No Limits

Have you ever taken the time to consider what you would do if there were no limitations set: if money did not matter, if time were not an issue? Have you considered your purpose and begun working toward it?

I spent some time this evening pondering this question.  I've done so frequently in my life.  Contemplating this question brings focus to my purpose and allows me to redirect if I get off the path that I know I need to be headed down.

As a Christian, I've known part of my purpose for much of my life.  It has taken various forms depending on my age and place in life, but it has always included a desire to share Christ and His love with others, especially those in lower socioeconomic areas with a focus on children.

From an early age, I knew I wanted to be in education.  I love working with children and seeing the impact that I can make in their lives.  It blesses me to no end when I see a former student finding success and fulfilling their purpose in life.  The ability to be a consistent figure in the life of a child when they may not have much consistency elsewhere motivates me to connect with kids, especially those in tough situations.

When I considered the question this evening about what I'd do if there were no limitations and no longer had to work I knew where the answers would lie.  However, there were some noticeable changes to this purpose from the last time I evaluated my purpose in life.  These changes are already in process, but needed to be recognized clearly as part of my purpose in life not just random acts.

Here are some of the key points that I recognize as part of my purpose:

• quality relationships with my husband and kids to raise them in a Godly home filled with love
• continuing education both for myself and others
• adopting children into our home and sponsoring children abroad
• serving in low socioeconomic areas to meet spiritual and physical needs
• going on mission trips to serve abroad
• working with kids in various ways - spiritual and character development, tutoring, mentoring

I long to see all of these pieces of my purpose in place.  Some are already in place and going quite nicely, some are in the process of happening and need to be nurtured, and some are yet to happen.  It brings excitement and energy to my life knowing my purpose.

"I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NCV)

11/24 #oklaed questions

#oklaed questions 11/24

Finding the balance between building relationships and discipline with students

Q1) How important are relationships with students in your current position? What does it look like? #oklaed

Q2) Think of the most effective teacher/admin you know.  What does building student relationships look like in their role? #oklaed

Q3) How does a lack of relationships with students affect student learning? Examples. #oklaed

Q4) How do relationships, or a lack thereof, affect student behavior? Examples. #oklaed

Q5) If consequences must occur for student behavior, what is the purpose of the consequence? Punishment or discipline? #oklaed

Q6) Should discipline in the classroom (or in the office) be adjusted due to established relationships? Why or why not? #oklaed

Q7) If it should be adjusted, how do you handle noticed differences? If it shouldn't be adjusted, how do you handle SpEd limitations for example? #oklaed

Q8) How do you help other faculty members who struggle with relationship building or discipline that is off the mark? #oklaed

Q9) What professional development have you attended that you consider highly effective in these areas? #oklaed

Importance of Play

Tonight's #oklaed chat was about blogging and I realized it had been a while since I blogged last.  I put so much stress on myself to make sure that it is a certain length or of "high importance".  I'm not sure how I decide what an appropriate length is or what topics are of high enough importance.  Don't ask me, because I honestly can't tell you.  I've decided that is silly.

I originally started blogging to share my ideas with others.  However, if I wait around for lots of quality time to produce the "just right" blog it isn't going to happen.  My husband laughs at me all the time, because I have the Goldilocks complex.  I want things to be "just right" and it often doesn't happen.  Then I stress and get things done, and it usually involves tears at home. (That's a completely separate blog - importance of stress)

That being said, hopefully you'll start seeing more blogs from me.  They may be short and sometimes the topics may just be something trivial.  Sometimes we just need to relax and have some fun, even at work.

This brings me to the current topic - the importance of play.  I went to the Ethical Leadership Conference at the end of September and one of the speakers was Dr. Ben Michaelis, a clinical psychologist and author.  He spoke on the importance of play in our lives.  It was great and motivational, but I just took notes and went on to the next session like a good little doctoral student.  The idea stuck with me though and it has been percolating since then.  And like all good coffee, there comes a time when it's finished percolating and needs to be enjoyed.

