I thought that before I start writing something new, I should go back to some of the posts that I wrote previously, before that crazy urge to push the "publish" button came over me. Below is the closest that I came to blogging before last week. I like this article; it still stands for what I want to say--and who I want to say it to. A special thank you to Terry for being the one to convince me to actually do all of this.
Friday, October 23, 2009
This is actually my thank you, but that will make more sense later. Sometimes, I think that I spend far too much time trying to grasp the big picture—while stumbling around and dealing with “all the little bits” that are part of everything that we do. I spend a lot of time worrying.
Worrying about doing a good job.
Worrying about helping the people who need help.
Worrying if my contributions are big enough.
I am easily inspired. I so often sit in awe watching the amazing world around me: students doing great things without realizing how significant they are; colleagues working through difficult situations with the kinds of patience and grace that I wish I had more of; my young children eating life with such big bites that I am find myself so proud that I get emotional; my wife excelling at an incredibly stressful career and still being supermom at home, and—even more amazingly—“getting” me as she does so well.
I got inspired at two professional development workshops this week. One, by Damian Cooper, was on assessment and it was amazing. The other was by Mark Scharenbroich and he helped me all find my inner super hero. My mind moves a mile a minute at these events. Ideas materialize, crystallize and grow. Tangents break off and multiple story lines continue. Somehow, it is all amazing and it all fits. I leave excited. Rejuvenated. And the challenge is to take these nuggets and do something real with them. Not just an idea. Not just tell a friend, but actually do something real. And that’s where I get stuck. I think this is where we all get stuck…
…and so, back to my thank you…
I left the session with Damian Cooper completely revved up. He just seemed to say the right things for me at the right time. My notes are covered with all of the things that I would like to do when I have my own school. The things that we need to do now to move some of the things that need moved in my school. He even gave me some lubricant to help satisfy some squeaky wheels. I tried to run up my Superintendent and thank him for supporting me by providing me with this outstanding opportunity. I needed to thank him for helping me grow. Anyway, you know how these things work. I bumped into him, but in that bathroom and that just didn’t seem to be the right place for a thank you. And then I had to get back to school.
“I’ll call him”, I said, and then started to think.
“But then I will also need to call Dave. He has been the single biggest mentor to me, and is responsible for so much of what I have accomplished. And what about Susannah—her address at the conference was bang on. I need to learn how to do it like that and with so much class. And what about Brian, and Bruce? Don and Richie? Dayton, Rob and Chris and the other Dave? Mr. Oldale? Scott G? My dad? What about my kids? My wife?”
They all need to be thanked.
So here it is: Thank you. Thanks a lot.
It seems a bit small. Well, more than a bit. Which brings us to this: my blog. I work with people everyday. I ask students to look at themselves, to dig deep and decide for themselves what that person inside—the one that only they see—is all about. And then I ask them to let that person out. It’s not fair, I say, for that person to stay hidden. It makes us guess and that’s not fair either. Not fair for you, but also not fair for the rest of the world. There is a hero inside all of us, and we need to let that hero out.
I need to take my own advice.
I make contributions to my world. I have many more contributions to make. I need to see people see the contributions that I have tucked away inside of me. I need to take the time that they have given to me and return it to others.
Here are my contributions:
For all of the times that someone has listened, advised, scolded or inspired me. To those that took the time to mentor me, know that I will take the time to mentor others. Mark Scharenbroich told us to share and asked us not to compare. When we share, we get along. We inspire. But, when we compare we bring numbers into it and we start to see differences. We see discrepancies. We see that someone has something that we don’t and that makes us upset. We rank and order things. Don’t worry about your friend having better crayons that you, he said, just be happy for them. And draw.
I going to try and celebrate my friends more. I am going to be a leader and let my inner hero out more often. And not just the comfortable bits, but all those little pieces that I am not always so sure about.
I am a good listener.
I have a great sense of humour, and people like me.
I think in spurts and talk a lot, and my best ideas often come when I am quiet. When I am quiet, I am not upset; I am thinking. Good ideas come out of this.
I make great connections; between ideas and with people.
I have great ideas, and get very excited when I find myself outside of the box. I need to get outside of the box more often
I can multitask, and work well under pressure.
I like to laugh and I love to have fun.
I try to lead a very full life, and I try to eat life in big bites (thanks Willow).
I need to go and grab the people with those amazing skills, and have them work with me. We can share those great qualities, and make amazing drawings together.
They can make me better.
We can become amazing together.
Thank you for the time that you have invested in me. Thank you for being an inspiration to me. Thank you for helping me find my talents and for helping me to develop them. I promise to use them and not to let them hide any longer.
