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