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

11-18-2016

Mary’s Minute

“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

                                                                          ~ Robert Burns

This quote from a Robert Burns poem, To a Mouse, popularized by the title of the John Steinbeck novel, reminds us that we are not in control of our lives.  Like the little mouse who worked and worked to build a house in a field only to have a farmer destroy it with the swift work of a plow, we never know in life when our plans will be plowed under.  As humans we definitely are planners and not only are we planners, but we are worriers.  The mouse “plans” but likely does not worry about the potential for plans going awry.  When the mouse’s plans do not work out, it likely quickly moves onto another plan without dwelling on the past and worrying about the future.  Planning is certainly necessary in life, but we need to be cautious so that we do not plan so much that when our plans do not work out that we are paralyzed.  We could learn from the mouse to not take life so seriously!  The realization that plans can go awry is our call to be flexible and to recognize that life is bigger than us.  No matter how much we want to think that we are in control, we are not.  The real key to our success is being able to deal with that ambiguity in life.

I want to give a shout-out to Mrs. Rasche and her class for inspiring me through my observation of their discussion of this quote!

Keep planning and striving for excellence, but remember that when your best made plans go awry, the key to success is being able to adapt.  Our success is less about what happens to us, and more about how we react to what happens.

                                                              Have a great week!

                                                                                        Mary  

11-11-2016

Mary’s Minute

“Find something you are passionate about and keep being interested in it.”

                        ~ Julia Childs

I spent most of the day with Perry Central AP Language students and a panel of community members, as students presented their FedEx Day projects. The idea behind FedEx Day is to deliver an idea in a single day.  Students were given the task of coming up with a project that will foster Perry Central’s mission of “Building Tomorrow’s Potential. Today.” 

I have just three letters to describe the work, the passion, and the presentations of our students, WOW!  Students created projects with a vast variety of goals, all focused on bettering Perry Central and the community.  The other thing the projects had in common is the passion they have for them.  Projects stemmed from students passion for drama, debate, reading, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).  They tackled tough issues like the foster child crisis in our county and community unity.  They had goals of building awareness, raising funds, and helping future generations.  They looked at ways to beautify our campus and build a legacy for the future.  These students created sound arguments for their projects and presented their information well, but what excited me most is their passion.  A few years ago we adopted the term “passion based learning” to define the kind of student centered learning we wanted to foster Perry Central.  Today I saw that in action, and it makes my heart sing!

                                                  Have a great week!                  

                                                                  Mary  

11-4-2016

Mary's Minute

"The power of imagination makes us infinite."
                                                                      ~ John Muir

I am a big believer in the power of hard work to accomplish goals, and I am in awe of the body of knowledge that exists in our world today. Yet, when I think about how we can change the world, I realize that it is thoughts the creation of new ideas. We cannot discount the importance of our students working hard and mastering existing knowledge, but if we do not allow their imaginations to soar we have not truly educated them. To help our students see the importance of nurturing their imaginations, we need to give ourselves permission to be creative and let our imaginations run free. We all have our own ways to feel creative, and it is important that we put ourselves in positions where we can be creative in order to truly be learners. Learning is not just manipulating existing content, but taking it to the next level by making it our own. Through imagination learning is truly infinite. You deserve that. Your students deserve that. Let yourself be creative!  To infinity and beyond!
                                                                          Have a great week!
                                                                             Mary

10-21-2016

Mary’s Minute

“Relax!  Life is beautiful!”

                                                              ~ David Wolper

Fall break is upon us, and it is a good time to think about recharging.  Our physical surroundings and life in general truly are beautiful, but sometimes we get so busy that we forget to enjoy them and relax.  Wolper puts it so simply, but also so accurately. 

Sometimes our minds are in overdrive, and we are physically rushing from one priority to the next.  In these times, we it is difficult to slow down and relax.