Play is a natural part of who we are.  Sometimes as adults we try to suppress play, but it is so important to our mental, physical, and emotional health.  It helps us get to possibility in our lives.  It provides freedom and opens up the process to more creative and imaginative thought.  For adults, sometimes the play is physical, but at other times it's mental (word play, problem solving, banter).  Have you ever noticed how many ideas come to mind when you take the time to exercise or engage in a game of some sort?  We need play in our lives.  We need to allow our mind to relax so that it can process through all of the information we take in on a daily basis.

My life has been busy lately.  With work, doctoral classes, church, and family I found myself beginning to stress.  At work, we have decided to have random "make them wonder" days just for the faculty.  Last month we had "duck dynasty" day and this month we had "swag" day.  The kids have loved it, but more importantly it has allowed the faculty to just do something crazy while at school.  Tensions lessen and people relax.  Their creative juices start flowing again.

At home I've not been having much fun.  We decided today to go on a long walk as a family.  It got my brain relaxed and helped me sort through all of the stuff going on in life.  I came back more relaxed, but more focused as well.  It allowed me time to process through everything, prioritize items, and come up with creative ways of accomplishing everything.  My family is too important to not enjoy life.  Play needs to be an integral part of my life to keep me focused and inspired.  I plan on making time each day to play, especially on those super busy days.

Here's an awesome God part in this story.  Wednesday is my birthday and I had been thinking about some small things that I wanted for my birthday, something I rarely do.  I'm not big on presents for myself.  After a birthday dinner last night I told Hank that I wanted to go by the bookstore and see if they had Dr. Michaelis' book.  I didn't find it, so I randomly DMed him on Twitter today to see if I could somehow get a signed copy of his book.  He will be back in OKC on Tuesday of this week.  I love when God does random little things like that just to show how much He cares for me.

#oklaed chat 10/6 questiond

Here are the questions for the 10/6 #oklaed chat.  The topic is ethical leadership.

What does ethical leadership look like to you?

What role does vision and purpose play in ethical leadership?

What does this idea of ethical leadership look like in a classroom?

How do stakeholders affect ethical decision making?

How can political and social agendas undermine ethics? 

What are some ethical dilemmas common to education?

How are these dilemmas resolved in your setting? Or are they?

What bold actions must educators take to act ethically?

Can true leadership and unethical practices coexist? Why or why not?

As #oklaed what do we expect to see from our leaders in regard to ethics?

The War Within

If you are anything like me you have times when you face intense intrapersonal conflict.  Times when your soul is battling between two (maybe more) ideas that seem to both be justified or pleasing to your soul.  Sometimes one of those ideas is clearly wrong, but we want to do it anyway.  Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate which one is the path to take.  

I've been facing one of these intrapersonal conflicts lately.  Having started on my doctoral program, I've been busy with huge amounts of reading, combined with the busy schedule of school activities and a home life filled with my husband and three kids.  My spirit has been torn because I'm trying to do it all.  Have I mentioned that pride is one of my biggest downfalls and sin issues?  I know that it is part of God's plan for me to be working on my Doctorate, but I also know the importance of maintaining my biblical duties as the mother and wife in our home.  

I've been beating myself up because I can't physically do all the things that I've got on my plate.  I am so fortunate to have a wonderful husband who has stepped up and sees the validity of my personal goal as part of God's plan for our family.  He is willing to fill the gap and to help out more at home as I have for him for so many years.  And while he was saying this over and over, I refused to listen to him and continued to beat myself up for not doing it all.  Why was I doing this??? The fact that I realized what I was doing frustrated me even more.

Then I remembered one of my favorite authors in the Bible, Paul.  He was always straight forward and said what needed to be said.  He continually struggled with this type of intrapersonal conflict and mentioned it frequently.  Romans 7 is filled with a description of his struggle with sin.  We all do this.  If you can't think of something right now that you struggle with, I would encourage you to be a little more reflective because no one is perfect.  

Check out vs. 15  "I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." and vs 22-23 "For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members."

