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