I read a neat strategy of how to get grounded when life feels frenzied.  Choose an object, preferably a natural object, like a leaf or a flower, and focus on it, taking in every intricacy of it.  By doing this for several minutes our mind is able to unload some of our burdens, and life is reduced to beauty and simplicity.  It makes sense the beach is a relaxing place for many people because at the beach it is easy to focus on the simply beauty of the ocean or the horizon.  We have just as much natural beauty right here in Perry County.  The moon is another natural source of soothing simplicity for me. 

I hope that staff and students can find some time – even just a few minutes can help – to get grounded by enjoying the beauty of nature and in doing so, realize how wonderful life is!  Wherever your happy place is, I hope you find it this fall break in order to relax in the way you deserve.  Thanks for all you do!

                                                          Have a great week!

                                                                                     Mary  

10-14-2016

Mary’s Minute

“The things that change our lives (and the lives of others) are rarely the long-scheduled events, the much-practiced speeches or the annual gala. No, it's almost certain that the next chance you have to leap will come out of nowhere in particular, and you'll discover it because you're ready for it.”
                                                                                         ~ Seth Godin

I read that Michael Jackson was infamous for calling his producer in the middle of the night with ideas. On one of the calls, when the sleepy producer tried to put him off, MJ replied that he had to act right now because if he didn’t Prince would get the idea.  The rather odd notion that Michael believed in was that ideas are out in the universe, and if we do not grab them, they will move on to someone else.  I admit it seems pretty far-fetched, but it also has an element that makes sense to me.  For me, it may not be as dramatic as snatching an idea before it is given to someone else, but as Seth Godin’s words suggest, ideas or opportunities,   come at us when we least expect them, and the key to success is being ready for them. 
I believe that there are no coincidences, which to me is exactly why we always need to be ready and open for when chances jump out at us. 
Ideas that can change our lives and our perspective on life, can grab us.  The key is to not let them slip by, but rather to be open and ripe for discovery. 
Our destiny is out there, but it likely will not come when it is scheduled.  It will come when we least expect it, and the key is that we always need to be ready and open.

                                                      Have a great week!

                                                                                     Mary  

10-7-2016

Mary’s Minute

“One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don't come home at night.”                                                         ~ Margaret Mead

I have been watching the Weather Channel quite a bit the last few days in anticipation of Hurricane Matthew slamming the U.S.  I marvel at how at times like this everything stops – meetings are canceled, classes are suspended, scheduled medical procedures are delayed - entire cities come to a halt.  How is it that things that seemed so important yesterday, suddenly do not really matter?  The rhetorical question has a common sense answer (Duh!), a spiritual response (Catastrophes help us focus on what really matters in life.), and also a response directly linked to educational theory.  One of the most well-known educational theories is that of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Needs.  The theory suggests that children cannot learn until their basic needs are met.  Obvious basic needs are food and shelter, but other needs when unmet have an equally devastating effect on learning.  Putting it in the simplest way, children need to be loved before they can learn. 

Jennifer Mitchell did a really cool thing this week, asking elementary teachers to tell three things about Perry Central that they appreciated.  The responses were powerful and heart-warming!  One thing that stood out is that at Perry Central teachers and staff members care about kids! 

Hurricane Matthew and P.C. as a caring community may seem totally unrelated, but just like coastal residents are seeking shelter from a torrential storm, you provide the warm blanket of hope for our students who come to us from stormy lives.  You are amazing!

                                                               Have a great week!

                                                                                           Mary 

9-30-2016

Mary’s Minute

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion; if you want to be happy, practice compassion.”                                                           

                                                                                   ~ Mary Stewbeck

“Choose to be happy.  It is a way of being wise.”             ~ Colette

I am quick to talk about the power of mind over matter and willing ourselves to act or feel in a certain way.  I believe that we can choose our attitude and that being happy is a choice.  I recently read an article from Washington Post that pointed out that it is not always that simple.  The article suggested that we need to accept and own our feelings.  Sometimes sad or bad things happen, and we need to process those feelings rather than simply discounting them and willing ourselves to be happy.  It made me consider thinking of happiness as something more than just a choice, but as a way of life.  If happiness is not as simple of a choice as I have always claimed, we still have control over it through our actions.  Actions lead to happiness, and the surest way to be happy is to help others.  Happiness can seem like a selfish feeling, but the truth is that true happiness is always connected to others. 