Paul gets me!  He understands how frustrating it is to be conflicted in my spirit!

Here's the awesome part.  He didn't stop at chapter 7 and just wallow in self-pity.  Chapter 8 is filled with encouragement about life in the Spirit and following God's plan.  We are his children.

Check out vs. 14-15 "because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear but you received the Spirit of sonship.  And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' " and vs 28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

I am so thankful that Paul didn't give up and that he kept on writing.  I needed that word of encouragement tonight.  If you are anything like me and are facing a personal soul conflict, go read Romans 7-8.  It will bless your day and let you know you aren't alone.

Irons in the Fire

The week was our first week back at school with students.  We started on a Monday this year.  Oh my goodness, there is a reason we usually start on a Thursday or Friday.  Every child and adult in the building was exhausted by Friday afternoon.  You could visibly see it on everyone's faces as they walked/ran out the door on Friday.

That being said it was a wonderful start to this new year.  So many changes happening in our district and building, but we still had a peaceful and great start.  There is a peace around the building that is fantastic.  New initiatives are underway and while they may seem daunting to some at the moment I know they will ease into them nicely once they get more acquainted with them.  We added reading into the schedule for every student this year and have built in remediation during the day for students struggling to meet proficiency levels.  I'm sure I'll blog about these as we go through this school year.  I moved up to 8th grade assistant principal  this year as well.  I'm looking forward to working with the older students to prep them for high school.

On the home-front we have been attending adoption classes through DHS this month.  We have one more class and then our home studies this next week.  Once those items are complete, we should be ready to begin looking at child(ren) placement.  The classes have been exhausting, especially since they coincided with the beginning of the school year.  27 hours of training in the evenings is killer, but worth it.  The kids are super excited about the prospect of our new addition to the family.  Every time we return from class, our youngest asks if they said we could have a kid yet.  We spent the summer, simplifying our home and prepping for additions into the family.  I cannot wait to meet the child(ren) that God has planned to join our family.

This spring, our district proposed to start a cohort through the University of Oklahoma in the Educational Administration in Curriculum and Supervision Doctoral Program.  I am so excited to have been accepted into this program.  We began our first classes this past week, coinciding with the first week of school.  Luckily, we only meet once a week.  The workload will be tremendous, but the outcome will be worth it.  My husband is more excited about the fact that it is through OU than anything.  It'll feed his passion for college football more.  I am so thankful that he is so encouraging and supportive of all my educational endeavors.  

At church we are in the process of announcing our vision plan for the next 5 years.  We are unveiling it Sunday after church.  I look forward to these plans with great anticipation.  I'll be sharing more about it in the coming months I'm sure.

As I spent time with my kids this evening, I was thankful for the precious time I have with them.  I may have many irons in the fire right now, but God has a plan for each of them.  He will give me the stamina and endurance I need to stay the course.  I missed my kids this week in the evenings, when I was working on various parts of all these areas.  I am thankful that I am given time to enjoy them between the craziness and look forward to things slowing down a bit in a week or two.

Some may look at all the things I have going on right now and think I am crazy.  If I were looking from the outside in I would probably think the same thing.  Fortunately, I know the plans He has prepared for me, and I know the outcome will be good.  In the meantime, if I look tired, it's probably because I am.  Who isn't these days?

Empowered

We all want to feel empowered, like we can do what it is we need to do to be successful.  Remember last week when I was feeling anxious and didn't know why?  I hated that feeling.  My husband is so good at encouraging me and helping me to focus on the positives in my life.  It redirects me and always empowers me.  I am so thankful that he does this for me.  Sometimes I just get overwhelmed and begin to doubt myself and my calling and purpose.  I know I am capable of being successful in the various areas of my life.  Sometimes I just forget and need a gentle reminder and the empowerment to continue moving forward.

We all have people in our lives that need to be empowered.  Who is your main supporter?  The person who encourages you and empowers you to press on?  Who in your life are you meant to encourage and empower?

