Dear Gwyneth,

On the day you were born, your dad and I had stayed up all night waiting for you.  I will never forget that your eyes were a deep and rich blue color that reminded me of the sea.  I could not believe that you were the same person that had settled nicely in my belly.  I was not sure that I would have you and when we found out we were pregnant, we were elated.  Your dad and I would stay up at night dreaming about what you would look like and what kinds of things you would do in this world.  Those first few weeks were a little rough as you and I had to figure out breastfeeding.  With me on a timeline of maternity leave and you struggling with your latch, we changed course and paused so you and I could finally bond.  I got up in the middle of the night to feed you and caught up on all my Netflix series.  We snuggled and you made me laugh.  I held you so much in those first weeks and never wanted to let you go. Ever.  Soon we settled into a routine and you seemed to do well with your Mama's sense of adventure.  We began our adventures small, a trip to the drive through coffee shop and soon were traveling all over San Antonio so I could show you so many things. You fit so cozy in my little baby wrap and would go with me anywhere.  Most of all, you just wanted to be with your Mama.  We read books together and took your first bath, which you loved.  We celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

You have helped me slow down in my life.  These past few weeks with you have been absolutely perfect and I would not trade them for anything.  I have savored drinking my coffee with you snuggled up close to me while we watch the rest of the world go about their day.  You have helped me slow down for my body to recover and grow strong again, giving me time for yoga during your naps. I have spent an enormous amount of time just watching you sleep and trying to get you to smile.  I can't remember the last time I was so patient with something for so long.

Now we tackle our next adventure as I return to work.  Your Mama is lucky to love her job and is working to try to help others.  You may not care much about Mama's work as you will need me for other reasons.  Just know that your Mama is proud of what she does and would not step away from you if she did not feel that it was her passion.  You will one day have a passion of your own and you will be a strong and adventurous woman like your Mama.  I want you to go after your dreams with wild ambition. Together, we got this.

Love,
Your Mama

"And yes, school can be amazing."

              If I’ve learned one thing in the past few months, it’s that school doesn’t have to be this way.  In fact, as a leader, I’m advocating for something different.  The time is here and I appreciate our school leadership that is embracing all different types of school models.  School is changing and the need for change is high.  Students are not being successful in the schools of today because they are accepting jobs of tomorrow.  I challenge you to question the status quo by asking yourself two words…what if.

What if students enjoyed coming to school?

What if school was outdoors?

What if the students became the teachers?

What if there was no homework?

What if there were no tests?

What if students picked what we learn about?

What if…

              Imagine the possibilities in schools and how different they could be if we let our imaginations run wild.  Those two words are powerful enough to start us on a journey but it takes commitment from people that make it a reality.  This is where you start and listening to other people’s “what ifs” helps you understand their dreams as well.

Culture Shock

It was time to move.  I know not everyone had this feeling but I do.  I tearfully said goodbye to my wonderful DC crew of teachers and students to move onto the next adventure in teaching.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that God would lead me to Texas.  Texas is exactly like everything I had picture and at the same time it is nothing I had expected. 
When people relocate to a foreign country for a work assignment, experts say that they will go through a culture shock.  Culture shock is the homesick feeling and frustration people feel when they experience a new culture.  They feel a sense if loss at what they are familiar with and what they left behind.  Often times this frustration stems from a language barrier, new foods, and learning the customs of a new country.  Although Texas is not a foregin country, I can somewhat relate to the feelings of culture shock.  I have spent my summer trying to get a feel for San Antonio.  I have to admit, I had no idea how frustrated I would become by not being able to speak Spanish.  Spanish is spoken everywhere and any idea that anyone is going to translate for you is a pipe dream.  I have decided to learn Spanish and even though I know it takes time, I am not very patient.  Aside from the language barrier, there are many other things new to me.  I have eaten tostadas the wrong way, tried a different Mexian dish nearly every day, and nearly fainted at seeing the sight of the Texas history book.  I've worn jeans and cowboy boots on a Friday night, a sight you would not see anywhere else in the world, without feeling embarrassed.  All of these new experiences are pushing me just a little farther.  It was time to move because I needed to be pushed out of my comfort zone.  If you stay in your comfort zone, you'll never be in position to do something great.  There have been several time where I have felt "uncomfortable" in a situation here in TX.  After experiencing being uncomforable though, you can now begin to relate and understand the people in your new surroundings.  You grow...again.  You are always growing.  The culture shock will wears off and compassion and understanding move in to take its place. 

I have relocated to San Antonio, TX where I will be teaching 4th grade in the inner city.  I am excited to begin this next adventure!

