Category: Teachers

The Zorro Circle

It is 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning; my hubby is downstairs exercising.  I am upstairs typing a blog. It sounds a little wacky! No, I don’t live in a dysfunctional household. We both fell asleep while the television was watching us; now neither of us can fall asleep. I went to bed with the intent of starting my day at a normal hour but that’s not happening today! Lying in bed has resulted in me mentally creating an elaborate schedule of “must do’s” for the day. My mind is spinning with ideas  and one of my favorite rules prevailed, “If you lie in bed for 30 minutes and can’t fall asleep, get up and DO SOMETHING!” I put a load of clothes in the washer and started a blog! A “Must Do” and a “Me Do!”

I’ve been deliberating over setting some goals for myself. After all, it’s the beginning of a new year! I narrowed my goal setting to the circles that consume my world: home, work, and ME! I know my plan will work well because it’s grounded in research. I am setting my personal goals based on information gleaned from my favorite orange book, The Happiness Advantage! Yes, I am still hooked on “happiness” and orange is one of my favorite colors!

In the book, the author wrote about the  Zorro Circle, named after the swashbuckling movie character “Zorro.”  The author elaborates on Zorro’s transformation from a binge-filled alcoholic to a masterful swordsman. He accredits Zorro’s conversion to his  astute mentor and to Zorro’s ability to successfully navigate within manageable circles.  Zorro’s first task was to become confident and skillful within a narrowly defined circle.   After mastering the smallest circle, Zorro’s mentor widens the circle, thus prompting Zorro to perfect his craft even more.  As the tale continues, Zorro becomes well known for his skills as a swordsman and dedicates himself to helping those in need. While the act of helping those in need resonates to many; the symbolism of the circles may sometimes be overlooked. By initially limiting the size of Zorro’s circle and gradually expanding its size, Zorro’s mentor had ensured that Zorro would accomplish his goal!

When I set my goals for this marvelous new year, I’m keeping the  Zorro Circle in mind. My goals will be challenging but obtainable! I am going to keep my circles large enough so I must stretch and small enough so that I can advance to a larger circle!

As you set goals for the new year, whether they are goals for home, work, or self,  ensure that they are reasonable and obtainable!

Less stress, more happiness!

Orange Sprinkles!

Experience is a Great Teacher!

They say experience is a great teacher, so I am sharing my experience with the hope of inspiring a GREAT TEACHER. It has been some years since I have been “assigned” as a classroom teacher, but my memories are clear and dear. Those of us who find teaching to be a passion instead of a job will have many stories to share. Some stories will be memorable because we have made authentic connections with kids. Other stories will be celebrations because we beat the odds when others predicted failure. My folklore is a memorable celebration.

Imagine, it’s mid-August and you stumble upon an opportunity to interview for a teaching position. Envision that you attend an interview and when you return home, there’s a message on the answering machine indicating that you sealed the deal! Well, that’s my story! Being the young, naive, enthusiastic teacher that I was, I had no concept of who may sit in the chairs of that 5th grade classroom that was waiting for adoption. I had no notion of the seemingly worthy advice that I would receive from those who had experienced the wrath of those notorious 10-year old’s! If you haven’t figured it out yet…it was THAT CLASS! Yes, THAT CLASS! You know the class, the class that everyone talks about BEFORE the first day of school! The class that every experienced teacher thinks he or she could manage, if ONLY given the opportunity! Rest assured, when the opportunity presented itself, there was no experienced teacher waiting to adopt this class. As a matter fact, as my hiring status spread throughout the school like a wildfire, the “birth mom” meandered to my classroom to introduced herself. Birth mom was an experienced teacher who was nesting in third grade. She was quick to share why she had decided to put her darlings up for adoption. In what was supposed to be a “welcome to the building greeting”, “birth mom” spent most of the time talking about the “bad boys” and detailing every negative event that had occurred during the previous school year. The “welcome to the building greeting” concluded with her offering advice, that even a naive enthusiastic teacher, knew not to follow.

The first 2 weeks of school were calm. By week 3, the honeymoon was over! The boys, 4 to be exact, had established their positions and were ready for war. I won’t detail the events that occurred. I will say that there were numerous parent calls, daily conferences with the social worker, several visits from the principal, and even some crisis management from the police. Every evening, I left thinking of a new strategic plan. I was moving desks like a genie and giving stickers like they were candy! I was so strict, that I felt like I was in a straitjacket! I was constantly receiving advice from experienced teachers who literally gawked at my class as we walked through the halls. I was focusing so much attention on managing those 4 boys that I hadn’t gotten to know the other twenty-five kids. At the end of an exhausting week, my mother-in-law asked if I was going back. I responded “yes” but knew that I couldn’t continue to battle with the “Magnificent 4!”

The following Monday, I was resolved to make the classroom a welcoming environment for ALL my kids. I changed their desks arrangement to collaborative groups instead of rows. We had a class meeting and established classroom expectations. The kids told me about their interest, and we were off to a new start. I divided the “Magnificent 4” and considered each as an “Awesome 1.” I wrote positive notes to the kids praising their accomplishments and gave personal invitations to lunchtime ice-cream socials. Day by day, the classroom climate changed but the captain of the “Magnificent 4” was still at war with me. One day, when students were lining up, he decided that it was time for the final duel! Believe it or not, it was 1 of the “Magnificent 4” who told the captain that he was making a bad choice. I remember the student saying, “I don’t think she’s going to play with you.” The captain and I had a brief staring contest until he lowered his eyes. I am not certain why the student intervened, but I do know that when an experienced teacher was tongue bashing the student for doing what I had asked him to do, I had been quick to intercede. By November, the captain was removed from the classroom and placed in an alternative placement. The “Magnificent 4” no longer existed, there were only “Awesome 1s!”

