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Once again, the Gospel Reading and sermon today in church got me thinking....a lot! I love to partake in deep reflection, but not if it makes me feel guilty. Maybe there is something about that, though. Maybe if something makes me think or feel a certain way, there is a reason for it. The Gospel reading and our Reverend Jamie talked about how we need to ensure that we are using our talents, as we are able. So, I started thinking about all the talents I have and if I am using them to the best of my ability. Here are a few talents (albeit at varying levels) I have:
I used to get quite nervous, sometimes, when conducting a professional development (PD) for all teachers or all administrators in a district for fear that they would think my modeling of certain techniques or strategies might be "silly". I no longer fear that, and I often start by telling them I will be modeling for administrators (for instance) what they might model for their teachers as instructional leaders themselves so that teachers can then take these ideas into the classroom. One of the techniques I use are chimes (just three tones, as I do have to pack clothes in addition to my training material). I almost scolded a few teachers one time in Houston who were on their phones while I was giving instructions on the next task. I used proximity to walk over to them while I was talking, and one of them looked up and said, "We're all ordering the chimes from Amazon". Naturally, that got a chuckle out of me. Fast forward to a week or so ago, I was teaching a workshop to about 60 teachers. At the end of the day, we did a "Circle Up" protocol in which they first individually write one word, one phrase, or one brief sentence that summarizes their learning from the day. We made a literal circle and went around the circle quickly (it isn't meant to be a dissertation from each person, and I, as the facilitator need not respond to each one), many people saying things like "total engagement"; "collaboration is key"; "learning can be fun"; etc. One of my participants said, "Honor the chimes". I had to ask him to repeat it because I wasn't quite sure what he meant, but he told me afterwards that learning to respect when the chimes are rung, the expectation should be that everyone gets prepared to listen. Brilliant! I have thought about school-age students I have known or heard about who feel this fear paralysis in classroom environments. They don't speak up even if they know an answer (for fear of being ridiculed); they don't know how to do the work that has been assigned to them so they simply act out instead. I have learned, time and time again, that sometimes, students would rather be categorized as "misbehaving" rather than "not very bright". Of course we, as adults, can say, "Come on---you can do this!" but the reality that possible environmental issues keep them from wanting to take that chance. I, too, could stay "comfortable" in the life God has given me....or I can truly listen to what God is "calling" me to do. Which will it be? At the end of the day (or all my days, for that matter), I sure would love to hear "Well done, good and faithful servant". Happy Communicating to all and have a blessed week, Shelly 
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I know fully well that our God is an awesome God. Why? Mostly, it is because He makes me feel like what happens in church was EXACTLY what I needed to hear about from the events that occurred the week before or even the day before. This week was no different. The Gospel reading and sermon were all about the bridesmaids at a wedding running out of oil for their lamps and were afraid they would be in total darkness as they awaited the arrival of the groom (the story is not lost on me in that it reminds me that on the evening of our wedding, the electricity in the church went out from a tremendous thunder storm"). Being proactive wasn't necessary the reason I felt so calm that evening. All I cared about when asked by my sweet bridal attendant, Beth, if I was going to be okay if there was no electricity during the wedding, was "As long as Dave is up there when I walk down the aisle, it will all be good." And it was----simply amazing to see the sun come out for a gorgeous sunset just as we were headed to the limo from the church to the reception. But I digress (for a great cause, though, right?)..... The theme of the sermon and the Gospel reading this morning was truly about being proactive and prepared. I think about the notion of preparedness and relate it to so much in my own life. I have often been accused of being a control-freak, having OCD (which I like to refer to as CDO so the letters are in alphabetical order just the way they are supposed to be), having a Type A personality ("A" stands for awesome, right?, so I am good with that) or even being a bit anal-retentive (that starts with "A", as well, but I'm not as jazzed about that one). I am definitely the Julie McCoy (cue the old "Love Boat" reference and theme song) when working with work colleagues or spending time with my dear friends. I am the driver (partly because I am a good DD since I don't drink anymore) but also because I have it in my bones the ability (and need) to ensure we have dinner reservations, to lead 8 people through the streets of NYC heading toward a venue to teach, and I definitely need to know when we will be eating our next meal (that's perhaps an unrelated need to satisfy my hunger). Most of the time, this proactive planning works in my favor. I learned early on in my teaching career that, when working with students with severe emotional/behavioral needs, that if I was not proactive in my planning, there would indeed be bloodshed in the classroom. Eric wasn't going to tolerate Richard's inane comments, and Eric would rather punch Richard in the mouth than listen to him. I kind of got it, and I might feel the same way, but my impulse control was a tad bit more established than that of my 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Planning engaging lessons (before the word "engagement" became such a "flavor of the day") was not just a good idea; it was likely the one thing that truly got my students excited about learning. When we read "The Indian in the Cupboard" by Lynn Reid Banks, I created a laminated "cupboard". Inside of said cupboard, every afternoon after the students left, I would place 3 pictures of items that were tips or clues about what might happen next in the story. These kids, who came to me as virtually non-readers, could not wait to get to class and for Reading (pre-ELA terminology) to start, as they knew someone would be chosen to open the cupboard and get to hang up all three picture clues on the board for everyone to write on a slip of paper (regrettably, I hadn't found the inner joy of using post-it notes, yet) what they hypothesized would happen in that day's reading. Fast forward....these hitherto non-reading students were now not just learning to read but they were truly reading to learn....and learn they did. We read Robinson Crusoe, The Sign of the Beaver, and