A video about the incredible work of some amazing teachers, 

               & a principal’s excitement over the upcoming school year!

This week has truly been amazing!  We started out in the building, working in our classrooms and offices.  Designing and constructing our bulletin boards, moving furniture, shelving books, making name tags.  Some of us had to move more than others.  Our incredible resource room teachers agreed to relocate to the other side of the building in an effort to enhance integration for their students, and so that we could have a dedicated sensory room.  Everyone chipped in.  I feel so fortunate to have been hired into such a collaborative and caring community of enthusiastic educators!

Our parents and students came shuffling in by the dozens and the by the hundreds for our “World of Welcome” that morning.  The hallways were filled with excitement and our classrooms were a buzz with “back to school” energy.  Students were high fiving and cracking jokes, parents were catching up on summer adventures and re-connecting, teachers and support staff were welcoming our community partners with eagerness and joy, our PTA was selling spirit wear and signing families up, and I was moving through the crowd trying to meet and greet as many people as I could.  It was exhilarating!

That afternoon we had our first staff meeting.  Through story telling and a series of activities, I offered the faculty a peek at who I am, I invited them to share some of their own stories with the group, and we began dealing with who we are as a school community.  It’s wonderful when the depth starts to come out.  That initial “getting to know you” phase is so exciting.  Teachers are interesting and incredible people.  I really appreciate the fact that the Meadow Brook faculty has been so willing to open up and give so honestly of themselves.  I drove home on Monday afternoon feeling great…excited about the present, thrilled about the future, and proud to be a Meadow Brook Meadow Mouse!

The next morning, in the area of a thousand district faculty members gathered at one of our high schools.  It was awesome.  Our central office administration delivered a message highlighting their focus on shared leadership and their passion for teaching and learning.  They used sincerity and humor to make that message sink in and stick.  They did an outstanding job!  My excitement about being a part of this team continued to grow throughout as they addressed the group.

Our Keynote speaker, Dr. Adolf Brown, tore the roof off the place.  He came in like a lightning bolt and drove his message of understanding, compassion, and the need for genuine relationship building home through powerful speaking, song, dance, and “real talk.”  He expressed things like:

“It’s better to be a witness than a judge.”

“Teach the children you have, not the ones you wish you had…every child doesn’t learn the same thing, the same way, at the same time.”

“Don’t enable, empower.”

“We keep raising the bar without leveling the playing field.  A marathon is only 26 miles for those who begin at the starting line.”

“Somebody is going through a personal storm right now.”

“Technology must not surpass humanity…a smart board will never replace a smart teacher.”

“Rules don’t govern behavior, relationships do.”

“Holding a grudge is like drinking the poison and expecting someone else to die from it.”

“We live on a rock that travels 800,000 miles per hour around a burning star…keep the faith.”

“Music is the only thing that touches all parts of the brain at the same time.”

“If you’re not having fun your not doing it right.
…and much more.  It was all totally awesome (I’m a child of the 80’s)!

I facilitated two breakout sessions on perpetuating cultures of positive progress called “Got Joy?” in which I offered some thoughts, ideas, and strategies for use in classrooms and school communities.  Then, I went to an incredibly inspirational session about teaching kindness facilitated by the brilliant Colleen Mestdagh, a second grade teacher at Meadow Brook and the co-author of “Force field For Good” – an amazing resource for k-5 teachers (http://www.forcefieldforgood.com/).   Another great day of learning and collaboration!

Yesterday, we split up for informative morning meetings, and then after lunch we all met back at the building for a final afternoon of PD.  While the past couple of days had been rich and meaningful, they had taken a lot out of us.  Everyone was pretty wiped out, but even on our last leg, we dug deep to ensure value in every moment that we spent together.  Genet Haise and Robin Czarniowsi astounded me as they facilitated activities for their colleagues with energy and enthusiasm.  Mandy Lyons who walked us through a SMART goals learning journey amazed me with her passion and drive.  I was thrilled that the entire staff gave every ounce of effort in every moment that we spent together.  I learned a ton.  I continued to be energized.  I remained proud.

I’m of the belief that if you want people to know how incredible you think they are…you tell them.  It’s a strategy that can be used in the classroom, in the school community, in the home, and basically anywhere that two or more people are working together to achieve individual and collective goals.  And, I think that if you want other people to know how incredible your teachers are, and how excited you are about your school…you tell them too.  If you’re reading this (which you must be), I’m telling you right now…I could not be more fortunate!

I work in a fantastic district, at an incredible school, with the finest educators, and the best students and families imaginable!  The video at the top of this post is a tribute to some of the great work that our faculty has accomplished this week.  It’s a message to our students and our parents that we’re ready to go with some serious teaching, learning, and fun…and it’s an expression of my genuine excitement for the great things to come at Meadow Brook Elementary School this year and into the future!

Live.  Learn.  Lead.

Dream Big.  Work Hard.  Be Well.