This is my memorable celebration! I have seen 2 of the “Magnificent 4”; they are young men with great accomplishments! I’ve even run into a few students who weren’t part of the “Magnificent 4”, they still remember me and the fun we had that year.

Lessons learned and shared:

  • Every kid deserves a fresh start.
  • Don’t judge a book by it’s cover!
  • Don’t listen to old war stories.
  • Every kid needs a champion.
  • Write YOUR OWN STORY!

Don’t Forget about Karen!

Believe it or not, I’ve been up since 4:00 a.m. and I am still on summer vacation! I’ve checked my work email, browsed on Amazon.com, done some leisurely reading, and now, I am writing a blog! No, I haven’t had coffee! As a matter of fact, I haven’t had a cup of coffee the entire summer. A Mocha Frappe here and there doesn’t count! I am occupying myself until the sun officially peeks through the clouds so that I can complete my brisk 4-mile walk. Yes, I am still in hot pursuit of my sunshine!

One task on my summer to do list, was to re-pot or transplant my plants. Note, the verb “was”; my plants have been re-potted and are ready for their return to school. I re-pot them every so often, transplanting allows their roots to spread, thus allowing the plants to grow tall and strong. My plants have names: Karen, Derrick, Susan, and the new guy, Frederick. Karen, Derrick, and Susan occupy a cozy window in my office where they soak up the sun and office vibes. Frederick is a succulent; he sits on an accent table opposite my desk. Frederick had a growth spurt during the summer, he now looks like a miniature tree! Now he is tall and slender; not quite as handsome as short stocky Frederick. I also have an orchid and a Chinese bamboo plant; one I received from a parent, the other from a student. The orchid’s name is Violet, her petals are a deep purple. The Chinese bamboo plant is named Mr. Wisdom, his planter is a wise owl. All my plants really thrive at school and that’s a wonderful thing. All living entities should thrive at school!

While transplanting plants are in the plants best interest, one of my darlings didn’t like her rehabbed home. After her re-potting, Karen was sad and droopy for a few days. As a matter of fact, I thought she was a goner! She was wimpy and limp for 2 days! On the third day, she started to perk up and I knew she was adjusting to her bed of special formulated soil. I didn’t need to investigate the justification for Karen’s limp leaves; I had read several articles that focused on her ailment while completing research for my dissertation. Karen was simply going through the transitional period of adapting to a new change. For Derrick and Susan, the change had been an easy adjustment. Karen, on the other hand, had struggled. Maybe she enjoyed the comfort of compact soil. Maybe she failed to realize that her leaves were curling and turning yellow. Obviously, she hadn’t realized that her demise was near if she wasn’t re-potted. She needed me to take the time to re-pot her.  She needed me to stand vigilant while her roots adjusted to the new soil.

As an educational leader, I am constantly looking for the precise formula that will ensure that my kids are receiving the best instruction possible. Instructional practices are often redefined because the needs of kids are constantly changing. Change is easy for some and harder for others. As my team of committed teachers moves forward, I will have to remind myself that some of my teachers will be like Derrick and Susan, and some will be like Karen. It’s all part of the process!

Where’s the Net?

Ed and I recently returned from his family reunion, an event that was on the brinks of being cancelled. Our 4-day getaway to the Gulf was shorten to 3 days and a portion of our family mingling-time was spent monitoring the unpredictable path of Hurricane Barry. Our plane had safely landed in New Orleans on Thursday but our return flight on Monday was skeptical. Weather forecasts portrayed Barry as being horrific; his massive force likened to Hurricane Katrina! On every weather channel, viewers saw a weather reporter either pointing to a colorful map or standing in boot high water battling with the wind. After a day of experiencing Mother Nature’s rage, we opted to leave the Gulf a day earlier than originally planned.

Confident that our path home had been secured, we hopped in a rental car and headed to Kessler Air Force base in Biloxi, Mississippi for the family reunion festivities! We spent several hours laughing with relatives we hadn’t seen in years, partaking of scrumptious meals, listening to music, and playing games. On the last day of the festivities, Tony, President of the Wash/Jones Family Reunion Committee, called for a family meeting. The objective was to select a host and a hosting city for the next family reunion. As one might expect, securing a volunteer for the monumental task required some persuading. Generally, people are hesitant to journey into the dark unknown.

While enticing someone to grasp the family reunion torch, Tony spoke of family traditions and the importance of being connected to family and friends. He simplified the process of hosting a family reunion by detailing his organizational skills and giving accolades to those who had helped to plan this year’s celebration. As he continued to lure a future host, he spoke of psychological security. He mentioned that he ensures psychological security at work when collaborating with his leadership team. He emphasized that there is no right or wrong way to plan a family reunion. He stated that the greatest task would be getting started and added, “once you get started, others will pitch in.” He mentioned that several family members had hidden talents and those skills would be an asset to the future host. As he continued to talk, a brave soul assumed the torch for the 2020-21 Wash/Jones Family Reunion. While listening, I reflected on the impact of psychological security in the school environment. I wondered if some teachers were resistant to implementing new strategies and thinking outside of the box because psychological security had not been established. My second thought… How could I advance psychological security in my school?

Psychological security ensures that individuals feel emotionally safe when venturing into the unknown. Psychological security in the workplace is like a safety net to a trapeze artist. The net assures that if the acrobat falls, he or she will recover, grip the horizontal bar, and swing again! It is a welcomed layer of protection! With his mere words, Tony had ensured psychological security.  A brave soul had seized the family reunion torch. As a school leader, I must inspire confidence in my teachers. I want them to be innovative and passionate about teaching. I want them to venture into the dark unknown!

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