Amber — Page 44

Be more you!

June 4, 2015 by Amber 4 Comments

Advice is easy to give. It’s usually given with the greatest of intentions. Sometimes it can be questionable…but this isn’t that kinda post! 🙂

Our superintendent, Dr. Vinson, gave a closing speech at a banquet a couple of weeks ago where he reflected on the things people told him when he came to this district. Things like “We’re almost as big as such & such district, our scores are as good as so & so’s district.”, and how that gave him pause. He decided that he didn’t want to be more like those places…he just wanted us to be more Wylie. 5 years later we’re an anomaly in the state when it comes to testing data and you have people lined up to get hired. We’re proud of who we are are, and the Wylie Way defines our priorities. The good test scores are a byproduct of the phenomenal educators we have here.

That comment of his reminded me of a conversation we had at the beginning of the year. He mentioned in passing that he wanted to learn more about Twitter, that he’d heard I was a “pro”, and I shrugged him off (as gracefully as one can shrug off your big new boss!!) and said oh, I’m trying to get away from being “that” technology girl, but sure. His response was “Why? Be who you are,Teamann, you gotta own that…”

That stuck in my mind and after completing my 13th year in education, being named principal next year, and finding out I was named a 2015 ASCD Emergent Leader…I can say that advice was heart affirming.

I’m in a place that wants me to be more ME.

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Not who they think I should be, but more of the me I am.

Our students are encouraged to embrace their individual gifts and we highlight their strengths…don’t forget as an adult you should do the same thing.

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I hope that you are in a place where you can embrace who you are, and and are appreciated for the strengths you bring. Every team member plays a role, but the strongest teams balance each others gifts. Never deny your strengths. Find a place where they can SHINE!!

celebrating YOU,

Amber

Use your summer to RE-ENERGIZE! #txeduchat

May 26, 2015 by Amber Leave a Comment

I was able to host the Sunday evening #txeduchat, which is just what it sounds like…a chat designed for Texas educators. It takes place on Sunday evenings from 8-9pm, cst.

This Sunday we talked about what summer looks like to educators, regardless of their role in education. The amount of time we all get off varies, and what down time actually looks like varied even more! Time without students can be seen as “free” time, and a chance for teachers, principals, for everyone…to relax, refresh, and hopefully, re-energize!

To some, it meant a complete unplugging. A set amount of time that is spent completely edu-free. To some, being “off” meant time to educationally “play”…explore resources without feeling pressured, to tackle projects that we just don’t have time for in the hustle bustle of the school year.

To me, it’s an opportunity to clear the palette of the previous year and get my head right moving forward. I obviously take some legit time OFF as well, 🙂 but I like being able to plan when I have plenty of time and energy.

Try to get things done that allow you to focus more on being in the moment during the school year.

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I’ve mentioned that I keep a desk calendar where I scribble (literally) the things that we have go on, any appointments I’ve had and school events that we hosted. I keep all the months throughout the year and then during the summer, grab a fresh new pretty calendar for the upcoming year and make notes on each month as a reminder of “things” to not forget. I go back through and make notes of when we had what, as a launching place for what we’d done the previous year.

My other gem is a notebook, preferably an Apple one, (creature of habit) and I write down all of the things that could have gone better throughout the year. If there was a picture day snafu, or a scheduling conflict, I make a note about what happened. If there is an easy solution, I write that down as well. It’s mostly meant to help me reflect, privately, about situations that could have gone better. It can be as easy as “Inform grade levels how they will be leaving the assembly BEFORE the speaker starts next year.” to “Remember to print positive emails to include in personnel files for summative purposes.”

Here is the archive from the chat, lots of really great things were shared. I also highly recommend Angela Watson‘s Truth for Teachers podcast titled, “How to use summer to re-energize your teaching and yourself” as another resource.

