When to lead, when to follow

I am a fan of great leadership. Some of my favorites include John Wooden, Coach K, Vince Lombardi, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King. What inspires me most is how they motivated grown men and women to do extraordinary things.

John Wooden won 10 national championships all at the same school. He wasn't one to jump around. He established a solid program and stuck with it to see it grow and flourish and was rewarded for his dedication.

Coach K, (some bias here) will be considered one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time when he decides to call it quits. He too has shown amazing dedication to the program he built with his own sweat and tears.

Vince Lombardi had an amazing post season record of 9 wins and 1 loss in the NFL. Unheard of. He established this great playoff record in only 9 short seasons with the Green Bay Packers.

What do these three men have in common? None of them walked right in and started winning championships. Wooden didn't start winning national championships until the 1960's. He started coaching in the 1940's. By year three at Duke Coach K was being run out of Raleigh! He went on to win 3 national championships, a gold medal, 11 ACC championships, and several coach of the year awards. Lombardi lost his first NFL Championship Game(before it was known as the "Superbowl") after that he went on to win 5. Another common thread between these three men. None of them have been a head coach for more than two teams. Wooden - Indiana State and UCLA, Coach K - Army and Duke, Lombardi - Green Bay and Washington.

Let's look at the two historical leaders I chose. Both were despised. One when he was elected and during his tenure as the President the other while he orchestrated the Civil Rights movement across our nation. Both made monumental change in our country, one from abolishing slavery and the other to inspiring the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and all the protections that it grants us. Unfortunately, both were executed before their time. However, their work is and forever will be carried on.

What does all this have to do with school, teaching, and learning. Well besides being inspired by playoff football and college basketball during this special time of year and the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, we all have so much to learn from the actions of all of these leaders.

Those that show loyalty to a program will be rewarded. The work of a good person will forever be continued. Why, because humans are first followers before they become leaders. When we choose the right person or program to follow and show loyalty to it you develop leaders at every level that carry on great acts of humanity. These new leaders inspire in new ways and hold fast to traditions that contribute to the success of our civilization. Knowing when to lead and when to follow is the most critical decision we make in our own success.

Since we have been back on break I have this overwhelming feeling that our shining moment is right around the corner. The ink on our stamp is wet. We are and will continue to do great things for the students of this school. Why.... because you, the teachers of this school, are leading our students to do great things.

No written word, no spoken plea,
Can teach our youth what they should be,
Nor all the books on all the shelves.
It's what the teachers are themselves.

Author Unknown

Yours in leading and in following,

Mike

The Year of the Dog.......

Isn't it interesting that in some cultures they name the new year after an animal? I never understood this, but I bet people from that culture don't understand why we do things the way we do.

I'm not even sure that this is the year of the dog, but after what I witnessed during intersession today I thought it was the perfect fit. Today was our final day of intersession, and yes we all looked forward to it, not because it was the last day, but because it was the opportunity for our students to show us what they learned all week. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come in the year of the dog.

Our theme this week was animals and their intelligence. We secretly disguised the wonderful world of Non-Fiction. Knowing that our EOG is 40% Non - Fiction our intersession team decided that this approach would be a great way to show our students that reading is fun beyond the titles of Captain Underpants and Junie B. Don't get me wrong these books have a place in our curriculum, but we have to find the balance to prepare our students for what is to come.

I watched our students make connections to what they have learned all week to the presentations that were shared from Discovery Place, The Riverbanks Zoo, The Dog Wizards, and the Monroe Police Department K - 9 unit.

Our students got to circulate the habitats of different animals, hold live snakes, see how K - 9 dogs are trained and learn of compassion pets, they got to touch the skull of a black bear, pet a Great Dane and guess what fur came from what animal. At one point today this place looked like a zoo, and no animals even wanted to escape.