several others. Don't even get me started on how I am certain that in some places, the books I read with my students might have been banned. Uggghhhh..... but that, indeed, is WAY too big of a topic to write in this blog. Students who earned enough points (they were self-assessing their own behavior, by the way, before that became the "thing to do") would get to go with me on a lunch outing on any given Saturday that culminated in a trip to the bookstore (remember those, pre-Amazon, stores?). They loved that time....almost as much as I did, as it built relationships between me and my students. I even took one of my students to the Alamo, as she had finished reading a historical fiction book about a cat who lived through the events that took place at the Alamo. Reminda, my sweetheart of a 4th grader, at the time, became enamored with the architecture of the Alamo and never once again took my stapler to staple her thumb (Yep, that's another blog topic). One of my dear friends, who passed away almost a year ago, had planned and prepared for her kids as she began suffering more and more from the 27 malignant tumors that were attached to her liver and knew she was not going to be on this earth much longer. During our last in-person visit, we had lunch and then found some completely quiet time during which I sprinkled her with Holy water (why my Episcopal priest at that time knew I am "equipped" to know how to bless others baffles me to this day, but I sure do appreciate the Holy water and use it as I see fit, which is exactly what she "called" me to do). I wish I was able to micro-manage the hurt away from her beautiful adult kiddos who I love like they could be my own, but that's me trying to "control" the outcome in the way I try to see fit. I have to remember that some of my best experiences were from my biggest mistakes. Recently, I was asked to teach a workshop in another state. I always try to ensure the contact at the school district, school, university, or charter school network at which I work is made aware of my very specific needs: the room arranged for maximum viewing of the PowerPoint coupled with the ability to discuss in groups throughout the session; the participant materials; highlighters; chart paper; post-it notes (I told you I may not have figured out the magic of these little gems when I was still in the classroom but I use them in every training I do, now); a projector that has an HDMI port, the ability to project sound (as I always show teaching videos); and the ability to get on the internet. After reading that, you might conclude that I am either "prepared" or "anal". I actually believe those two are not mutually exclusive. I often say things like "Only four people to a table; yes, I promise there is a method to my madness". I also teach my Ed Leadership students as well as workshop participants, "I don't do anything because it's 'cute'." You may, indeed, find an idea I use to be clever (and, by the way, I do prepare the room arrangement and materials with fun and purposeful learning in mind), but the real reason is for true, purposeful, meaningful, and relevant content to come across so workshop participants (and my Ed. Leadership students, as well) leave feeling as though they are truly learning really important strategies and material that they can use tomorrow. Welllllllll.....let's suffice it to say not everything went as advertised in this recent training. Although I arrived one hour prior to our start time (I always do this to be "prepared" for the unknown, which often means moving furniture around so all participants will be able to see each other as well as seeing the PowerPoint). The problems started with no one being able to help connect my computer to the projector (I have almost every connection known to man that I carry with me in my "ditty bag", but nothing fit). There were also not NEARLY enough seats set up, so I got my workout for the day (which means I was sweating something awful) moving furniture around so we could access another table or two. I also needed more chart paper, and everyone (totally understandable) was either helping to dismiss students early or busy eating their lunch before they came to me. Suffice it to say, we did not have any visuals for about 15 minutes, so I had to "wing it", which the teachers seemed to appreciate, as things rarely come off as advertised despite careful planning (it sure helps to have a good plan, though, because then you can envision how you might "pivot" should the need arise). Once we got the projection, the sound on the videos wouldn't play despite every techy idea I could try. One of the teachers graciously offered her own speaker that was perfect for the 2nd video I used. When we gathered in a circle at the end of our time together to name one word, phrase or brief sentence that could summarize our learning, every single person said something worthy of being heard (a couple even said "flexibility", which made me realize that the flexible manner in which all teachers have to teach was recognized and dealt with). Over 50 people were in that circle (myself included, as I definitely had to summarize that these teachers who had been at school until 8 or 9 the night before and had a musical to put on after we were finished----crazy, right?????), but everyone had an amazing take-away (a couple are going in my own reflection journal). In what ways have you found planning, preparation, being proactive, and ready to pivot in your own work or personal life? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Happy Communicating!! Shelly   When I look back on my life (from childhood to my mid- to late-50s), I often ponder where I learned certain things. For instance, my sweet Mother (who died in 2005) used to tell me that when we, as humans, are in a "funk", we likely need to "act as if...." if we are going to be attractive to others (friends, new relationships, etc.). This was, not surprisingly, first taught to me after my first REAL (what does that even mean? I'm still wondering about that, to be honest) boyfriend broke up with me. Not only my mother told me "We all have an aura about us at all times, and if your aura is putting out bad mojo, you are likely not going to be overly attractive to other boys who might otherwise have an interest in you". Ironically (or maybe not so ironic when you really think about it), my 8th grade science teacher (who was also my uber-strict bus driver), when I was a hot mess (sobbing all morning the day after said break-up), started walking over to me (and I thought, "Here goes....he's going to tell me to go to the bathroom and get my crap together") and leaned over and whispered these words I have never forgotten, "He's one of MANY fish in the sea, and you are going to attract so many other bigger and better fish than you could ever imagine, so my advice is to let this one go." Wow! What a way to dry up my tears out of sheer astonishment. The supposed Grinch truly had a heart, and he picked me to show how much he cared. That teacher died many years ago, but his words still remind me to keep the main thing the main thing.