Our children/family need to be empowered by us to try new things and know that we'll always love them even when they struggle.  Knowing they are loved no matter what will empower them to blossom into the person God has created them to be.

In education, we need to empower our students/colleagues to take risks as they learn or teach.  We need to remind them that the only true failure is when we give up, stop trying, and settle for less than the best.  We need to hold them accountable to being the best they can be.  This past week I was visiting with two teachers, who are fabulous.  They were at work on their own time working on lesson plans based on the changes made as we move to Common Core.  I could see the overwhelming look in their faces, that same overwhelming feeling I had experienced the previous weekend.  I am so thankful that I recognized it and was able to remind them of their skill and empower them.  They are fabulous and just needed that nudge to press on.

As a church we need to be encouraging each other to step out of our comfort zones and to share the love of God with others.  We need to be holding each other accountable to spiritual growth.  We need to be reminding each other that we have a God-given purpose and empowering each other to press on toward that purpose.  What greater encouragement could there be?!  If God has called us to carry out a task then He has prepared us to complete that task faithfully.  That is empowering.

What are you called to do?  Do you trust that you are capable of doing it?  Be empowered as you carry out those tasks.

Where's your focus?

I have had so much fun this summer.  It has been completely relaxing and productive at the same time.  My kids are at the age that we can enjoy doing more activities with them.  We were able to take a wonderful family vacation to Disney with my mom, stepdad, brother, and niece.  They were able to ride everything for the most part and really enjoy all of the parks.  We rented a house together and spent some quality time together as a family.  We figured this would be the last summer for a while to be able to do this since I'm starting my doctoral program at OU this fall.

We also got season passes to the OKC Riversport which has kayaking, ziplines, ropes courses, and a ton of other stuff.  It amazes me how active our kids are and how willing they are to step out and try new things.  We bowled a lot since it is free for kids during the summer and the pass for adults is super cheap.  Every time we bowled we made up different names for us by theme.  We cleaned out and simplified our house in preparation for the addition of another child when we complete the adoption process through OKDHS.  This allowed us to get some things done around the house that we've put off doing and to prioritize the remaining honey-do list.  It has been busy, but stress free for the most part.

My oldest is entering middle school.  She is super excited to be a part of the youth group at church.  She can't wait to pick up her instrument for band.  She is bugging every day about it and we just haven't made the trip to get it yet.  Our middle child will be in 5th grade and is thrilled to be in advanced math again this year.  She loves it.  Our youngest can't wait to start 1st grade.  Things are in full swing here as we prepare for school to start for them.  Supplies are purchased.  Backpacks are ready.  They just need to meet their teachers and await the first day of school.

And then comes the time for me to go back to work.  I usually look forward to this with great expectation, typically because like any parent I've had my fill of time with the kids.  But I've enjoyed this summer very much as previously stated...more than usual.  I returned to work this last Tuesday.  I am excited to get back to work.  I love where I work.  I love the adults and the children with whom I work.  I moved upstairs to be the eighth grade principal.  It has taken me several days to move my belongings and I'm still not completely set up.  I have boxes to unpack before I'll really feel settled in and focused.  I'm excited to see how all the new changes in staff, schedule, and expectations will impact our students.  

But, there is this anxiety that I have felt each night since returning.  I can feel it beginning as I drive home, rising in my chest.  I'm not sure where it is coming from.  I don't know if it is because I have sat in meetings and haven't done much else or what.  My to-do list is growing, but I haven't checked anything off of it.  Whatever it is, I need it to go away.  It is making the last bit of summer for my kids not so fun.  I want to finish out their summer with them in the same stress-free manner which we have experienced all summer long.  I need to focus on the great things in my life.  I don't even know what is causing the anxiety, so I don't know what to fix.  I have a great God and a great family.  I shouldn't feel this anxiety.  It is stupid.  I am so fortunate to have so many blessings in my life that I should be able to focus on those.  Lord, help me to focus on You and the blessings you have given in my life.

What's the Difference?