One of our teachers told me that this was one of the greatest weeks she has had teaching. She wanted to know why we couldn't teach like this all the time. We get so caught up in assessment that sometimes we forget about how learning happens. The most profound thing she told me was that she had this anticipatory set of the students she was serving as the lowest students and that learning would be difficult for them, yet at the end of this week full of integration and hands on experiences she saw students demonstrate learning in profound ways. To say that assessment drives learning is backwards, our assessment is evidence of our learning. We forget that learning goes beyond the multiple choice, while very important, summative assessment has very little to do with success.

Every January we make resolutions, we say we are going to eat better, exercise more, go to church more often, quit this or start doing more of that etc. etc. Well in the year of the dog, let's remember that learning happens in a variety of ways. We have to erase our anticipatory sets and remember that every child can learn. Figuring out how they learn is what is most important. Remember, that your IQ only accounts for about 20% of your success in life. The same is true of school, your IQ can only account for about 20% of your success on an EOG.

In the year of the dog we have the opportunity to make the best resolution of all, "Each day I will do whatever it takes to make my students successful, I will find a way to maximize their learning through understanding their learning style"

Woof Woof,

Mike

I WILL, WILL YOU?

Sometimes the words just come out, and although I know where they come from I am inspired by how quickly they come and how much they impact me. My only hope is that they impact those they are spoken to and for! I was emotionally moved today to speak with our staff, after a great team building activity, a simple yet impacting message that could have only come from the Holy Spirit, began to transcend my brain and transform my feelings! I had not planned for those words to come to me, but when they did, I couldn't stop them from being shared with those that were being held captive in our meeting. Maybe those at the meeting don't feel the same way, but when the meeting adjourned a new sense of peace came to me! Not only a peace of mind, body, and spirit, but also a peace that I am in the right place doing the right thing. What was it that came to me ....No matter how tough the job gets, we must remember 2 things;

1) If you don't, who will? and

2) We are placed where we are for reasons beyond our knowing, we are not put where we are by chance. There is great purpose to why the great teachers of our school are where they are. If we don't take care of this responsibility who will.

After the meeting I finished my thoughts for the night as I sat in the parking lot of our Church before I met with the Southbrook Youth and had some quite time. I feel a need to share with those that were and were not at this meeting my final thoughts, if I don't get it out it will race around my brain for countless hours and I will be cranky tomorrow! I'm not looking for your response, but rather your silent reflection!

Who Will

If you don't make them smile,
Who Will?

If you don't make them feel welcome,
Who Will?

If you don't comfort them, console them in their failures or rejections,
Who Will?

If you don't wrap them in your arms when they need it most,
Who Will?

If you don't celebrate with them, tell them how proud you are of them,
Who Will?

If you don't encourage them, lead them, or show them they can reach their goals,
Who Will?

If you don't teach them to think, to explore, to take risks,to shape their own future,
Who Will?

If you don't share what you know, model what is right, speak what is true,
Who Will?

If you don't pray for them in the quietest times at night or before a new day begins,
Who Will?

If you don't stand up for them, protect them, or fight for their justice,
Who Will?

It is You Who has been called to do all these things. You are their promise, You are their protector, you are their hope, you are their opportunity!

You Are Their Teacher!


You have been placed in this position for a very special reason, this is the greatest gift of all!

Mark 10:16

And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

I will! Will you?

Mike

Clark W. Griswold!

One of my favorite Christmas movies of all time is Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. You know the Griswolds! Many of you think that they live next to you with all the Christmas lights and the Walmart vomit on the front lawn.

My favorite character in the movie is of course Cousin Eddie! No matter how many times Cousin Eddie screws up or how many times his unique inability to be socially acceptable gets in the way, Clark W. Griswold unconditionally shows his ability to forgive and manage being around those that scratch the chalkboard with their finger nails when they are around.

One particular scene when Clark and Eddie are shopping, Eddie acknowledges that he has no money to buy presents for his kids. Clark as he usually does, submits to his kinder side, he volunteers to buy gifts for Eddie and his family. Eddie's response is for Clarke to buy himself something nice while he is doing his shopping for Eddie's kids with his own money. How thoughtful of Eddie.

