My prayer for my kids

I sent this to my boys this morning via text message.

It’s my prayer for them.

They haven’t replied.

They probably think I’m crazy.

Or wonder

if I’ve been 

drinking

so early in the morning.

They will assume,

probably, a little of both.

But seriously,

 how
interesting is a 
straight 

trail?

On a straight trail,

you can see 

everything

there is to see

at the

beginning

of the trip.

Why

Even

go?

On a crooked (curvy, not corrupt) trail, there are surprises around the corner.  You can only see enough to entice you to take the next step. 

To keep going.

To see what’s next.

It doesn’t show what’s at the end 

on 

the first step. 

There may be a meadow of flowers, 

or 

a babbling brook. 

There may be

  dark scary parts, too. 

Enjoy the meadows. 

Learn to

  be cautious

and

  discerning 

in the dark parts of the trail. 

And when 

the trail leads to a mountain 

HIGHER 

than you ever thought you could climb,

you’ll be glad 

you couldn’t

see the end. 

If you could see from the first step

A winding trail

how far,

how high,

how scary,

how dark,

how narrow,

how treacherous,

how daunting-

you 

would miss 

the

beautiful lessons

the trail has to offer

along the way.

I don’t pray for my children to be “safe.”

I pray for them to be surrounded by God’s love and protection.

If they are always safe, 

and never face a danger or fear as a child,

How will they

 survive 

the ominous dangers

  as an adult?

 I don’t pray for them to be smart, 

but wise.

 I don’t pray they are never hurt, 

but that they learn from the pain.

I don’t pray they are popular. 

I pray they have the courage 

and confidence 

to be who God created them to be

  regardless 

of what others 

think.  

I don’t pray that their hearts are 

never

  broken.

 Or that they 

never experience grief.

 I don’t pray for their relationships 

to be peaceful, 

but passionate.  

It is in learning as a child 

about grieving 

the death of a pet 

that we learn to grieve bigger losses.

It’s how we handle the disagreements and fights 

in our childhood friendships 

that teach us how to handle it 

better 

the next time.

I don’t pray for their immediate success, 

but that they

  never give up.  

That they allow their failures 

to teach them 

how to 

do it better 

the 

next time.

It’s in the lonely times 

when we learn to love ourselves.

It is only by 

being left out 

that we

learn how it feels 

to be left out.

Can you imagine an adult :

who always experienced 

immediate success 

in school and in relationships

Who never lost 

a game

Or fought

 with a friend

Or lost a pet

Who was

never sick 

or 

sprained an ankle 

or 

had a pimple

Whose teeth were straight

And face was beautiful

Was not

 too fat 

nor 

too thin

Who reached puberty 

at the perfect age

Who was always 

protected and safe

Who never faced 

danger 

or 

adversity

Where could such a person live as an adult that they 

wouldn’t immediately

be

  plundered and pillaged?

 And

  if there was such a place, 

what would happen 

to that person when :

their grandparent died,

or 

their parent,

or 

spouce ..

or 

child?

 How would they 

deal with 

the loss

or

manage 

the devastation

 if 

their spouse 

left them

or

their child 

had

  special needs

 or 

became 

addicted 

to drugs

What if

 they got 

fired

 from a job

What skills 

would they 

have

 to deal 

with loss

or

 anger

 or

pain

How would they

 treat 

other people

?

How would they

 relate

To other people

?

Can you imagine a friend like this? 

No.

I don’t pray for my children to be

perfect,

or safe,

or popular.

Because I love them

too much

to want them 

to experience 

anything 

less 

than the

  full 

experience

of 

life.

Teacher Appreciation

A few months ago, 

I had the privilege of attending Houston’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work for award ceremonies.   The companies were judged on:

• work-life balance
• culture
• diversity
• communication
• employee education
• employee recognition
• employee retention

As the companies described their cultures and hiring processes, I couldn't help but think of teachers and education.  There were companies at the ceremony who described their rigorous interview and selection process, which included more than one personality testand up to eight interviews with members from various levels of the company.

The companies focused on finding people who would be the best fit for their company.  The companies all had amazing cultures based on teamwork, collaboration, and sincere relationships.  (I could talk here at length about how teachers are randomly forced to work together without any consideration of personalities whatsoever, and expected to get along, collaborate and support each other, but I'll save that for another post.)

Some companies had gyms, free healthy meals, and even nightclubs.  But one simple thing ALL the BEST AND BRIGHTEST had in common was :

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION

Some gave recognition in forms of personal recognition during “town hall” type meetings. Some gave monetary rewards.  Some companies had regular happy hours to celebrate accomplishments.  Others gave “shout outs “on social media. 

What a simple, but meaningful idea-

A shout out on social media.

 It could be a tweet, an instagram, or a quick note on facebook. 

Recognition doesn't cost a dime.  Just a few minutes to say “great job with ( whatever it is)” and tag the person. Maybe snap a picture of the teacher or the activity. ( be careful only to get children whom have permission to be photographed, or just get the backs of their heads)

The best and brightest businesses have figured that out and they use it to encourage their employees.

And again- I can't help but think of my teacher friends.

How encouraging it would be for them to get a shout out on social media to say – you're doing a great job, and we noticed.

I was asked once if I just “wanted people to clap for me” in recognition of my accomplishments. Mainly the fact that I survived another year teaching a classroom full of "That kid." ( How dare I ask for a handshake or a pat on the back when year after year my class was comprised more and more with those kids and less and less of the "best and brightest." What was I thinking?)

I responded that I don’t need applause, but some sort of recognition for my accomplishments after 14 years of teaching, and now leaving the profession- would be nice.

But that’s ridiculous.

 Why don't we celebrate teachers everyday? 

Whether or not we agree with the present educational system.

Whether or not we like the teacher.

Seriously, administrators, how much effort would it possibly take to snap a photo during a walk through or after an ARD of a teacher who did an amazing job – maybe holding their tongue, or trying a new <<gasp>> technology or teaching method?

It’s

so

simple.

It doesn't cost a dime!  Just a quick “shout out” to someone who did something you noticed.

It’s not a nightclub.

It’s not a gym.

It’s not a bonus.

It’s not a week after a really long year where the students are told what to bring the teacher for “Teacher Appreciation Week.” ( how meaningful it is to receive a gift someone was TOLD to bring you <<eyeroll>>)

It’s a two second act

That could mean the world…

And maybe ... just maybe- 
keep teachers from 
leaving the 
profession- 
like I did.

tomatoes, politics, and baseball

Another Way

Along my journey, I have made some friends, kindred souls who share my vision for change.  Theses friends are from around the globe, and they are uniting on a shared blog called, Another Way.  Check out their latest post.

If you only read one thing today...

I am so excited to announce a blog launching today, Another Way. It is an amazing, collaborative endeavor by Martin Hodges and Ciara Brehony advocating social, emotional, and educational rights for children everywhere. If you read one other blog today, read theirs! 

Clarkson University

 This school makes my heart smile!  Clarkson University fellows  mentor students K-12 to teach them STEM skills through project based learning. That's what I'm talking about! That is the kind of learning that will stick. It's meaningful empowering, engaging, interactive learning that positively impacts everyone involved. We need more of this kind of mentorship between schools and within schools.  Phenomenal!

Sir Ken Robinson's Video

This is the video by Sir Ken Robinson which inspired me to make changes.