We all have a purpose.  What are you doing today that is preparing you for the next step in the purpose to which you are called?  Do you recognize the tasks you currently do as preparation for a higher calling? I participate, as often as possible, in a Bible study through our church.  We recently began a new study on Gideon by @priscillashirer which discusses this idea.  It is fabulous.  You should check it out.  

This leads me to an idea that I've been tossing around recently.  I noticed some similarities and differences in my areas of interest on twitter and I thought I'd share them with you.  I promise I'll tie it all together at the end.

Over the past several years I have been increasing my professional use of twitter.  I began, like most, by following some suggested education handles @educationweek, @discoveryed, etc.  At first I was simply reading articles and blogs posted by people I followed.  Soon I began to expand my little personal learning network to include authors of books I was currently reading (@toddwhitaker, @timelmore).  I found myself checking out the chats (#edchat, #educoach, #oklaed to name a few) and lurking, adding to my PLN along the way.  There was a natural progression.  Next I began posting with the hashtags, but at times that would provide little feedback and engagement from others.  Soon this wasn't enough.  I wanted to engage and make my voice heard.  I wanted to have ongoing dialogue with others in my field.  I began participating in chats more this year.  I don't always make them at the designated time but they have expanded my PLN more than I could have imagined or have done without the use of technology.  @principalJ, @mrpowerscms, @rafranzdavis, @khurdhorst, and @burgessdave, for example, all live in different states but we've connected through twitter.  Amazing!  They have encouraged me to blog and to put my thoughts out there for the world to know.  As a person who would not normally engage others in conversation this has been exciting and freeing.  I look forward to continuing to grow with my fellow education lovers as we begin this next school year.

I began to grow my personal, Christian, PLN similarly at the same time on twitter.  I started off following some suggested Christian handles and pastors that intrigued me like @tonymorganlive, @tonynolanlive, and @pastormark.  I've expanded this group to include other speakers and authors I enjoy.  Here's where the distinct difference occurs.  There are very few trending chats and hashtags to follow to grow your PLN in this area.  No place to make your voice heard or to have in-depth conversations on real meaningful topics.  

Yes, I know that your local church is a physical place to make this happen, but sometimes you need more.  Just like for my education lovers, we have professional development through our school and/or district, but we seek out additional resources and conversations on our own.  Our love of education prompts us to do this.  Likewise, our love for God should draw us to learn more about Him through study of His Word and dialogue with fellow Christians.  It should be a natural progression as we grow.  On twitter there is a gap in this progression.  The dialogue is missing to an extent.

God brought this to my attention while reading an article on Twitter from churchleaders.com about cultural trends the church should not ignore.  It brought up the point about giving a voice to those who are part of the church both online and in-person.  Churches typically do a good job of providing in-person opportunities to make your voice heard.  There are not many online opportunities available without knowing where to look.  

Here's where it all hopefully ties together.  I'll be starting a new chat focused on the learning and growth I hope to see in Christians the way I see it portrayed in educational chats.  Each week on Tuesdays at 8:00 pm CST I'll be hosting/moderating this positive and encouraging chat with Biblically-based questions that will be posted on my blog site a day or two prior.  The first chat will begin on August 6, 2013.  The hashtag to follow will be #faithedchat.  Please pray about joining me and spread the word to those you believe would be interested in an idea like this.

Thoughts? Ideas?  I'd love to know what you think.

What Matters Most

We all have a circle of influence which extends from our family to church and work and out to others with whom we come in contact. Making a person in our circle of influence feel safe, secure, cared for, and loved must precede any expectation we have of them opening up to us, learning from us or respecting us.  Maslow's hierarchy of needs affirms this idea.  In the Bible, Matthew 22 tells us that the second greatest thing we can do is to love others as much as we love ourselves preceded only by loving God with all our being.  The Bible also encourages us to take care of others and to make sure that their needs are met.  Mark 6 and Acts 2 provide examples for us in this matter.  

