Living in the PRESENT!

Today I met with my two AMAZING administrative assistants, Linda and Martha.  We were going through the calendar, and I expressed my frustration with how quickly time was moving.  In our jobs, it always seems we are living in the future.  We are planning for a future board meeting, ensuring attendance at future events, communicating with others regarding future plans.  As we sat together planning, we shared some laughs, told some stories, and enjoyed each other's company.  It was at that moment that I realized, we were living in the present and only just planning for the future!

I am a reader.  I love stretching my brain by reading books.  Currently, I am reading the book, Presence;  Bringing your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy.  Throughout this book, the author writes about the importance of being present, living in the moment, taking up space, or showing up.  It is amazing how the brain changes and our future changes when we live in the present.  I especially enjoyed the section on "showing up."  Many times I have mentioned that often times we get credit for things just by showing up.  In particular, the author spoke about the importance of showing up in times of crisis, trauma, or sadness.  I couldn't help think about my dogs, Peetie and Bella.  I love them so dearly, and they epitomize living in the present and showing up.  No matter when I come home, they are there to happily greet me as if I am a long lost friend finally home from a month long journey.  Whenever I am feeling down or discouraged, they snuggle up to me and provide me comfort just by being there.  One section of the book reminded me of my friend and colleague, David Isom.  "Sometimes we express ourselves most eloquently by not expressing anything--by allowing our presence, unexplained and unembellished, to speak for itself."  It is called the Ministry of Presence.  How many times do we find ourselves in a present situation expressing desire for something better in the future?  By just being there, we embrace our present to make our futures different and brighter.

This past week, I had the wonderful opportunity of spending  lunch time with a student whom I met a few weeks ago when visiting an elementary school.  The student and I connected somehow by sharing maggot stories.  I was so excited to bring him a present which was the book written by Camilla de la Bedoyere entitled, Would You Rather Dine with a Dung Beetle or Lunch with a Maggot?  I had other books about snakes, insects, and scary animals to bring him.  I had found some plastic insects that I taped all over the gift wrapped books.  We had a delightful time reading books, sharing stories, and learning interesting facts that we never knew.  I realized that I received the best present that day....enjoying the present.  

The best part about living in the present is having wonderful past memories!  Wishing you a wonderful present which will pave the way for fond memories and a bright future.  ENJOY!

What we give makes all the difference!

Thanks to Sticks and Steel, a unique store in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, I have this wonderful sign hanging in my office window:

I reflect on this daily.  I know I am able to pay my bills, put gas in my car, and purchase new things by what I "get" at the end of each month in the way of a pay check.  My life, however, is enriched by what I am able to give.  In some ways, giving and getting are an infinity loop.  I have often found that what I give is often weak in comparison to what I get back in return.  

A major "infinity loop" I experience in my job deals with positive thinking.  I notice how those employees who have a positive vibe tend to have classrooms filled with positive students, work with positive colleagues, and enjoy their professional and personal life. Those departments with a positive outlook are filled with laughter and employees who love coming to work each day. 

There is plenty of research to support the power of positive thinking.  According to positive psychology researcher, Barbara Fredrickson, positive thought can creative real value in your life and help build long-lasting skills.  When one views things positively, emotions broaden one's sense of possibility and opens one's mind to options.  Positivity promotes exploration and creativity allowing people to broaden and build their future.  Fredrickson's research on negativity indicates that it inhibits future growth.  With negativity, the is a focus on immediate threat and danger rather than on developing valuable skills and appreciating the big picture of life.

Author James Clear writes, "To put it simply: seek joy, play often, and pursue adventure.Your brain will do the rest."  

I believe that children at a young age understand this!  They give freely of affection.  They give freely of emotion.  They give in to wonder, excitement, dancing, and singing.  That is life! 

Despite the negativity that tries to infiltrate my life on a daily basis, I am choosing positivity. I choose to give it each and every single day.  That's what I call "making a life!"

Connecting...one student at a time!

What I miss most about being a teacher or a site administrator is the daily connection with kids.  I loved building relationships with students and having conversations with them.  They are so funny and insightful.  When I visit school sites in our district, I inevitably get sidetracked talking to a student.  This week, I had two encounters that made my week and yet caused me to worry.

