, it can't be done." And believe me the list goes on. But tonight, I was feeling sorry for myself.
I spent the day in a pretty dreadful meeting only to have enough time to leave that meeting and get to the next meeting. I was not at my best as I had not eaten and was feeling famished. In this life, we grow accustomed to missing lunch, but I didn't eat dinner last night, ate a granola bar for breakfast before I ran a mile and then sat through a meeting that made me feel ill. The second meeting of the day was about a federal grant our state is applying for and "TAG" I am one of the chosen schools. Oh yippie, one more thing to do. I sat there listening to all the additional demands that will be placed on my teachers....while the concept itself is exciting, I could not help but be concerned about how they, especially the good ones, will respond. Well, at the end of the meeting I was compelled to run back to the school, while everyone else was going elsewhere, to share the info with my thought partners to give them time to frame their thoughts.
Anal retentive may not be an inappropriate way to describe me....so my OCD behaviors take over and I am drafting the proposal as I see fit.....but becoming increasingly anxious thinking about how we can manage all of this and still survive. My heart is racing...my head is pounding and then I get an email from one of my coaches.
To know him is to love him....he is the most eclectic and possibly the most visibly passionate in the group. While he's grown in diplomacy, his thoughts are obvious through his laughter. So, I'm sitting there. I have drafted a proposal, sent it to those in charge and I sit, and think......what in the world is wrong with me. Why is it that everybody else is resting for the evening and I am drafting a proposal. I am thinking about what is the "it" that we have to do to make certain our students grow academically.
My computer dings and I see a note from my eclectic coach. He says....when I saw this I thought about us. Not knowing what he was sharing with us and looking at the time finding it hard to believe that he not only was awake but was sending Internet links, I clicked the button.How to start a movement
What I saw made me howl. I then realized....it's not that they just feel they need to talk to me when I call at noon on a Saturday afternoon; or they are vying for job security when I make a comment and they have the information researched and laid out before I can leave work; or that they anticipate my thoughts and come to meetings already prepared with answers to my probable questions.....the truth is "THEY ARE JUST AS CRAZY AS ME!!!"
See we live and love this work. As I watched the video clip, I could not help but wonder, "How many see us as the lone nuts?" Why is it that when everyone is enjoying their weekend, we are at the school drawing t-shirt designs or analyzing student data to share on Monday. My coaches actually believe are children are worth investing in. They, while completely out of the classroom, seek ways to interact with and encourage children.
They believe s in themselves...they believe in themselves and they believe in the true "lone nut; " ME! I couldn't ask for a better group...we grow, we learn, we develop......TOGETHER!!! Kudos to those that help make my work possible.
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