5-12-2017

Mary’s Minute

“I think in a lot of ways unconditional love is a myth. My mom's the only reason I know it's a real thing.”

                                                               ~ Conner Oberst

All of us have or have had a mother, and many of us are mothers to our own children.  Thinking of the love our mothers have for us or how we feel for our children is a great lesson in unconditional love.  Mothers love their children no matter what.  They may feel disappointed at times, but their love never fails. 

I think that teachers can equate the care they give their students to the unconditional love of a mother.  Being a teacher is a very “motherly” act.  Teachers don’t have favorites and don’t give up on their students, which sounds a lot like what mothers do.  As we celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday, I obviously think of my own mother and about the joy of being a mother, but I also think of the motherly love all teachers (male and female) give to our students.

I also think that Mother’s Day is a time to reflect on the act of unconditional love.  When I think of unconditional love, I am not sure if it is more difficult to give or receive it.  As a mother, it feels easy to give unconditional love, but to accept it means that we must open our hearts and become vulnerable.  Why would anyone love us for no real reason?  Accepting unconditional love requires us to accept without trying to rationalize and to open ourselves up to the possibility of being disappointed.  It requires trust!  Giving and receiving unconditional love is worth the risk.  Mothers are our inspiration to give and receive unconditional love!

                                                               Have a great week!

                                                                         Mary

5-5-2017

Mary’s Minute

“A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others.”

                                                       ~Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

“We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own.”

                                                                ~ Ben Sweetland

There is not a day that goes by that I do not admire the work of Perry Central employees.  I know that what you do is not easy.  I know that you work very hard – your jobs are mentally and physically draining.  You are constantly asked to do more with less.  Most of all, what you do has incredible potential to make a difference, and with that comes with a lot of pressure.  Our students count on you.  They know that you will get them to school safely, that you will give them honest answers, that you will prepare them for their future, and most of all, that you will always care about them! 

It worries me when I think of the first quote in that the work you do is consuming.  I don’t want anyone to burn out, and I know that you sacrifice yourself for our students. I draw encouragement from the second quote, knowing that by lifting your students up, you gain strength.  Your path is made bright because of the light you give to others. 

What you do matters!  Today and every day, I hope you know your efforts are appreciated.  It is not possible to show you the appreciation you deserve, so my hope is that by lighting the path of others, you feel the light within you that can give you strength. 

                                                                            Thank you for all you do!

                                                                                             Mary

4-28-2017

Mary’s Minute

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.” 

                                                               ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

We are surrounded by rock piles – that is, we are surrounded by normalcy.  Life is made up of the ordinary, and there is nothing wrong with rock piles if we are fine with living an ordinary life.  If we want to live an extraordinary life we cannot settle for rock piles; instead we must see the cathedral within the rock piles.  When we live life going through the motions everything around us is a rock pile.  It doesn’t feel wrong.  In fact, we can feel joy and satisfaction in living this kind of life.  Extraordinary is all around us, though, if we are open to see it.  If we settle for rock piles, we miss out on the cathedrals.  Whether it is a rock pile or a cathedral is determined simply by the way we choose to see the world and how we act upon it.  One person walks through a water puddle and thinks nothing, while a cathedral builder sees the beauty in the water droplets or ponders the scientific principles of water.  Some people wake up and choose to go through the motions of living, while others wake up with joy deep in their hearts.  Some people look at children as burdens, while cathedral builders see them our future!  Extraordinary really is all around us! 

                                                             Have a great week!

                                                                                Mary

4-7-2017

Mary’s Minute

“We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance.”

