1-27-2017

Mary’s Minute

"The beauty of life is, while we cannot undo what is done, we can see it, understand it, learn from it and change so that every new moment is spent not in regret, guilt, fear, or anger but in wisdom, understanding and love."

                                                             - Jennifer Edwards

Despite advancements in science, we do not have the ability to travel back in time to undo our past.  There is no need to lament what has already occurred, yet we also know that all that has happened in our past influences where we are today.  We cannot control what has already happened, but what are do control is what we do with our past. Regret, guilt, fear, and anger are useless, even harmful reactions.  Using the past as a way to learn gives value to things that we might wish would have been different.  There are instances in life that we might like to “do over.”  Maybe it is something as simple as a lesson that went wrong that we wish we could teach again more successfully.  Maybe there is something that we wish we would have said or that we said that we wished we could take back.  Maybe we would love the chance to take that game-winning shot again with better precision.  We can’t go back, but the beauty of life is that we can use every experience as an opportunity to grow in love and understanding.  I admit I would love a few “do-overs” but I am thankful for the wisdom that comes from reflection, and I refuse to live with regret, guilt, fear, or anger.

                                               

                                                                  Have a great week!

                                                                        Mary

1-20-2017

Mary’s Minute

“If you want to find happiness, find gratitude.”

                                                              ~ Steve Maraboli

I have always been a big proponent of the notion that happiness in life is a choice.  I also know that it just is not always that simple, and that simply willing something to be does not always make it so.  This led me to think about specific strategies to make our goal (being happy) a reality.  Spending time in nature or being with optimistic people are a couple of recommendations, but what I have found most helpful to live with a happy heart is to find gratitude.  One very specific strategy that I have learned is to start my day by reflecting upon the blessings in my life.  I try to make a mental list of things for which I am grateful before my feet hit the floor each morning.  This week I have taken it a step further and started a Gratitude Journal where I jot down a list each morning before I get up.  This type of gratitude is not proclaimed to the world; it is something we do privately just for ourselves.  So why bother?  The answer is simple, when we are grateful, we are happy!  Expressing gratitude to others is a gift of kindness that I strongly encourage, but feeling gratitude in our hearts is a gift to ourselves.  Happiness can be an elusive thing no matter how much we long for it.  It is exciting that we really do have power to make it possible:  1. by making a conscious choice to be happy; and 2. by consciously being grateful for the good in our lives.

By the way, my Perry Central family is on my list!

                                                                                Have a great week!

                                                                                  Mary

1-13-2017

Mary’s Minute

“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.”

                                                           ~ George Bernard Shaw

This is the 50^th year for Perry Central on this campus.  (Perry Central Community School Corporation was formed in 1963, but originally housed at the old Oil Township High School building.)  I often think about the diligence that made Perry Central a reality and feel an intense obligation to promote the high standards envisioned by this pioneering group.  I also feel an obligation to the Perry Central of the future.  What will the students, parents, staff, and community of Perry Central of the future think of the work we are doing today?  I am driven by an intense need to make our work an honor to those who came before us and a legacy for those who will come later.  This week an exciting announcement seems a fitting part of that puzzle.  Perry Central High School was recognized as an Early College High School.  Perry Central students have the opportunity to be earn their first year of college credit (at no cost) at the same time they complete their high school diploma.  Fifty years ago, our “founding fathers” would likely not have envisioned the majority of PC students graduating with over 15 college credits.  Likewise, we cannot predict the kind of world that PC students fifty years from now will be preparing for.  What we do know is that when we put students’ needs first and work tirelessly for creative and caring solutions we pay respect to our past and the future.

                                                                                 Have a great week!

                                                                                         Mary

1-6-2017

Mary’s Minute

“Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting.”

~ Joyce Meyer

I started my career as a kindergarten teacher, and when I told people that I was a kindergarten teacher the first comment I usually got was, “You must have great patience.”  The truth is I don’t.  I am not good at waiting – I don’t do well in lines, and I am action oriented and want quick results.  Normally in January I write about new beginnings and resolutions.  This year as we begin the New Year, what is on my mind is the power of purposeful waiting.  With the gloomy days of winter upon us, we long for warmth and sunshine.  With resolutions for changes in our lives (my standard resolution is always to lose weight!) we yearn for quick results.  When I think about waiting for spring or working for results, I think a simple comparison to waiting in a check-out line is helpful.  I have waited in line at times when I felt like my head would explode because I was so impatient and so rushed.  At other times, I have simply taken a deep breath and used the wait time as an opportunity for reflection and relaxation.  The line moves the same pace regardless of the state of mind.  The difference is what we do to ourselves.  Waiting to me implies wasted time, but I think the power of patience is that we use our wait time to be construction, even if that productivity is simply personal reflection and rejuvenation.  Whatever change you are looking forward to – whether as part of a resolution, in your teaching, or in your life, I hope that your waiting is purposeful in a way that doesn’t waste time but uses the down-time as a chance for another type of growth.

                                                            Happy New Year!

                                                                        Mary

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