Who did you learn life lessons from? Was it from a mom and dad who gave you some semblance of a normal upbringing and you even had grandmothers and grandfathers who also passed down words of wisdom? My childhood would, by many, be categorized as "the illustration when you look up the word 'dysfunction'", which is not to say that anyone did anything bad to me except to do the best they could when they did it and did better when they knew better (I'm butchering Maya Angelou's words something awful, but you get the gist. When I travel around the world working with teachers and educational leaders, I often tell them, "You're going to hear me sing out some call-and-response examples, and I am going to ring chimes because I am the 'victim' of being birthed by two AMAZINGLY talented musicians. My dad was a band director for 40+ years, and my mom was a concert pianist." That part of my genetics and my upbringing are pretty ingrained in me, so I'm sorry if that isn't something that my modeling is something you could or would use in your own teaching. When I go visit my dad in the nursing home (for lack of a better term), he loves to hear if I worked with the band directors in the district where I just was working. I love talking to Daddy's "people" and using band and choir (and other non-traditional) examples of what good teaching looks like and sounds like. All of this above to say what I wonder about: if a single parent, who was the solid rock and foundation of, say, three kids, dies prematurely, how much of what she has instilled in those kids going to stick with them the rest of their lives. Or, maybe for those of us who are wondering, are we supposed to swoop in and linger to help with the questions young adults might face since their mom is no longer around to answer said questions? Those in the know obviously know I am not asking hypothetically or rhetorically, but am truly wondering, "How much of what this rock-solid-faith-based Christian mom taught and modeled for her three beautiful children going to stick with them if she isn't there anymore to answer some of life's difficult questions or help be a moral compass when (not if) needed? One of my favorite contemporary Christian artists, Nichole Nordeman, sings a song called "Legacy" (click on the title to hear the Youtube version of her singing this acoustically) which epitomizes what I believe to be my role in life (since, partly because, Dave and I don't have human children of our own. What is my legacy for my beautiful 37 year old niece if I were to pass away tomorrow? What about for her daughter, who I feel such a kinship with but we don't see each other all the time? What would my 5 year old niece say about my passing, as we are currently navigating the waters of becoming extremely close (we are currently looking forward to her second time in 6 months of staying the night with Dave and me without her parents----to include watching Scooby Doo in bed with popcorn and M&Ms)? Maybe it's a bit of my ego wondering what is said about me after I'm gone, but I do hope and pray that there will be a grain of wisdom, humor, passion for everything I do in my career and fierce affection/love that people will say about me. I may be "a lot" for some people, and that is truly okay if I have made an impact on any of the beings with whom I have taught, counseled, mentored through their doctorate, loved, and admired. Fun fact: My mother, who was a self-proclaimed atheist for most all of her adult life, had a St. Francis of Assisi statue in her garden or in the woods near her, because she truly worshipped nature and animals much more so than us humans. As our Episcopal priest preached about how St. Francis was one of her favorite saints, I started bawling like a big baby, thinking about how I pray that Mother gets a regular chance to chat with St. Francis. In the same sermon, Jamie (our priest) taught us that although the word "blessing" in our language typically means something that is tangible or real that we have been given. In Hebrew and other languages and religions, blessed is more translated as "ashar" meaning "to find the right and straight road". In addition, the word "blessed" is translated also in Hebrew as "to kneel or stoop down to God". I love this translation, as the work I do with teachers and school leaders focuses so much on relationships. In fact, in the Danielson Framework for Teaching (for whom I am one of selected international Danielson consultants), we talk about kneeling down next to a student as one of the best ways to show respect for and build rapport with students (Danielson, 2013). I happen to love when my "work beliefs" directly correlate with my "spiritual beliefs". How do we bless others? How are we blessed by others? I'd love to hear your thoughts on what wisdom you have gotten from others and how it has changed you. Why? Because I want your learning to help me learn. Happy Communicating, Shelly Danielson, C. (2013). The Framework for Teaching: Evaluation Instrument. Princeton, NJ; The Danielson Group. |
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