When I walked into the resource room, I noticed one student sitting alone by himself in the back of the room.  He had a packet of worksheets in front of him.  He sat for at least ten minutes doing absolutely nothing except pick at his fingers.  I sat down beside him and first started discussing the work he was to complete.  We did a few pages together and somehow got on the topic of maggots.  I really don't know how it happened, but the next thing I knew, we were sharing our maggot stories.  We grossed each other out and then got on the topic of black widow spiders.  This student's demeanor changed dramatically.  He smiled, laughed, and couldn't wait to tell me other experiences with gross insects and how much he despises them.  I saw his intelligence, his humor, and his compassion.  After we left the classroom, the principal shared that the student rarely talks with anyone and is significantly depressed with extreme anxiety. My heart filled with worry.  Will there be an adult who will make sure this child gets a "warm handoff" as he moved through the grade levels?

My next encounter was with a fourth grade student who told me he wanted to be a scientist.  We got on the subject of rockets.  He knew about Elon Musk and the goal of getting to Mars.  He knew all about the Tesla and talked about the likelihood of developing a hover car.  He talked about his career goals and how he can't decide if he should find a cure for cancer first or if he should work on developing a system where people could live above ground on Mars.  He believed by developing a contained atmospheric sphere in which people who live and grow plants to produce the necessary oxygen, that it was possible.  I asked him about his interest in robotics and suggested he get involved at the middle school level.  (One of our middle schools is sending two teams to the World Vex Competition!)  He knew of the school and said, "No, I can't go to that school.  I don't know where I will go to middle school.  I know people will make fun of me so I need to go some place where I won't get picked on so much.  I am different, you know."   In a few brief minutes, this student showed me his brilliance and passion.  He shared his dreams that include making the world a better place.  This student and his siblings live with his grandparents.  Again, my heart filled with worry.

One of the reasons I feel so strongly about having a strong public education system is that our future depends on it.  I do believe what we do makes a life or death difference.  Our schools need to be filled with compassionate individuals who respond to the anxious, depressed student and the "different" kids.

This morning, I participated in a professional development with superintendents in neighboring districts.  One of the topics was on "Socially Just" schools.  "Social justice is defined as promoting a just society by challenging injustice and valuing diversity.  It exists when all people share a common humanity and therefore have a right to equitable treatment, support for their human rights, and a fair allocation of community resources." "Social justice is generally equated with the notion of equality or equal opportunity in society."  "A social justice framework is a way to seeing and acting aimed at resisting unfairness and inequity while enhancing freedom and possibility for all.  It pays primary attention to how people and institutions may be used to liberate rather than oppress those least served by our decision making."  (References from Department of Government and Justice Studies, Appalachian State University; Sensoy, O. & DiAngelo, R; Toowoomba Catholic Education.)

Let's continue, as public educators and members of the greater community to be inclusive. Let's continue to promote the dreams of our youth and value all of them as integral members of our society and future!

The IMPORTANCE of Language!

I believe I was in my early twenties before I flew in an airplane.  Growing up, the traveling we did was in a blue Chevy station wagon.  We drove to Minnesota from South Dakota and stayed with relatives for family events.  I recall as a child being so impressed that we crossed the Wyoming border on a visit to the Black Hills.  I believe that the lack of traveling I did as a child, combined with the large quantity of books I read about exciting foreign places, contributed to my passion for travel.

My most recent trip was visiting Panama.  My mom, who also had the travel bug in her later years, was planning a tour of Panama when she died unexpectedly at the age of 82.  This trip had special significance because of my mom.  Everyone should see the amazing Panama Canal.  I marveled at this engineering feat that was opened over 100 years ago.

So, why is the title of this blog about language?  I have visited many countries throughout the world.  No matter where I landed, I was able to find English speakers and quickly connect.  The places I stayed in Panama were not necessarily staffed with English speakers.  The restaurants I visited were places where English wasn't spoken or understood.  First, I cursed myself many, many times for not learning Spanish.  Then, I would try and communicate using the few words I knew or point and use hand gestures.  One day, I booked an all day tour.  The small boat accommodated fifteen people, After the tour started, I realized none of my boat mates spoke English.  As we toured the Caribbean waters of Bocas del Torro, I listened and was able to understand much of what people were saying.  My expressive language, however, is so poor I didn't even try to say anything. I was so self-conscious that I spent the day silent and alone.  Now, anyone who knows me understands that this must have been torture.  It was!  I kept thinking how I must have been perceived by the others.  I am sure I came across having poor social skills, pretty dull, and unintelligent.  I am certain these folks who were laughing and talking with each other saw me as a bore with no sense of humor.  How I wished that someone would have tried to speak with me even if their English wasn't that great so I could maybe speak to them with my poor Spanish!

