2-9-2018

Mary’s Minute

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”

                             ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I do not like the idea of sorting “minds” into categories of great, average, or small, but I love the idea that everyone can have great thoughts.  It is a pretty powerful notion to think about what we discuss.  When you are with your colleagues, friends, or family, what topics are discussed?  Part of what I like about this is that it is good to be cognizant about our conversations.  I think often we fill time chatting with people without stopping to think about the topics that fill the air.  If we want to have “great minds” we should focus on ideas.  When we are with colleagues do we focus on ideas about how to be better or how to enhance learning for students? When we are with friends do we talk about history, literature, and geography?  I want to talk about ideas, and I want to spend time with people who help me keep that focus.  I may not always be there, but it is something for which I can strive. 

Whether or not my mind is great, by focusing on ideas rather than idle gossip, my hope is that I can move towards having great thoughts.  It is pretty exciting that we have the power in that simple of way to move ourselves towards that pinnacle.

                                                                        Have a great week!

                                                                                    Mary

2-2-2018

Mary’s Minute

Happy Groundhog Day!  I know the day is rooted in a European tradition brought to America to “predict” the weather, but in modern folklore it is also associated with the Bill Murray movie and the notion of doing something over and over until we get it right.  The movie places the character in a time warp where he repeats February 2^nd over and over, and only breaks the cycle after he has made important changes in his life and used the lessons learned for good.  The character is not happy with his predicament and at times feels like his actions are meaningless and without consequence.  Eventually, he uses the phenomena to improve himself and to help others. 

The idea of time standing still until we get something right seems appealing to me.  Time does not stand still, but fortunately in life we do get to continually learn and grow and make changes.  Unlike Bill Murray’s character, Phil Connors, the calendar page continually flips in our lives, but like Phil we can use experiences to make ourselves better.

Also, we wake up each morning and must accept the consequences of our yesterdays, so although we can learn and grow, we cannot erase the consequences of our past. 

It is pretty deep stuff for a comedy!  I think it has a lot of great lessons for us to learn.  Back to the original Groundhog Day, let’s hope winter is almost over!

                                                                         Have a great week!

                                                                                       Mary

1-26-2018

Mary’s Minute

“Roadblocks are not barriers – they open your eyes to other routes.”

                                                                             ~ Joyce Restaino

I love the metaphor of roadblocks for life challenges.  Reading this quote makes me picture myself driving down the road and coming to a roadblock.  The first thing that comes to my mind is a mental search for an alternative route.  When we face challenges in life, sometimes we go into destructive mode.  We have negative self-talk ("I’m so stupid."  "I can’t believe I got myself in this mess.")  We blame others or we let the setback paralyze us. 

In contrast when we approach a transportation roadblock we go into problem solving mode, and the neatest part of all is that we may have the opportunity to learn a new route that provides a different perspective and beautiful scenery.

Detours are easier when we have notice.  Sometimes signs are posted, and an established detour route is well marked.  In life, sometimes we know change is coming and can prepare.  Other times things just happen without warning.  We just come face to face with the blockade in the center of the road! 

In our lives, we will face setbacks, and it is easy to see the negative. Using the analogy of the roadblock, we should use life’s challenges, to put us in problem solving mode and best of all, see challenges as having the potential to lead us down a path that we might not have ever imagined, but that is more beautiful than the original trail.

                                                                          Have a great week!

                                                                                     Mary

1-5-2018

Mary’s Minute

“Have a vision. It is the ability to see the invisible. If you can see the invisible, you can achieve the impossible.”

                                                                                 ~ Shiv Khera

A New Year is upon us – 2018!  Wow!  In our society it is expected to use the New Year as an opportunity for reflection and goal setting.  The press does it, and we do it personally.  At my house, we had a jar for 2017 where we added scraps of paper with events – big or small - as they occurred with the date, like “Zoe left for college,” or “Our family had a nice dinner together.”  On Dec. 31^st, we read the snippets out loud to reflect on the year.  News feeds on the last day of the year buzzed with the highlights of the year, with the “best” and worst” of 2017.  After we finish looking back, we quickly look forward, by setting goals/resolutions for the coming year. 

I think reflection and goal setting are keys to growth, so I am not at all criticizing these actions, plus they are entertaining!  

I just think we need to be sure to also include visioning in our model.  When you think about the New Year and set your goals – create a vision of what you want in your life, in your profession, in your classroom, etc.  It is psychologically proven that visualization is a powerful tool for reaching goals.  Paint a picture in your mind of what you want your life to be like, and see how that works along with the list of goals you set for yourself. 

                                                                       Happy New Year!     
                                                                                 Mary

12-22-2017

Mary’s Minute

“Action expresses priorities.”

                                     ~ Mahatma Gandhi

We have all seen or heard of the demonstration of fitting different sized rocks and sand in a jar.  If the sand goes in first, there is no room for the rocks, but if the rocks are placed first the sand can fit around the rocks.  This demonstration is meant as a metaphor for life.  If we prioritize the things that are most important, then we also have room for the small stuff.  If we focus on what really matters in life, the rest falls into place.  If we sweat the small stuff, we lose sight of what is most important.  During the holiday season it is easy to get bogged down with the little stuff.  Our actions are focused on getting stuff done, frantically preparing for the holidays.  We just have to be careful to not let the sand fill the space so there is less room for what matters most during the holiday season (and always):  love for friends and family and genuine care for all people.  

It is easier said than done, but I hope you can take a deep breath in order to fill your heart and actions with the things that matter most to you.

                                                               

                                                                           Happy Holidays!

                                                                                 Mary

12-15-2017

Mary’s Minute

“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered, forgive them anyway.

If you are kind people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives, be kind anyway,”

                                                                                   ~ Mother Teresa

 

These are just a couple of stanzas of a verse attributed to Mother Teresa.  I call it the “Do it anyway,” poem.  Working with kids each of you could write your own version of expressing the same sentiment.  “Students will yell and call name, speak softly and kindly to them anyway.  Students will act like they do not want to learn, teach them anyway.”  You probably are more creative than me, but you get the idea.  The next time you feel unmotivated because of the struggles of a few students who try our patience, say to yourself, “Do it anyway.” 

During the holiday season I am reminded of all the good in the world.  The “bad” is what gets the attention in the media and consumes our time in the classroom, on the bus, or in the hallway, but the truth is that there is so much good in people!  One of the things I love about the holiday season is that besides bringing out the best in people, it also allows us to see people with a different lens.  We give ourselves permission to see the good in people.  The challenge is to use that lens all year long, and despite the shortcomings of people, “Do it anyway.”

                                                          Have a great week!

                                                                            Mary

12-8-2017

Mary’s Minute

“If you make decisions based upon people's reactions or judgments then you make really boring choices.”

                                                        ~ Heath Ledger

The part of about this quote that caught my attention was the word, “boring.”  Boring is not bad to everyone.  Boring can be thought of as a being content and spending our life going with the flow.  If that is what we want out of our life, our career, or our school, then making decisions based on how other people judge us is the way to go.  I personally reject boring.  I believe life is about adventure, so when we make decisions we need to be careful about what is guiding us.  Multiple perspectives are key to decision making, so we should not totally discount what other people think.  We should listen and learn from others, but we can never be limited by how we are judged by others. 

Perry Central is determined to push hard for success of our students, and at times our decisions to do so may not be popular, but they are seldom boring! 

Personally, people may not always agree with how I live my life, but I am pleased to say that I am not bored! 

We are faced with decisions every single day.  We cannot ignore the perspectives that others bring, but we also cannot let the judgment of others leave us in a quagmire of dullness. 

                                                      Have a great week!

                                                                       Mary