I still believe that happiness is a choice, but I am seeing the route to it being a little different than simply choosing the feeling.  The choice is not in choosing our emotion, but in choosing actions that lead to happiness.                                          

                                                                   Have a great week!

                                                                                        Mary  

9-23-2016

Mary’s Minute

“Spread love wherever you go.  Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

                                                                                               ~ Mother Teresa

The word love can be used in many different ways.  “I love your new haircut” as a thoughtful compliment.  “I love you, man!” to an old friend, or the tender “I love you,” to a significant other.  Eskimos have many words for snow because for of their need for precision in describing the white matter.  I wish we had more words for love in order to better describe its intricacies.  The Greeks had six different words for love.  My favorite is “agape” or love for everyone.  I believe that this is the love that Mother Teresa spoke about.  Love for our families and significant others is a special kind of love that is certainly connected to a love for all, but Mother Teresa’s brand of love is the kind we want to model our lives sharing.

When my dad died I remember as a family pouring over the intricacies of his monument.  We wanted the phrase, “Love Never Ends” etched in the granite as a reminder of the kind of love that Mother Teresa describes.  Not to take away from the relationship of my mom and dad, but we didn’t want the phrase engraved near their wedding date because we wanted the “love” that we were describing to stand for more than romantic love. 

Love – Perry Central style – is what Mother Teresa describes.  That love is our goal.

                                                                       With love, 

                                                                      Mary

9-16-2016

Mary’s Minute

“A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”

                                                                                     ~ Lao Tzu

We all have times when we feel overwhelmed.  It is tough for me to even type the “o” word because admitting it makes me feel weak.  An analogy came to me the other night that helped clear my mind.  It was very late when I walked through my kitchen and noticed the dishwasher had completed its cycle and needed to be unloaded.  I sighed thinking of the task, which at nearly midnight seemed exhausting.  I opened it and thought I would just put away the plates and leave the rest until morning.  The plates proved to be an easy job, so I grabbed the bowls and put them in their place.  Before I knew it all that remained was the silverware – the dreaded silverware!  I had another moment of defeat, thinking it would have to wait until morning, but maybe I would just grab all the spoons.  The forks, and then the knives easily followed.  Just like that the job that had felt overwhelming just minutes before was done because I broke it down into single steps.  I realize that a simple household chore does not compare to the vast workload that teachers and many others face, but as I was stacking coffee cups the similarities stood out to me.  The task before me was not a difficult one, but in the moment it felt exhausting and somehow the dishwasher not being unloaded made the rest of the incomplete household chores surrounding me seem paralyzing.  Tasks, difficult and simple, can seem crushing, but when we start that journey of a thousand miles with that single step we feel empowered to keep going and before we know it we feel better and have a task crossed off our to-do list.  We all have journeys before us.  I wish you the best in your metaphorical trek and encourage you to remember my household conundrum and feel empowered!

                                                                        Have a great week!

                                                                        Mary

9-9-2016

Mary’s Minute

“Every person in this life has something to teach me – and as soon as I accept that, I open myself to truly listening.”

                                                                      ~ Catherine Doucette

For me there are two valuable lessons in the quote above.  The first is about valuing perspectives, and the second is about the act/art of listening.

When we see that every person has something of value to teach us, we begin to see the world differently.  This attitude enables us to think knowledge as relative and dynamic.  Not everyone is equal in intelligence, but everyone has a unique perspective that is of interest and can enlighten others.  If we think of intelligence as a finite body of knowledge, then we can dismiss the value of others, but knowledge is not finite.  Teachers who see their students in an active sense, not as passive participants, understand this notion.  Once we truly accept the value of multiple perspectives, then our next task is to use active listening to learn from others.  It may not always be easy to live without judging others and recognizing that we can learn from them, but when we do we open ourselves up to endless opportunities for growth, fueled by inquiry.  Believe that we can learn from everyone, and I promise you that we will!