Next week’s chat will be hosted by Angela Maier’s developer of the “You matter” movement and manifesto! Sunday may 31st, 8pm, CST! You don’t want to miss it!!

chattingly,

Amber

Have you been appreciative today? A reminder and help…

May 12, 2015 by Amber 2 Comments

It’s the little things…

a teacher completing lesson plans for her partner who was in an accident.
a thank you note for a “stress free” testing season.
a gift card to your favorite daily drink stop from a team that loves you.
an acknowledgement of your strengths from someone who notices.
a parent who says “good job”.
a vox from friends who miss you, who make you laugh.
a friend you can trust.
a student who says they love you.
a facebook comment that reminds you that someone is invested in YOU.
a student who ducks and smiles when he sees you.
an administrator who respects you.
a bright and cheery good morning.

Sometimes its the little things that we forget to appreciate from others. What if it was YOUR little thing that made someone smile? What if that was the only smile they had that day? What if the only acknowledgment of their efforts, or just being, came from you?

From staff to students, there are people fighting struggles…home struggles, parent struggles, wellness struggles. Maybe their marriage is failing, maybe their child is sick…you just never know.

Never miss an opportunity to be someone’s little thing.

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And yet it can be the little things that make a day tolerable enough to think you can do it all over again tomorrow.

Are there people who you could do a “little thing” for? Let me help you with these happy notes, 🙂

little thing grateful,

Amber

Expecting vs extending grace…

May 6, 2015 by Amber 1 Comment

Have you ever been pulled over? This may surprise you, cough cough, but my driving style is a lot like the way I talk…and write. Fast and furious, always trying to get somewhere. Last weekend, with an unexpected afternoon of sunshine, I was out running errands, and inadvertently didn’t pay enough attention to a new posted neighborhood speed. My first immediate thought was, “Ohhhhhhh, MT is going to kill me!’ The second was, “Ohhhhhhh, please don’t give me a ticket! Just a warning, just a warning!”

Luckily, I did just get a warning that day. As I was driving away, I thought how ironic it was that as administrator, working with both adults and students, I am a big rules/policies girl. I like to know the parameters of an environment/situation and think that they are in place for a reason. I’m quick to want accountability and feel that individuals should be held responsible.

But when I get pulled over, my first instinct is to want grace. I want to explain, to rationalize, to make sure you understand the circumstances.

I was so much more cognizant of my speed this week. I was appreciative of the chance to do better. I was respectful of the officer’s power of a punitive action, but that he chose to give me the benefit of a learning experience. Had I gotten a ticket, would I have reflected on it so objectively? Or would I have been bitter and resentful? Been annoyed as I watched others fly by, getting away with their hurried pace, while I sat as the “one who got caught”… been focused on more of the consequence, than the actions that I had done to get myself there?

I don’t know for sure.

It was a very poignant reminder that as a leader,

I have the opportunity to give grace, and that more can actually be accomplished by doing so.

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Reminded,

Amber

Show some #teacherappreciation with these happy notes!

May 3, 2015 by Amber 5 Comments

I have posted before about how much I enjoy a happy note….so I made up a few more that may fit into your world!

As an educator, I can tell you that I LOVE receiving little notes of appreciation from my administrators and students every once in a while. Who doesn’t like to be told that s/he is doing something right and that work is not going unnoticed? Being an adult, let alone a child, can be really tough, so a little message to tell a person that s/he is an important part of your day can go a long way!

Need another reason? Writing thank-you notes can carry a more selfish incentive, studies find. When people list the things they’re grateful for, their overall mood improves and their depressive symptoms subside. You feel more at ease, less stressed, and more mindful of the things that make you happy — which, after writing the thank-you notes, can itself be added to the list.

To get my free 8 note set, simply subscribe to this blog via email! (There’s a link on the top right!) You won’t miss a post and I will email you the free .pdf that makes writing your notes that much easier! If you already subscribe, look for it in your (e)mailbox this week!

Make someone else day…and see if it doesn’t just make yours instead!

Amber