12-16-2016

Mary’s Minute

“I like to turn things upside down, to watch pictures and situations from another perspective.”

                                                                 ~ Ursus Wehrli

This quote represents an extreme example of looking at things from another perspective.  I like to consider how things look to other people.  I had a neat talk with someone sharing his experience visiting PC with his grandson for the first time.  It said a lot to me about perspective.  The first part of the story is humorous.  The young man pulled up and saw the dome and was wide-eyed with excitement at the opportunity to play basketball in “the dome.”  His awe dissipated when his perspective changed, and walked in the less impressive interior, surprised at how small it felt. I only laugh about this since pragmatically, the dome has its share of issues! The story of this family continues as they walked around PC.  The person told me that he had never been in Perry Central, but he was impressed at how clean it was and how he could tell from what was posted on the doors and hallways that we had caring teachers!  I know we have great people, but it is nice to see it from another perspective – through the eyes of a visitor.  Likewise, from the inside I know we have top-notch schools, but the perspective of a letter grade from the State DOE offers another perspective.  We may not need to stand on our heads, but it is nice to consider how PC looks from the outside looking in.   Congratulations!  Upside down or right side up, I am proud of you!

                                             Mary

12-9-2016

Mary’s Minute

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

~Mahatma Gandhi

When we forgive others we free ourselves from a tremendous burden.  I love the notion that forgiving comes from a position of strength, rather than weakness.  Maybe if we realize that holding a grudge makes us weak, it will be easier to forgive.  I think that an element of forgiveness that we also forget is the need to forgive ourselves, and Gandhi’s perspective might be most helpful when we consider how to forgive ourselves for past mistakes, shortcomings, or omissions.  The response from a position of strength is to let go of our past mistakes.  A true position of strength is to learn from our mistakes, but to be able to move on.  This is true for our personal lives, but it is also true in our professional lives working with children.  We set high standards for ourselves, and when we fall short it may not be easy to “forgive ourselves” or let go and move forward.  The same is true for our feelings about our students.  Our students may let us down, but the sign of a strong teacher is one who can forgive and maintain a positive relationship with students.  There are many examples we could give about the value of forgiveness – forgiving ourselves, forgiving others in in our personal lives, or forgiving co-workers and students in our professional lives.  The concept works in all of these, and it is helpful for me to reflect on how I can be strong by moving forward with a heart full of forgiveness. 

                                         Have a great week!

                                                         Mary

12-2-2016

Mary’s Minute

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

                                                                                ~ Buddha

I don’t consider myself a worrier, but I have a terrible habit of analyzing everything over and over again in my mind.  Time is so precious that losing time to mull over the past or worry about the future is such a waste.  I know this intellectually, but emotionally it is not always easy to let go and live in the moment.  What I like about the advice from Buddha is it reminds us that by living in the present we not only can be happier, but can also be healthier.  That is powerful stuff!  Live in the moment to be happy AND healthy! 

When I think about what makes Perry Central special, I think that the overall ability of our staff members to live in the moment with our students is what helps create our caring community.  Yes, we have to use past data and plan for the future, but what sets PC apart is the ability of our teachers and staff to care about students in the moment.  Our teachers understand that living in the present matters and that our students deserve that!  Here's to living in the present wisely and earnestly!

                                                     Have a great week!

                                                      Mary