                                                                   Have a great week!

  

                                                               Mary

9-2-2016

Mary’s Minute

“Nothing will work unless you do.”

                                                     ~ Maya Angelou

“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

                                                                             ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Work is often considered a negative thing.  We use the phrase, “I have to go to work,” rather than, “I get to go to work.”  Work for some is a drudgery with a clear distinction in their lives between work and play.  I have great compassion for people whose work is a drudgery, and I know that many people work in difficult physical conditions that make their feelings justifiable.  My hope is that all people can find the prize that Teddy Roosevelt described by finding satisfying work and having the opportunity to work hard at it.  Through that kind of hard work, not only do we have a feeling of satisfaction, but as Maya Angelou reminds us, things get done!  When we are involved in work worth doing, not only can we find satisfaction in the finished product, but we also can become immersed in a sense of flow.  Great work days are often ones that fly by because we get in a zone.  I am thankful that I have a job I love and am surrounded by people who find joy in work worth doing.  I am appreciative of all the workers who make our world click.  Work like so many things in life is a gift!                                                                 

                                                                              Happy Labor Day Weekend!

                                                                                  Mary

8-26-2016

Mary’s Minute

“The people who matter to me the most are the people that are in my life.  That’s who I really learn from, and it’s always a very personal kind of connection.”

                                                                                                        ~ Missy Peregrym

Human connections matter!  Teaching is more than presenting material or planning engaging activities.  The relationships that teachers create with their students are the real foundation for learning.  I love to walk by classrooms and see teachers walking around the room interacting with students.  Close proximity helps with classroom management, but it also helps build personal connections.  Teachers who greet students at the door send a powerful message that they care about their students.  Teachers who show an interest in what is happening in students’ lives demonstrate that school learning is just one part of their lives.  At Perry Central teachers, cooks, bus drivers, custodians, and office personnel build connections with students every single day.  A simple compliment as a student gets on the bus is far from simple to a student who needs reassurance.  A smile and eye contact show students that they matter!  Your efforts to make connections with our students make a difference.  Thank you for making that difference!

                                                                                   Have a great week!

                                                                                  Mary

8-19-2016

Mary’s Minute

“Winners focus on winning; losers focus on winners.”

                                                                                        ~ Unknown

With the hype of the summer Olympics, sports analogies to life abound.  I love the perspective of this quote on winning.  I saw it with swimmers with the winning swimmer focused straight ahead, and his opponent looking over at the winner.  It was pretty profound to me.  In education today with the tremendous focus on standardized tests, the media and politicians seem to call for us to focus on what others are doing.  At Perry Central we are determined to keep doing what we know is right for kids.  Our focus is competing with ourselves to be better than we were yesterday.  Our concentration is to provide our students with the best possible education based on what we know about learners and learning.  Our efforts are inward. We cannot be distracted by the noise of the politicians and naysayers whose focus is on numbers and negativity.  Test scores may go up and down, but our attention to creating a nurturing environment for learners will not waiver.  Winning can be defined in many ways.  For us winning means that our students are working to their greatest potential within a caring environment.  With that in mind, I go back to the sports analogy.  As winners, we are focused on winning!

                                                                                   

                                                                                         Have a great week!                      

                                                                                           Mary

8-12-2016

Mary’s Minute

As we struggle to find peace in the tragic death of recent PC graduate, Josh Ward, I am struck by the magnitude of Josh’s influence during his life.  Any death, especially an unexpected one of someone so young, reminds us how fragile life is, the importance of treasuring every moment, and the importance of living without regrets.  Josh taught us these lessons and so many more.  He lived his life with maturity and wisdom that surpassed his years. 

Something else that I am trying to learn from this tragedy is the power of being open to possibilities.  We cannot begin to understand why something like this can happen.  There is absolutely no logic or justice to it, but I am trying to open my heart to see the good in the unexpected.  Because I knew Josh I feel like I am a better person, and I have to believe that through this tragedy doors will open that we cannot comprehend.  The key is opening our hearts and minds to them.  We understand so little in life, despite centuries of intellectual musings.  I may not be able to understand, but I can open my heart to potential – untapped potential that is out in the universe. 

