As usual I really enjoyed reading your views and thoughts of our reading. I too have not been an educator very long, and can’t imagine abusing any of our staff. As a matter of fact I usually make an extra attempt to get to know difficult people. I usually find something to like in everyone. With coworkers that is especially important. You won’t find me in any particular clique. I would hope that we’ve all learned from our own days as students to accept and get along with others. That would lead to Rule # 6 – another thing we, as adults should have learned ages ago.
Baby steps are a good way to address what might seem like an insurmountable obstacle. I always laugh at those self-help home improvement shows as the do it yourselfers rip out the kitchen, bathrooms, and flooring and then don’t know where to begin. One room at a time would be so much easier.
Caring is important both inward and outward. Focus whether it is on a person, project or idea will inevitably make the task easier.
"Michael George Wk3 Reading: Art of Possibilities Chapters 5 – 8
Chapter 5. Leading from Any Chair: We’re all leaders. How can we make a difference in the people will influence each day? How do we listen to those who help us make our dreams become reality?
I have only been an educator for a handful of years and when I started I didn’t clue into to the social pecking order. Some teachers outright abused support staff and aides and didn’t treat them as valuable team players. Just like chapter 5 illustrates, anyone can lead and have an influence.
At my school, I refer to everyone as fellow educator, from the lunch lady to the principal. Each of us influences students each and every day and has an impact. We all (hopefully) help students with their hopes, dreams, and achievements.
Chapter 6. Rule Number 6: Don’t take yourself so seriously. Life is a journey–enjoy and learn along the way. Live, laugh, and love!!
There is an old Yiddish proverb, מענטש טראַכט, גאָט לאַכט and since most of you don’t speak Yiddish, myself included, it translates into: “Man plans, God laughs.”
Control is an illusion.
Each and every one of us has limited control over our life and we should treat it as a serendipitous journey then learn to “be present” and “be loving.” So many try to will things in life, everything from relationships to having children to job promotions. Seemingly unattainable goals make us unhappy in life and ruin the gifts that are present all around us.
Chapter 7. The Way Things Are: Sometimes settling for the way things are is a lowering of expectations, sometimes it’s finding a starting point so that one can make things better. Where are you in this continuum?
Often times when we are presented with overly complex stimuli, we shutdown and accept things as they are. Acceptance can be a good thing since it reduces stress and anxiety in our lives. However, there are some situations in life where complexities need to get sorted out. The only way to change these situations is by taking baby steps.
If you had to clean up 10 square miles of garbage, would you try to do it all in one day? Certainly not, you would set smaller goals and maybe work on 100 square yards per day. This is a baby step. An attainable goal, and this is how I tend to work to make things better.
Chapter 8. Giving Way to Passion: Control says that the only way to avoid disappointment and frustration is to not care at all. No hits, no runs, but most importantly, no errors. What are you doing in your daily life that expresses your passion or the things you are passionate about?
What does it mean to care? Is caring an outward act? Is it an emotion? Is it both? In my daily life I express my passion by showing that I care through outward acts. Spending time with a person, or idea, or project and focusing on it to help change it for the better are how I show that I care."
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