I reflected greatly that day on the 3174 English learners that we have in Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District.  I empathize with them as they enter our schools trying to figure out what is going on and how to fit in.  I am inspired by the fact that they come to school every day and not only learn the language, but also work hard to learn the content.  I realized the importance of the many instructional strategies that are needed to assist our students in making connections.  I was so grateful for the pictures and gestures that people used to assist me in communicating.  Kudos to our students and families who readily navigate our system on a daily basis!  I recognize now, more than ever, the need for our district to lessen the language obstacles and barriers.

On a final note, my mom would have loved the story that the small urn carrying some of her ashes was almost confiscated at the Panama City airport.  I was unable to say, "Estas son las cenizas de mi madre."  Smiles and laughter are the universal language of all!

Am I complaining too much about complainers?

I had to laugh at myself the other evening when I was talking to a friend from back home.  I went on and on complaining about the various complaints I receive.  These complaints range anywhere from lost soccer balls on the roof of a building and a site's communication regarding a student council meeting to serious personnel complaints and safety concerns.  When my email inbox tends to be filled with complaints and concerns, it is sometimes difficult to focus on all of the positive things happening in our school district.  For that reason, I am listing ten positive things that I experienced this week:

1. Our community leaders have joined together to revitalize Faith PAC (Faith Partners and Community) with a focus on making lives better for the youth in our community.
2. An 8th grade student was working on creating a new video game at one of our middle schools.
3. Two of our students will be dancing with Justin Bieber this weekend.
4. One of our juniors in high school nearly broke a four minute mile by crossing the finish line at 4:14!
5. Students at one of our schools inquired as to when salads will return on the school lunch menu.  This prompted a future visit to to their class with our Director of Child Nutrition.
6. The parent advisory members provided input to our Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP).
7. Hokki stools arrived and made many teachers and students very happy!
8. Students at our middle schools are using their chromebooks to enhance their learning.
9. I received emails from two teachers who have participated in recruitment trips.  This feedback was super positive--"I loved that experience!!! It was so exciting to meet potential teachers and hear about what they're learning in their teaching program.  I would love to do it again if the opportunity arises.  We really do have a strong and very contemporary school district so I was proud to represent it."
10. Everyone in Administrative Council actively participated in an LCAP exercise which deepened understanding and helped with strengthening a shared vision.

According to Elizabeth Scott, a stress management expert, there are many effective techniques that focus on the benefits of a positive outlook.  "Positive thinking brings great benefits, and a cheerful attitude can be contagious in a most enjoyable way.  A constant focus on the negative can obscure many of the joys of life, can dampen an attitude of gratitude, and can be experienced as an 'energy drain' to others."

What if, for one whole day, people could only utter positive comments or communicate with positivity?  I enjoyed reading about the Spread Positivity Campaign at spreadpositivity.org.  I loved their idea of hosting a Compliment Party.  The idea behind the event is to bring and emphasize the value of using an honest compliment as a way to make others feel good.  The party also emphasizes the importance of consciously acknowledging and thanking people who often get taken for granted.

So, in the spirit of the compliment party...

Thank you Joe for taking the concerns about the hand towel dispensers seriously and for holding high standards of cleanliness in our schools.

Thank you Chief Allio for your compassionate leadership of the Fairfield Police Department and for maintaining a positive focus regarding the youth in our community.

Thank you Ana for advocating for those who may not have a voice and ensuring everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Thank you Donna for your daily cheerful greeting of anyone and everyone who walks in our front door.

Thank you Todd for taking responsibility for your decisions that impact recess and lunch.

Thank you Maria for maintaining your focus on assisting a parent in need.

That felt GREAT!  It's true.  I feel healthier, less stressed, and more motivated...just three benefits of positive thinking.  Pass it on!

 

These Students ARE Included!

Often times, I think that our influence as public educators is subtle.  The influence seems gradual and expected.  It is difficult to pinpoint how important and impactful the educational team is because there are so many other influences in a child's life.

The following two stories are more than subtle as to the impact educators have on students' lives.  By including students and supporting them in their journey, lives are changed for the better.