Life is a blessing.  Josh was a blessing to all who knew him.  I am grateful for knowing him and grateful for the lessons that this tragedy may hold for the universe.

           With an open heart,

           Mary

8-5-2016

Mary’s Minute

“People will forget what you said.  People will forget what you did.  But people will never forget how you made them feel.”            ~ Maya Angelou

Over time, I have forgotten more than I know, which makes this piece of Maya Angelou’s wisdom all the more powerful for me.  I have many memories where I do not remember what people did or said, but I remember my feelings.  I have the same sensation with dreams.  Sometimes I wake up in from a dream with no recollection of what was happening in the dream, while at the same time having a strong feeling running through my veins.  Feelings are powerful and stay with us!

Each year we choose a theme for the school year, and this year the theme is simply, “P.C. Cares.” 

We believe that through our caring school community, our students may forget what we say or what we do, but they will retain a sense that we care deeply about them. 

I am excited about the school year, and I am proud to be part of this caring community.  With kind words, hard work, simple smiles, high expectations, and unwavering dedication, our entire staff shows that our theme is right on the money – P.C. Cares!

                                                                       Here’s to a great year!

                                                                                            Mary

5-20-2016

Mary’s Minute

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”                                                                                              ~Seneca

I am glad that the school year ends and retirements occur in the spring.  As we close a school year and retirees close a chapter in their lives, the budding trees and green grass (albeit soggy right now) remind us of new birth and a fresh beginning.  After all, graduation is called commencement, telling us that it is not an end, but rather a new beginning.  I can remember crying a few tears on the bus parking lot as I said goodbye to my kindergarten class on the last day of school, and I suspect I will shed a few tears on Tuesday as we honor Jackie and Nancy Wright, but my goal is to always focus on what lies ahead.  The end of the school year makes way for a new year, and retirement is the start of a more relaxed, but equally exciting phase of life.  As the year ends, we may be reflective and nostalgic, but we can do that in a celebratory way, rather than with sadness.  We do not mourn the passing of winter, but celebrate the coming of spring.  The bright colors of spring are our promise that graduation and retirement lead to great adventures.  Let’s celebrate a great school year, cheer for our graduates, and honor remarkable careers!

                                                                    Cheers!

                                                                         Mary

5-13-2016

Mary’s Minute

“Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent then the one derived from fear of punishment.”                 ~ Mahatma Gandhi

“Power is like being a lady... if you have to tell people you are, you aren't.”

~ Margaret Thatcher

Working with children and/or in leadership roles we have situations where we hold power over others.  The question is how that power is obtained.  The quotes above suggest that the power cannot be demanded.  Maggie Thatcher’s quote made me laugh, so I had to include it, but it also is so true.  Power is something we must earn, not something we can demand.  Gandhi takes it a step further by describing the most effective power.  At Perry Central we talk a lot about healing and not punishing, the same way Gandhi talks about fear of punishment versus acts of love.  We can wield power over students through the fear of punishment to get them to do what we want.  We can exert power by punishing them when they make mistakes, but punishing does not have the power to change behavior like acts of love and efforts to heal.  We strive to gain the respect of others: the people we work with, the students who ride on our bus, the students in our classroom, etc.  We can do this in three ways.  1.) We can demand it, by stating that we have power through our words or actions, in which case we have no power at all.  (Remember it is like being a lady, “If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”).  2.) We can create an environment that creates a fear of punishment as a way to yield power.  Or 3.) To create a more permanent and effective type of respect, we can create an environment that is based in caring spirit.  If in doubt, let’s always choose love!  I am thankful that is the Perry Central way.

                                                            Have a great week!

