"Self-control is strength. Calmness is mastery. You have to get to a point where your mood doesn't shift based on the insignificant actions of someone else. Don't allow others to to control the direction of your life. Don't allow your emotions to overpower your intelligence."
- Morgan Freeman I've had this quote in my mind for the last few weeks. For me, its extremely grounding and helps me to remember how much control and power I have over myself and my situations. As soon as you allow someone else dictate your mood and/or actions, you have given them power and control over you. Here are your STAFF NOTES for this week. "People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed. Similarly, when someone is failing, the tendency is to get on a downward spiral that can even become a self-fulfilling prophecy."
--Tony Robbins When meeting with many of you this past week, it was extremely encouraging to hear about the momentum that so many of you have. I hope that you all have taken a step back and looked at all the the "success" you have had so far this year. Spend sometime this week dwell on those successes. Keep that hunger for success and ride the momentum you create. Don't waste your time and energy on failing. Use it as a learning opportunity, "flip your 20", and go back to your success. Here are you STAFF NOTES for this week! "Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"
-L.M. Montgomery When I read this quote, it really did give me a positive outlook on tomorrow. I wonder what it would be like if everyone came to school with that same feeling. The "honeymoon" stage is starting to hit it's twilight and some of our students are starting to show us behaviors that aren't ideal. When I've spoken to students in the past, comments that I have heard multiple times are, "I'm already in trouble so who cares..."; "They are always looking for the things that I do wrong"; "Other kids do the same things and they don't get in trouble". I realize that the reality of these statements might not be true, but I do think that this is the perception that some kids have and their perception is reality, to them. What would it be like if the perception these students had was that they TRULY get a fresh start everyday. What if they looked at tomorrow as a day that they've made no mistakes in yet? My challenge to you this week and moving forward is to really focus on fresh starts for all of your students. Help them feel like tomorrow truly is a day that they have made no mistakes in. Here are your STAFF NOTES for your fresh start this week! "What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make" - Jane Goodall
One of the things that makes being a teacher so hard, is the pressure of knowing that you directly have an impact on over 100 students every single day. On good days this is a blessing, on tough or challenging days this makes our jobs some of the most challenging in the world. Knowing that everyday you make a difference, my challenge to you this week focuses on resilience and re-framing. We all have things happening in our lives that present struggles and challenges. As you come to school each day, my challenge for you is to rely on each other, ask for help, be open and vulnerable so that your colleagues can support you and help you re-frame and choose to make the most positive difference that you can. I will tell all of you that last week was one of the most positive, uplifting, and energetic first weeks of school in my career. I'm typing these staff notes with a true excitement for the weeks and year to come. I also enter this week facing one of the most challenging times for my family. Last spring my brother in law was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. In the last week he has entered hospice and we have been told he will be leaving us any day now. This week I'm going to choose to be as positive, energetic, and rely on all of you because I know regardless of what is happening I will make a difference and I want it to be a difference that is positive for our students and school community. Continue to build those relationships with kids and teach your expectations "right" now, so you don't have to do it all year. Here are you STAFF NOTES for this week! Make it a GREAT one! I'm convinced that whether tomorrow is your 1st first day or your 30th first day, we all have a common unsettling excitement rising in our stomachs. I left my office last Thursday and was able to convince myself that tomorrow will be tomorrow and Wednesday will be Wednesday, and June 5th will be June 5th. We can prepare and prepare, but in all reality the amount of control that we have is actually very little. Since coming back I've tried really hard to focus on the things that I CAN control and to give my all to those things. I am so very excited to begin this 2019-20 journey with all of you. I'm sure that I will see all of you at one point or another tomorrow.
Here are your 2019-20 first edition STAFF NOTES . |
Archives
September 2021
|