That being said I have really struggled with this blog.  I know the importance of it.  I am great at parts of it and struggle with other parts.  I'm reflective.  I know my weaknesses and am working on them.   I want my blog to be more personal but I've been keeping my entries at a safe level of communication.  That's why I had to put this down last night, cry for a bit, talk through it with my pastor husband, and begin again today. 

I am an introvert.  Seriously.  Unless you are my family I have a difficult time letting people into my life.  At work I can talk to kids and talk business with the faculty and parents but I don't often go further than this.  It is hard for me to let people in because I don't want to be hurt.  I keep people at an arms length away.  It isn't intentional.  It's just a safety measure I've put in place that haunts me.   I want to connect with people on a more intimate level but I have found few people who will take the initiative to go beyond my hard exterior to see me for who I really am and get to know me.  I am an introvert.  I'm not going to seek out the friendships on my own.  If you are an introvert you understand what I'm saying, maybe not on every detail, but on the basic idea of it.

Relationships matter.  We need them.  We were created to desire relationship.  Knowing our basic needs are met and that we are cared for and safe in our different environments will allow us to connect on a deeper level to those within that community environment.  It will allow us to focus on respect, confidence, learning, and achievement.  The relationship is key.  If we don't get to know those around us on a sincere level we cannot expect them to learn from us or grow with us.  For people who are introverts this can be very difficult at times, almost paralyzing.

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

― Maya Angelou

That quote sums it up.  If we don't connect with people and make them feel loved, we are wasting our time.  I want people to feel loved when they are around me.

I'm great at making my family feel loved.  My immediate family anyway.  I'm not so great at staying in contact and making my extended family feel loved.  For that I have regret and want to improve, but my introverted instinct gets in the way frequently.

I do an awesome job of connecting with students and helping to meet their needs so they can better focus on learning.  They frequently open up more with me than they do to others.  I love that and it is why I love my career.

I do a horrible job of connecting with people outside of these two areas.  I can help people with basic needs, but I know I should be doing so much more.

I help teachers at work with professional development, but I know I could do more if I took the time to develop more safe and secure relationships with them. That is one of my focal points for this year.  If you are one of my education friends please encourage me in this manner.

At church I have a difficult time connecting with people.  As an introvert, by the time I've put myself out there all week with teachers, students, and parents I am emotionally exhausted.  I don't take the time to develop the relationships like I should there.  For my church, please help me by reaching out to me.  I long for connections here, but they are few and far between.  Remember that I'm an introvert and may not seek you out.  

Okay.  I've let you into my mind enough for today.  Relationships are so important.  Take the time to evaluate your own personality and your relationships.  Where could you improve?  I've got some growing to do.  I know they are important and I'll be investing more in this area.  Just be patient with me and don't expect me to go head first and at warp speed.  Know where I am and I'll get to know where you are and we'll grow together.  And by all means, if I've offended you in the past know it was most likely a mistake.  Talk to me and let me know.  Ask questions.  There are lots of layers to me, more than what you see on the surface.

Do you know what the needs of people in your circle of influence are?  Do they all have roofs over their heads and food for their bellies?  Do they feel safe and loved?  What could you do to help them meet these needs so they can grow and better themselves?  It will make you a better person in the process, just like it'll make me a better person as I focus on growing in my areas of weakness.

Here's to growing together to become more like Christ in the process.

Leading with Integrity

Integrity - doing what is right even when no one is looking.  That is a difficult task to maintain.  It is often easier said than done.  It frequently carries with it a heavy burden or cost.  Showing integrity will not always get you the popular vote, but it is always necessary.  The loss of trust can ruin a relationship when your integrity is called into question.  Integrity is a universal best practice in a life worth living.  For leaders, it is essential - whether you are leading a nation, a business, a school, a church, or even a family.