                                                            Mary

5-6-2016

Mary’s Minute

 

You perhaps have heard the story of the traveler who met three stonecutters.  When he asked the first what he was doing the stonecutter said in a miserable tone that he was chiseling heavy stones trying to eke out a living.  The second stonecutter was doing the exact same task, but replied that he was doing the very best job he could to cut stone and be the best stonecutter he could be.  When the third stonecutter was asked what he was doing, he replied with pride, “I am building a great cathedral.”  Each year at Perry Central we designate the first week of May as Appreciation Week, taking the opportunity to officially "appreciate" teachers, as well as all staff members.  During this week, I was thinking about this parable and the different roles people have at a school.  I was playing out in my mind how different employees would answer the question from the three stonecutters' perspectives.  For instance, if you asked three bus drivers what they were doing, the first might reply, "I drive a big yellow bus from point A to point B hauling a bunch of kids."  Taking on the second perspective, a bus driver might reply, "I take pride in safely transporting students to and from school each day."  The third might reply beaming with pride, "I have the privilege of driving students safely to school each day, making a difference in their lives with my positive attitude."   We may all have different jobs, and if we are the first two stonecutters our responses to what we “do” might sound like, “I drive a bus; I sweep floors; I mow grass; I push papers; etc.”  I think it might be fun for each of us to think of our tasks from the three perspectives, and the key is that I believe Perry Central staff members, regardless of their job see the big picture and realize that we are not doing miniscule work, but rather we are building the future, which is even more exciting than building a great cathedral!  What makes Perry Central great is that our family of employees complete their work with the end in mind, focusing on students and genuinely care for them.  Perry Central employees are an amazing group of people, and I hope they know that they are appreciated!

                                                                                Have a great week!

                                                                                             Mary

4-29-2016

Mary’s Minute

 

“Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.”                                     - Kurt Vonnegut

 

 

Frustration comes from situations that are out of our control.  The issues that have arisen this week with ISTEP testing certainly created frustration for our students and teachers.  Tara and our other administrators spent hours resetting tests and calling the Department of Education and Pearson.  There are some major issues with the system, and we have serious questions about the validity of the test.  The problem is that this week and beyond, there is a strong sense of frustration because it is out of our control.  We will continue to work through the system to do what we can to make the system better for our students.  As for today, we can either laugh or cry to deal with the frustration!  In between our students and teachers testing, and Tara being glued to her computer to reset tests and call tech support, I hope they can find ways to laugh!  After all, although the DOE, the state legislature, and the testing company may be in the drivers’ seat, they cannot control our attitudes and our ability to make light of frustrating situations.  I hope you laugh!

                                                                                Have a great week!

                                                                                                Mary

4-22-2016

Mary’s Minute

 

"Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home." — Mother Teresa

 

When I read quotes from Mother Teresa, I smile.  Not only do I love the words she spoke so selflessly, but they remind me of the beautiful selfless person she was.  This quote particularly touches my heart because it reminds me of a quote I heard from my dad hundreds of times, “Treat the people you love the most the best.”  Like Mother Teresa, thinking of my dad speaking these words with sincere love for his family, also makes me smile.  The lesson is so simple, but so important.  The concept seems pretty basic for the obvious reason, but besides the fact that the people who we love the most deserve the best we have to give, there is another important reason to “start at home.”  The way we treat others affects them, but it also affects us.  When we treat the ones we love the most the best, we will also be more likely to make a positive impact on the world – treating people with love makes us better.  When we can start at home and treat the ones we care about the most, the best, we will also spread light to the world because we are better because of it.  We cannot treat others with love, without becoming better for it. That is part of what makes Perry Central special.  Because of the family atmosphere we have, people “start at home” treating each other with kindness, which spreads to everything we do.  I can’t help but think that my dad and Mother Teresa would be proud of the way Perry Central people treat the people they care about with genuine kindness.

Have a great week!

