After a reflective drive to my hometown and back over the
weekend, I decided it was time to get busy and back on track with blogging. Summer is fading and we are embracing all things
“fall” here at school – progress monitoring, FAST screening, Homecoming, fall
sports, anticipation of field trips to the pumpkin patch, PBIS, new literacy
resources, new friends, and a lengthy list of good work being done in our classrooms.
When starting in my position as MStM Elementary Principal in
the summer of 2015, I read a great deal of work written by Jon Gordon. He provides direction and food for thought to
leaders for the organizations in their charge.
In one particular YouTube video I watched, he challenged his audience to
choose one word as a focus for the year.
I shared this challenge with the teachers on staff, and they displayed
this word in their classrooms for the entire school year as a constant
reminder. My word was “Expectations.” I knew that there would be a plethora of
expectations for me as the new principal, but I also had expectations for
myself. This year, we repeated this
exercise and my word – “Intentional.” My
goal is to make all of my work and our collective work as a staff as intentional and
purposeful as possible. In our first
staff meeting, I encouraged teachers to always ask themselves, “Why?” when it
comes to their instruction in the classroom.
If we are not able to answer with purposeful instructional practices,
then we had better think about making some changes. In all of this, I am blessed to be among a
group of dedicated professionals who certainly can answer that “why” with
conviction. So, we are off to a great
start!
Back to my drive and that think time…the summer provided
multiple opportunities for making memories for me. Gathering with a group of high school friends
for a long weekend, multiple days on the road in southern Iowa for The Register’s
Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) and the birth of my first
grandchild top the list. (Not
necessarily in that order – the baby trumps it all!) But, all three of those events have the
common thread of what grounds me in my Iowa roots and the importance of friends
and family. And this brings me back to
sitting at my desk after an early fall day here at school. I have the opportunity to work with staff and
community members who appreciate the value of family and taking care of one
another. They dedicate themselves to
each and every student and ensure that their needs are met. They greet students at the door every
morning, ready to give it their all, knowing they will have a forever influence
on the kids in their charge. They are truly intentional and purposeful and committed to the work.
This is what makes my heart full as we embark on
another great year.