                                                                            ~ Harrison Ford

I am actually not crazy of the term “second chance” because it implies that there is one way to do something.  It suggests that if you don’t get it “right” the first time, you get another opportunity.  Although a second chance is a positive thing, and I like the Harrison Ford quote for inspiring change, I have a slightly different perspective.  Instead of looking at change as a second chance, it would be great if we could look at life as an evolution with change part of continuous growth, progress, and evolution.  Mistakes are how we learn and grow because they provide the road map for our life journey.  Everything we do: changes, opportunities, mistakes are all part of what makes us who we are.  Life and learning are about making choices, second chances, change, and moving on, but ultimately all of these things are just part of life’s journey.  We are who are because of our collective experiences.  This is true for our students’ learning, as well as our lives.  No regrets – all just part of the journey, journey that is not a super highway, but a beautiful broken road full of many twists, turns, and bumps along the way.

                                                             Have a great week!

                                                                             Mary

3-17-2017

Mary’s Minute

“The spring wakes us, nurtures us and revitalizes us.  How often does your spring come?  If you are a prisoner of the calendar, it comes once a year.  If you are creating authentic power, it comes frequently, or very frequently.”

                                                                        ~ Gary Zukav

I have to admit that I love the exuberance of fresh starts:  a New Year, the beginning of a new school term, and spring.  They give me an excuse to start anew, and to make changes in my life.  The truth is that we don’t need a day on the calendar or a change in the weather as an excuse to be empowered.  It never hurts to draw inspiration wherever we can, so if budding trees or turning the calendar page can help you, that is great, but I like the idea of seeing every moment as a chance for change – a chance to live the life that we imagine.  What are we waiting for?  Today is the day to put a little more spring in our step, to smile a little broader, to focus on what matters most, to try something new in our teaching, to say the things that need to be said, to make a bold move, or maybe just to whisper something silently to ourselves.  Spring is almost here, and while I am excited for the budding trees and singing birds, I want to be empowered today and every day to live life with passion and mindfulness.  Milestones may create an extra inspiration for change, but every day can be the beginning of spring if we empower ourselves to think it so!

                                                            Happy Spring!

                                                                        Mary  

3-10-2017

Mary’s Minute

“Start living within the great grace of this day.”

                                         ~ Wm Paul Young

To-do lists are a way of life for busy people.  While we are checking things off one list, we are in the process of making our next list(s).  Sometimes to-do lists do not take the form of a written document, but rather they manifest themselves as stacks of things to do: the piles of papers on our desk that need to be graded, the stack of reports that need to be submitted, the inbox full of emails in need of a response, the sink full of dirty dishes, the knee high grass in the yard –you get the idea!  The trouble to-do lists and looking to all we have to do in the future is that the gap between where we are and the completion of the tasks, is a source of anxiety.  Likewise looking backwards at our mistakes - at our “could have,” “should have,” “would haves” - cause stress.  Ideally what we need to do is to stop and breathe in the moment.  Making lists and focusing on what we need to do tomorrow or later in the day, does not allow us to take in the glory of the present.  On this sunny Friday before a cold and cloudy Saturday, inhale the moment!  Listen to a bird sing or a child’s laughter and be thankful for the present.

                                              Enjoy the moment!

                                                     Mary 

3-3-2017

Mary’s Minute

“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”         

                                                                      ~ Dr. Seuss

I think the happiest and most successful people are people who are comfortable in their own skin.  Dr. Seuss puts our uniqueness so eloquently. Two things that are important are that we realize that we are unique and that we embrace that uniqueness.  This is something we need to do for ourselves and also to help instill in our students.  Learning and life can be challenges, but they can be made easier when we feel good about who we are and see competition as a competition with ourselves to be the best we can be.

In today’s world there is a lot of discussion around accepting one’s self relative to physical attributes, but I think if we feel good about who we are at the core the physical security will follow.  In today’s society we are constantly comparing ourselves to others.  As our students take ISTEP this week, this point is painfully clear.  Society forces us to compare!  At Perry Central we do our best to let students know that they do not need to compare themselves to others, but only need to look within and do their best, knowing that, “There is no one alive you-er than you!”  By feeling secure about who we are we can succeed.  According to Dr. Seuss, “And will you succeed?  Yes! You will, indeed!  (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)"

                                                         Have a great week!

                                                             Mary