Mary

4-15-2016

Mary’s Minute

 

"Don't let your sins turn into bad habits." — Mother Teresa

 

We all make mistakes, or in the words of Mother Teresa, we all sin.  We are human.  Mother Teresa gives us an interesting approach to our mistakes by reminding us that the real damage comes when we allow our mistakes to become bad habits.  This notion reminds me of a quote used in sports, "Don’t practice until you get it right; practice until you can’t get it wrong.”  The point is in the power of habits.  We don’t want mistakes to turn into bad habits, and we want things that are positive to turn into good habits.  Habits are powerful, and we need to remember that in order to avoid bad habits and to develop good ones.  Like everything else, part of the magnitude of the phenomena is recognizing it.  When we do something wrong, do we stop and think about how we insure it does not become a bad habit?  Or even more importantly, when we do something right, do we think about how we can practice doing it right so that we can’t get it wrong, so that it becomes a good habit?  I can say that I really had not given this idea a thought, but using Mother Teresa as an inspiration, I will work to use my sins as opportunities for change so that they do not become bad habits.

Have a great week!

Mary

4-8-2016

Mary’s Minute

“A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.”

                                                                                                 ~ Arnold Glasow

I like to use “I” when accepting responsibility, and ‘we” when taking credit or showing ownership.  Everything that occurs at Perry Central is a team effort – when things go well, it only makes sense that we talk in terms of “we” and “our” because our success belongs to our entire team.  Perry Central students are not “my students” but “our students.”  Our beautiful facility is not “my building” but “ours” because it belongs to the taxpayers and is operated by a group of dedicated staff members.  If things go wrong I want to accept the responsibility, and will gladly use the pronoun "I," but I work to catch myself from using the word "I" for credit or possession.  Maybe it is just semantics and is not that important, but I truly believe that the words we use reflect our beliefs and help guide our practices.  When we start saying “we” instead of “I” it subtlety changes the way we are viewed by others, and more importantly it helps instill a powerful attitude of collaboration and connectedness.  Words matter – even the one and two letter ones! 

                                                                                      Have a great week!

                                                                                              Mary

4-1-2016

Mary’s Minute

“Life is less stressful when we seek the simple solutions.”

                                             ~ Moriel Randolph

 

The older I get the greater I see the need to simplify.  A popular book right now is The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which I have not read yet, but just through association I have been inspired by it.  I am looking for ways to have less and to care more.  Looking at ways to simplify certainly has implications in our material possessions, but also in all areas of our life.  It is a way to look at the world.  Quoting the song, I recently was saying to Zoe and Bill, “In the end, only kindness matters.”  For me this is the simplest way to think about living and interacting with others.  Sometimes in life I think we try to hard when ultimately the simplest solutions are the most effective. 

I know that life is not always that easy.  I love complex theories of learning and believe that as educators and people we can benefit from stretching ourselves.  I also think that sometimes we need to step back and “declutter” by remembering at the most basic level that sometimes the simple solutions are the best. 

If we can find ways to declutter our lives in all aspects from our thoughts to our material possessions, I believe we can live less stressful lives.  My goal is to keep emptying my closets while working to fill my heart with positive thoughts.

 

                                                            Have a great week! 

                                                                        Mary

3-18-2016

Mary’s Minute

“We need to accept that we won't always make the right decisions, that we'll screw up royally sometimes - understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it's part of success.”

                                       ~ Arianna Huffington

I love this notion of ridding our thoughts that the opposite of success is failure.  Failure can be an important step towards success.  I like to think of mistakes not as failure, but as approximations.  Consider a baby learning to talk.  When the baby says, “Da,” we do not consider it a failure for appropriately saying, “Daddy,” but instead praise the approximation that puts our baby one step closer to normal communication.  Life and learning are not about failure, but about approximations that help guide us.  It is through our mistakes that we learn.  Sometimes mistakes are costly and difficult, but as long as we use them as stepping stones to better decisions, better living, or deeper learning, then they are not failure. 

 

Traditional notions of learning, tend to see student answers as right or wrong, but when we think of wrong as not being failure, but an approximation then we can use the “wrong” answer as a valuable step towards greater understanding.  Sure we all love to not make bad decisions, but let’s remember that even mistakes lead us to greater understanding of academic pursuits and life lessons.

 

                                                                       Have a great break! 

                                                                       Mary