Having It All in the New Year

The New Year was rung in loud and joyful as it was spent with friends, a bonfire, a nice 65 degree evening, and a little friendly competition of Mad Gab. It was a great night and as I reflected over the year I couldn't help but be reminded of the frustrations I felt as a teacher. Frustrations involved not having enough time to do anything. As everyone makes their resolutions that involve managing your money better, managing your eating habits better, managing your health, managing your relationships, and the list goes on. I want to share another resolution that will hopefully challenge you as well. Think about how you manage your time. Time is one resource that is extremely limited and is so easily mismanaged. In order to be your most effective self (teacher, mother, friend, wife, sister, principal, leader, etc.) you need to be aware of how you are spending you time. I suggest mapping out everything you do in your week, your workouts, you meetings, your planning time, your teaching time, small group, studytime, classes, etc. Spread it all out on the wall or floor if you need to. Then, map out your time how you want it spent. Remember that the more intentional you are, the more effective you are.

Greatness Lesson #1

The most common thought in my head is that these students deserve someone better than me teaching them. I've watched great teachers teach and they are amazing. They engage their students in a way no one else can. But why am I the teacher they get? We do some cool things and I make sure we get through the curriculum, but most of the time I think I have nothing else to offer. I have nothing to give them. What even creates greatness? How does a teacher become the great teacher? When I take a look at great teachers I have noticed a few things. I want this year in this blog to be about these lessons.

First, many of the best teachers never actually planned on being a great teacher. Some, didn't even want to be a teacher. Ron Clark, founder and teacher at the Ron Clark Academy and winner of the National Teacher of the Year, only went into to teaching to be a substitute until he could figure out his career. Mike Feignberg and David Levin, co-founders of KIPP, the largest network of charter schools in America,, also had not planned to be in education and were completing a simple Teach for America assignment. There are many others and they each had a different plan for their life but they were open to a new plan. In their new plan, a passion they didn't even knew existed, arose. This is an interesting point because it means that greatness comes from within and is not a designated career path. Their greatness in teaching was already apart of who they were. This is not to say, you can't become better skilled, but it means that your greatness is not about what you DO but who you ARE. You simply being you is what makes you ready for greatness. Who am I as a teacher? What is inside me that cause a spark that in turn will ignite a generation?

Empty

Quiet. It was unbelievably and painfully quiet. All of the voices of children shouting out answers, reading aloud, talking through problems, a discovery made seemed to have vanished as quickly as they came into the room. A room filled with laughter and discussion was now filled with an eerie silence. I stood alone in my room staring out at the window. It was like an empty gymnasium after the championship game. It was over. Finished. I had to get up and leave the year behind. More difficult however, was I had to trust my ability as a teacher and trust the kids and move on. I wished I had had more time. Surely I hadn't taught them everything they needed to know. They need to come back! I didn't warn them enough about 5th grade...I didn't tell them my last story...Maybe they still need to review long division...I need to show them another way I forgot about to take notes...They don't come back. With all your power in you as exhausted as you are by the end of the year, you have to believe that you did the best with your students. You DID teach them everything they need to know. It's done now. The author puts the pen down, the last person in the stands has left, the audience has gone home, and you, teacher, walk to your car with your box of drawings from students, pictures from the year, and some books students returned to you at the last minute. Yes, this year is finished, but as only a teacher can, that quiet room will be transformed with magic again. The magic of adventure and discovery will intrigue new minds.

The Kitchen Table

Where did you do your homework after school? Where did you share the ups and downs about your day where someone was listening to you? Where did you let everything out that you had bottled up in front of your friends all day? Where did you ask someone wiser advice about a problem with your best friend or what to say to that cute boy or girl in your class? The kitchen table is the meeting place where many children dump their bookbags, eat a snack, and begin the toturous night of the homework mountain. I'm sure you can hear them...the groans, the sighs, the complaints, the arguing. Then, and if you're not careful you can miss it, very quickly as they begin....something happens. Something good. They share their life. They express what is important to them. I did this as well, as my mom often cooked dinner. She didn't realize what she was doing. I'm sure she was more concerned with what she was cooking and making sure our families chaotic life was in order, answering a call from Dad or helping my sister. However, I watched her so much then. I watched when really listened to me. She didn't have to say anything although she often listened and gave me advice or helped me understand how life works. These moments are often so small and can so easily go by without us knowing.
This evening as I was ready to leave school, I had a boy who was so frustrated about his homwork. He was worried it was going to take forever and that he wouldn't understand what to do. I sighed and told him to pull up a chair to my desk and I would help him after school. We started out with me trying to convince him that it wouldn't take very long. There was some groaning and sighing. However, by the end I realized how important this time was. As he was working out his problems, he began to talk. I let him talk. As I was finishing my things, he talked more. And more. He told me what "REALLY" happened at school. He told me what he did over Spring Break. He told me how he felt about things. He told me why he thinks he says certain things to people. Was this all it took? A chance to listen? I would like to recreate this Kitchen Table experience in the classroom. I am still brainstorming how best to do this. I think it is an important time to teach children their value and importance in this world.