One of the great things about working in a school community is that there’s truly no shortage of faceable challenges.  That is to say, lots of exciting stuff is happening all of the time, and when we put our heads together we always seem to move through that exciting stuff and come out smiling on the other side (no matter how exciting it seems while were in it).

With a focus on the wellbeing and achievement of our students, educators celebrate the challenges that come our way.  We’re innately drawn to problem finding and solving.  We love to dig around until we see and understand what needs to be done, and then we love rolling up our sleeves to work hard until it gets done!

Today my wonderful secretary said something that I’ll never forget.  In the face of some atypical challenges that came streaming in long before the bell even considered ringing, she looked at the group of us who were working feverishly to consider all possible solutions, and she calmly said, “Well, I guess we’ll just do it like a family…whatever needs to be done.”

Each of us stopped for just a moment, we looked at her, we looked at each other, a visceral wave of joy surged through my body, and then I smiled.  I do what I can to stay calm in moments of veritable commotion, but I have to admit that my blood pressure was raising a bit this morning.  Her lucid and immeasurably important comment was just the antidote I needed.  No suggestion could have been more poignant.  Just hearing it spoken refocused me.

I remembered that it was going to get done.  I remembered that we were going to land on workable solutions.  I remembered that the amazing team of educators and support staff with whom I work always pulls through each and every challenge into positive progress for everyone involved.  I also remembered that because the remarkable Meadow Brook staff bands together like a big old family caring for one another’s children each day, the students we serve aren’t aware of the challenges we face…only the passion we have for learning and growth.

Today I’m extremely thankful for my wonderful secretary who was so eloquently able to put our work into such a positive perspective with only a few words spoken at just the right time.  I’m thankful for a staff who, with unwavering patience and professionalism, rolls with the challenges we face, a parent group who trusts our expertise and collective ability to care for and educate their children, and a student body who comes joyfully to school each day excited about the learning process.  Our school is not without its challenges, but we are indeed like a family, and together we will most certainly continue get it done!

Live. Learn. Lead.

Dream Big. Work Hard. Be Well.