What's the point right? Over these next few weeks we will be exposed to those that take our generosity for granted. We will come face to face with the socially inept. In each of these interactions we have a dilemma,our reaction. Let us all remember the very special reason for this season. Let's stop and think before we speak and choose an empathetic approach in our communication. Let's try to be more like the forgiving and understanding Clark. Let us share what we have with others, whether it be a smile, a kind word, a special message to children, or of course our Christmas lights!

Up Hill Both Ways

"When I was a kid, we had to walk to school...... and it was uphill both ways" How many times have we used those words? Today I met a lady that walks up hill everywhere she goes. She is in her 70's and is taking care of her grown daughter. At the Christmas party today, my friend Chris and I noticed this lady pushing her disabled daughter up the hill, she was really struggling. We offered our help, but she refused. All she really wanted was our prayers. We stoped and prayed with her "Voy a orar" - Which in Spanish means - let's pray. We learned later that she had walked from her home with her daughter to seek a Navidad bag and some of the food we were giving out at the party. As I began to pray, I thanked God that the younger women in the wheelchair was given to a mother that had so much compassion to take her and push her uphill to be certain she would eat that day. We held hands for what felt like 10 minutes. How weak and feeble I am to complain. How strong and determined this woman is. Please pray for this family and all the families that we spent time with today at our last Christmas party in Ecuador. May we all have the compassion for each other that this woman had for her daughter!

Dios le bendinga,

Mike

Choose Compassion

Many of you know the story in the Bible when Jesus fed 5,000 people with 5 loafs of bread and 2 fish. Maybe you haven't heard it this way though. We are learning this week to choose compassion. Today we, The Southbrook Team, chose compassion. You see in the story in the Bible, Jesus and his disciples wanted to be alone because they had just learned of John the Baptists death. As they set their boat on shore, more and more people started to show up, the disciples wanted to send all the people to town to get food for themselves before it got dark. However, Jesus knew these people were grieving and he chose for them to stay, and told his disciples what little food they had would be enough. He wanted these people to be with him so he could share his compassion with them.

Today at the Christmas party at the Quito Dump, there were so many children that did not get in. I would say there were over 2,000 that did not get tickets. Many left after several hours of waiting to see if they would be let in. As we were leaving I noticed the girl in the photo above crying her eyes out. She had waited over 6 hours to get into the party and get a food bag to take home to her family and a Navidad bag for herself. Not speaking Spanish, I asked Bob Seavey to talk with her and see if we could comfort her. The Southbrook team grabbed one of the Ecuadorian pastors and asked if we could give her a food bag. We lifted this 10lb bag of food and a Navidad bag over the fence for her. While she did not get to play the games or dance to the music, have her nails painted or have her picture taken with Santa, we can rest tonight knowing that she will have a meal. I am thankful that God has chosen me to go on this trip with these Godly people! I am continuously amazed at their compassion.

Thankful,

Mike

American International School

Today I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting a school in Quito. Tuesday when I arrived in Quito, I met a gentleman by the name of Tommy. He is a full time missionary and also works as a teacher at the Alliance International School in Quito. This is a Christian based school where many of the missionaries that live here full time send their children. Tommy is an amazing guy. A former marine, a father of two, a teacher and a man of God! I would love for him to come back with me and become part of the staff at our school because of his passion for working with children. He is a model of what every one of us should be, a servant to God. While connecting with him this week I have witness a servant's heart. Today I asked him if I could help him with anything. He told me he had to go to the Alliance school to get some things and offered me the opportunity to go with him. Would I ever!

When I got to the school I was amazed at what I saw. Students from 32 different countries with over 40 different languages spoken. I thought about the challenges we have at our school with students from Latin America and then again felt selfish is what I have complained about. What I found interesting about this school is that they too have a desire to serve God through working with children. The same as the people in Monroe, NC. I met the Principal, several teachers and the secretaries. They are wonderful people and they reminded me so much of the people that I get the privileged of working with each and every day. Thank you Tommy and thank you BHESA Staff.

Miss you all,

Mike