The first is the story of a 7th grade student who was introduced to me by his principal, Martha Lacy.  Principal Lacy praised the student telling me how much he had grown academically.  She noted his fantastic attendance and how he comes to school ready to learn every day.  She proudly shared that this student would be participating in the Oregon college tour.  She acknowledged this student's hard work, growth, and effort.  After the student left, she said that up until this year, the student was many years behind in reading.  He missed over a third of his school year in the previous year.  His mother was incarcerated, and he was being raised by his great-grandfather.  She told me that what made the difference was his teacher and other staff members who believed in him, encouraged him, and supported him in building his confidence.  He was included  rather than excluded in school activities.  Rather than being punished or excluded for not completing assignments or turning in homework, he was supported academically so that he could be successful.  This student was not lost in the shuffle nor dismissed.  A life has been changed for the better.

The second story is of an inspirational young woman who has encountered many challenges.  She entered FSUSD in fourth grade not speaking English.  Despite physical challenges and not knowing the language, she was embraced at Anna Kyle Elementary School. The staff came together to ensure this child's success.  Our maintenance team went above and beyond to make certain that she had equal access to the entire facility.  When she was slated to go to a different middle school than her friends, we helped her family through the process of requesting open enrollment.  In middle school, she was embraced by the Grange Middle School staff and continued on the path of success.  While all of our Students of the Month are special, this young woman's story is extraordinary.  This recognition epitomized the impact that quality and caring educators have on students and their families.  Preparing for the recognition serves as an example of the fantastic team effort that happens in FSUSD.  Various departments worked together to ensure that this student could access the podium.  The special staircase was built by our outstanding maintenance department for this event.

Inspirational Student of the Month

Whenever I get discouraged with some of the issues we confront as public educators, I am provided with reminders like these two students. These serve as examples as to why we do what we do and how important the work is to everyone's future!

Are we including or excluding?

I was a kindergartner when I was hospitalized for pneumonia. I obviously didn’t know at the time the seriousness of my illness.  What I do remember was that I received so much attention!  My mom, who was usually very busy taking care of me and my five siblings, spent hours just with me.  She held my hand, read to me, and told stories.  My dad who worked long hours stopped by the hospital throughout the day to check in on me.  This small town hospital in the South Dakota had one room with a TV.  I was the special patient assigned to this room.  I recall my room being very busy with many people wanting to check in on me and also see what was on TV. I remember thinking that kindergarten must be closed since I was in the hospital.

After a couple of weeks, I was able to go back to kindergarten.  It was obviously an emotional day if I can still recall it decades later.  To my surprise, kindergarten had gone on without me!  My assigned desk had moved.  My buddy was assigned to another buddy.  The bulletin boards had changed.  Classroom art projects had been completed and displayed with my classmates’ names attached without me.  I felt lost and like an outsider.  As an adult, I look back on this memory and think, “Wow!  Five-year old Kristin was such a baby!”  On the other hand, to five-year old Kristin, this was a painful, emotional time when she felt lost and excluded.

I can’t help think about all of the students who come into our classrooms and feel lost and excluded. How often do our students enter our classrooms and feel overwhelmed by what has passed them by?  What about those student who join our classrooms and don’t understand the language?  How about those students who miss 10% or more of their school year?

Our students miss school for many reasons.  Whether it is a day of illness, a day missed for waking up late, or a day of suspension, schools keep moving forward without them.  It is difficult for educators to adjust and support students who miss school and simultaneously keep the rest of the class moving forward...but isn’t it our job to be inclusive?

I heard of an instance this past week in which a middle school student entered her classroom only to be told by the teacher to get out.  The student was told she didn’t belong in the class.  Apparently, the student had received an additional day of class suspension.  A teacher in California has a right to suspend students from class.  This suspension serves as a time-out or exclusion from class.  I often wonder if a class suspension, or exclusion, continues even after the student is allowed to come back to class.  Is the student welcomed back?  Is there an effort to use suspension as a means of corrective action or is it a form of punishment?

Being inclusive is so important.  Being inclusive combats bullying.  Finding ways to include everyone build friendships.  Making positive, inclusive relationships builds culture.  Everyone wants attention.  All students want to feel important and as if they matter.

Back to my kindergarten memory.  My teacher must have recognized that a child who misses two weeks of school would feel lost and anxious.  She asked me to share my story of the hospital with the class.  I became the hospital expert.  Suddenly, I was included and important.