Still

Music has always been something that centered me. It was a release that I never knew I needed or never knew I wanted. I grew up, thanks to my mother and father, to music like Fleetwood Mac, Lionel Richie, and Creedence Clearwater. As a child, they were songs that made me happy and moved me to dance, but I never truly felt the impact of the words until I heard them live. That was, until I attended my first concert. For those that know me very well, they will know that this was actually my second concert. But I will always consider it my first one real one! As soon as the lights went low, and the stage lights came on, and I heard James Hetfield's (of Metallica) voice, I just knew. I just knew that this was going to be something that my soul needed. The lyrics in the songs that I love are so much more than words. They translate messages to my heart, transport me, and also ground the emotions that I battle and embrace daily. And it isn't always just the lyrics, it's the music in the background, too. It's every single part of a song. (Orion by Metallica is one that you should definitely check out!)

Photo Credit: Flickr

I came across a song by Asking Alexandria recently that gave me all the words that I needed to hear. There have been many songs and many artists that have done this, but this song...this one song made me pause in life. I truly took pause and stood back. It was time for me to be still. It was time for me to put me first and reflect. I needed to be still. I needed it more than I knew.

All I needed was the last thing I wanted 
To sit alone in a room and say it all out loud

I used to blog all the time. I loved putting it all out there. It was a great release for me. I don't know exactly what happened to make it stop. I have a guess, but I'm not going to place blame on something I had complete control over. What I do have control over is what happens next. My growth as an educator and human being is very important to me. I know the direction that I am headed, and I want to continue on that path. My #OneWord for this year doesn't mean that I am going to stand still in my journey. In my opinion, standing still in education is dangerous to us and our students. What it does mean, is that there will be times that I need to pause, reflect, and say it all out loud. There will be times where I just need to be still for a moment.

Sometimes I'll fall down, sometimes I'll lose hope 
But those days will be few if I keep my feet on the ground
I might be lonely, but I ain't alone here 
So I keep pushing the limits of what makes me

I think it is perfectly natural for self doubt and fear to creep in to our lives. There have been times, in just this past year alone, where I have questioned the direction of my life because of these two emotions. I could have let them takeover and adjust my sails, but that just wasn't an option for me. I shook their hands and said see you later (because we all know they make return visits), and continued on my path. This wouldn't have happened without the help of others. I want to say thank you to my admin team at my school, the teachers that I work alongside, my instructional coaching team and our leader, my PLN/PLF (you know who you are), my sister and her family, and one of the best networks to be a part of, the #4OCFpln. You have all had a hand in keeping my feet on the ground. Thank you. I will continue to push the limits within myself and others because I know the importance of that effort. And I think you know the importance of that too. 

I can be better than I was 
I can be better than I am

I am looking forward to this year, and I know that I can and will be better. I will make decisions for me and because of this journey that I am on. I will spend more time reflecting on my path and leaning on those that build me up rather than tear me down. Sadly, there have been some people in my life these past couple of years that I truly thought were friends that showed their truly colors to me or even behind my back, but I will not let them or anyone else prevent me from moving forward. I will put me first and work on my mind and my body. I will fuel both with positivity, struggle, risk-taking, and anything that breathes fire into my soul. This message popped up on my Twitter feed this week, and I related to it so much. I need to remind myself of this when criticism slides into my life and work. I can be better than I was and I can be better than I am. 

Photo Credit: Pikbee

Thank you, music! Thank you for giving me such a great reason to blog and reflect again. Thank you, Asking Alexandria, for being the match that lit the fire. Thank you for reminding me of the importance of standing still and saying it all out loud. 

Someone to Say Yes

Yes.

Now this word does not mean, that I will be saying yes to everything! But I will be saying yes to things that will help me to grow as an educator and a leader. I will be saying yes to my dreams coming true. I will be saying yes to taking more risks. Yes to growing as a technology leader in my district. Yes to learning more about how to transform professional development. Yes to taking care of myself and others around me. And yes to thanking those that have said yes to me to get me to where I am today and where I will be tomorrow.

Recently, I had the honor of being a part of Gabriel Carrillo's podcast show, EdTechBites. If you have not checked it out, it is great! At one point in the podcast, he asked me about advice that I would give to first year coaches. I shared that putting relationships first, much like you would do in the classroom, is a must as an instructional coach. I also shared that when you are in this role, it is important to not make it about you. It is never about me. It is about the teachers that I work with and the goals that they have set for themselves. My job is to support them, champion them, and to take them where they want to be! It is never about me. My job as an instructional coach is not to say no. Gabriel said something so profound during this podcast. He said "I would never go into someone's house and rearrange their furniture." So simple, yet so true. My job is to empower, support, and cultivate a climate and culture that encourages risk taking. When teachers hear no more than they hear yes, this does the complete opposite. As Andy Stanley said, "Leaders who don't listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say." I want my friends and peers to know that they have a safe place to take risks and to fail forward. 

As teachers, we need to say yes to our students more than we say no. As instructional coaches, to our colleagues, say yes more than we say no. Give them the space to take those risks, because that is there the magic happens. Be that someone to say yes.

Say yes to those students that want to read a book they are interested in versus a book on their level. 

Say yes to those students that want to show what they know in ways other than paper/pencil.

Say yes to those students that ask for a hug in the most peculiar way.

Say yes to those students that want to learn more than what is listed in the adopted curriculum.

If it is good for students, say yes.

Be that someone to say yes.

Say yes to those teachers that want to get creative with the scope and sequence. They are the experts and they know what is best for their students. Let them do what is best for their students.

Say YES to this tweet by @MsAlex005

Say yes to those teachers that want to grow as a learner. Send them to those conferences, especially ones that they have chosen to attend!

Say yes to those teachers that want to stop giving homework! Say. Yes.

If it is good for teachers, say yes.

Be that someone to say yes.

And no matter what role you have in education, never forget what it was like to be a classroom teacher. Say yes to this, all. day. long!!

Thank you to the leaders and friends in my life that have said yes to me! I am where I am today because of that one small word! Thank you for being that someone to say yes.