Let me begin there, with the family.  Your family is most likely the smallest group of people you come in contact with daily but they are the most important.  As a leader in your family you set the example for your children, spouse, and extended family.  It is also the place where you are the most likely to let our guard down.  Does your family know that you mean what you say and say what you mean?  Can they trust the words you say?  Do your actions match your words?  Do they see you struggle through situations but come out of them with your integrity still in tact?  As a wife and mom, I want my family to see me for who I am.  I want them to be able to trust the things I say.  I want them to know my struggles, but know that I'll persevere through them.  What an amazing character trait to be able to share with those I love!

What if you have not shown the best example of integrity at home around your family?  Start     today.  Begin by having an open conversation with them about it.  Apologize.  Show them that change is possible and communicate openly about tough situations.  Your family can learn valuable lessons in forgiveness and the ability to make positive changes amidst challenges as you work on building up your integrity.

In our workplace...we all lead someone.  Even if you are the low man on the totem pole people still look to you and you need to do your job with integrity.  Take no short cuts.  Don't do tasks half-heartedly.  Do those you work with see you making decisions based on what is best and right to do or based on what will make you look good?  Do you complete your tasks to the best of your ability or only complete the bare minimum?  Are you known for speaking honestly or for talking out of both sides of your mouth?  Do you know what you stand for and do you stand for it?

What if you have not shown the best example of integrity in your workplace?  Start today.  Apologize.  Move forward with integrity from this point forward.  Figure out what you believe in and hold true to it.  Creating an atmosphere where people know it is okay to make mistakes and move forward will transform your staff.

Integrity is needed in life to build a level of trust with those in which we have contact.  If we are seen as lacking integrity we will be dismissed as irrelevant.  We cannot positively impact the people in our lives if they have cannot trust us.  What a better first best practice to discuss than integrity.  We cannot build relationships and impact lives without it.

Best Practices in Life

I could not sleep last night.  My mind was racing with ideas on topics about which I'd like to blog,  answering my own recently asked question as to whether or not I should begin this process.   As I poured over the ideas in my head the theme of "Best Practices" kept coming up.  Best practices are those which we know work to produce the desired outcome in a given situation the majority of the time.   We can learn about best practices from 1) experts in the field in which we are inquiring, 2) trusted individuals within our community knowledgeable in the area, and 3) honest self-reflection.

As an educator we are inundated with strategies that are considered best practices or high yield strategies.  For example, Marzano is famous in the education world for his work in this area. There are also those we trust within our own learning community (PLC/PLN) for solid ideas and strategies.  However, as educators, we all know that you must look at this list of best practices and other strategies and find what works for you in your classroom to allow your students to reach their full potential while in your care.  There are certain practices that are going to produce good results for many, some that should be discarded, and some that only produce good results for a few.  It is our job to know ourselves and our students and to select those that will work for our situation.  We must not be afraid to take risks in search of new practices that will work in our classroom, and we shouldn't be afraid to utilize the proven practices just because they aren't the latest/greatest idea.  The idea is to find the strategies that work for you as you are fulfilling your task of guiding students in learning.

Could I apply this education idea to other areas of life? Absolutely!

We can apply this idea to any area in life - marriage, finances, raising children, health, spiritual growth, etc.  There are experts in every area of life and we should look to those individuals for guidance.  We should also look to those we trust within our community for advice.  After we have looked at the strategies and advice in a given area we must decide what will work for us and apply it.  It does us no good to simply fill our mind with knowledge and strategies but never put any ideas into practice.  Likewise, it does us no good if we try every piece of advice without first analyzing its validity in our situation.  We would do well to make informed decisions and then put them into practice in our life with determination and perseverance.

Here are some keys to identifying successful strategies in any area needing improvement:

1) identify experts in the area and do some research

2) identify trusted individuals within your community and ask questions

3) reflect honestly upon your own practices and be ready share with others your successes and to make    adjustments in weaker areas

As I come across topics of interest I'll be blogging about them.  Some will be proven "best practices" and others will be new ideas.  Some will be successful and some will be total flops.  I'm no expert, but I love learning and sharing ideas from experts and those I trust in my community/network.  Take what you want from it and share your successes/failures with me too.  We'll grow together as we seek to be the best we can be.