No need to justify your actions

Recently a few people have come up to me and commented about my appearance, "Nice suntan" or "Wow, where have you been that's so sunny?" What they don't realize is that I haven't been on some exotic beach somewhere (I wish!). Instead I've been running. Outside in the cold. In the rain. In the wind. I'm pretty sure that most of what appears to be some added colour to my face is actually just windburn. 😆😂

Herein lies the idea of this post - "just" windburn!? It's not "just" anything! The truth is that the "just" doesn't do us any justice (pun intended). It doesn't necessarily explain what is going on beneath the surface. But we use "just" a lot in our conversations in a way that actually devalues all the hard work that goes into what we do and who we are! Often it's when we don't feel 100% confident in what we are doing when we compare ourselves to someone else and what they do. I've been very guilty of this and I try to catch myself before I add a "just" before something defining about myself. I've said things like, "When I was just a teacher." I was trying to rationalize or justify why something didn't work out like I imagined or might not be useful in my role now as a principal, but that's not very helpful and it also devalues the lessons I learned. There's actually so much from my teaching days that helps inform what I do every day now as a lead learner in working with teachers, students and parents.

I have a little lesson for you about how to remove "just" from your thinking and vocabulary, and I will use running as the first example (of course!):

I'm just running or I'm just a runner. (what you say now, it works either way)
I run. (get rid of "just", and now it's simply the action)
I'm learning how to run. (make yourself a learner of the activity)
I'm learning how to be a better runner. (challenge yourself to be better at what you do)
I'm learning how to be a great runner. (envision what you can become in your role)

Now apply it to something that really matters to you and maybe even defines who you are:

I'm just a teacher.
I teach.
I'm learning how to teach.
I'm learning how to be a better teacher.
I'm learning how to be a great teacher.

I'm just a leader.
I lead.
I'm learning how to lead.
I'm learning how to be a better leader.
I'm learning how to be a great leader.

Perhaps you are not aware when you have done this, but I think it's found it's way into all our conversations and thinking. It's important to appreciate the value in what you do, so don't "just"ify your actions anymore. Instead challenge yourself to be better and envision how you can be great!

Sacrifice, Pursuit, Determination

I had a really good conversation with a colleague David Truss last night, which has inspired this post. We shared about education, leadership, and our passion for learning; and although we obviously have things in common, our paths have not been the same and our processes are unique. We have in common making a change in life to focus on health and well-being; and this involves getting up early many days, exercising, checking Twitter, and blogging among other things. Sometimes you don't truly appreciate the changes you have even made for yourself until you connect with someone who shares a similar, albeit different journey. I was inspired through our conversation and my own reflection at how the trajectory of one's life can change, and change rapidly within short time.

I was curious as we talked about our rhythms and patterns, which respectively fuel our writing. Often my writing is inspired and filtered by my running. If you have read some of my other writing you might not be shocked by this! Often for me it's a stream of consciousness after I've been in my happy place alone with my thoughts. Actually this has always been a part of my process, I just didn't explicitly say it early on in my blog posts, but it was there. Then there was a huge gap in time when I wasn't blogging. You know why? I wasn't running and I also wasn't very healthy in my body and in my habits. When I run, I think and I filter ideas that have been loosely floating on the edge of my mind. When I run, I zone in on what's important and I start to form images, like a photo slide-show, in my mind and then begin to thread the ideas together. This is why when I used to present a lot to other educators, I would build slides of photos and I would build my ideas around them. For awhile I had to convert my slides to a QuickTime presentation file because I wanted to keep the formatting I had built in another program, but in doing so I lost the ability to see the order of the slides like you would in a power-point presentation. So this meant I had to memorized all my slides in order, and sometimes I was doing an hour or even longer presentation; but it was easy because the images were all I needed to remember the concepts and ideas.  I wouldn't say I have a photographic memory, but it is how I find a lot of things that are misplaced around the house or school!

Creating imagery is one of the most powerful tools of the imagination that I use to connect with my thinking. I actually wrote some of my best (I consider my best) graduate papers by starting with an image in my mind or even drawing or creating some art. So sometimes this is how my posts begin-with an image. Dave shared about how often the 'title' of his posts inspires his writing...so I thought I would try it out! "Sacrifice, Pursuit, Determination" is the title of this post. This is how I started today! I will now relate it to my morning run, otherwise you might be disappointed, right!? :)
I didn't want to get up again. My body was a bit sore. It had been a long day the day before. The first kilometer on the treadmill this morning was hard! I didn't want to do it, but the goal was ahead and it required SACRIFICE. So I kept going and the second kilometer was even harder, but I went on. It would have been easier to pack it in and go back to bed. As I continued into the third and fourth kilometers my mindset shifted into the PURSUIT of my goals. It's more than just this run though, it's about my entire journey. I start to think then about what I am after and what I need to continue to do, or even do differently to get to where I want to be. Then comes DETERMINATION. Although this could equally be the first word, I recognize that I need this mindset to continue on when things get tough and I feel like giving up. The final kilometer is often faster for me when I run, but it's always the hardest. There are plenty of reasons to say "good enough" or "that will do", but when I stay focused I reach beyond what I thought I could when I started out.

It's not just about a 5KM run, it's about my health, it's about my career, it's about the people in my life who encourage me and make me better, and who are worth the sacrifice, pursuit and determination to get better and be better. They deserve it and I deserve it, and so do you! This was a different process today for me in my writing, but I quite liked it! Thanks @datruss for connecting with me and offering me another way to imagine and think!

Learning - it takes skill(s) and imagination

There are many researchers and authors who have written extensively about learning and development. I'm not necessarily bringing anything new to this conversation, but what follows here is a statement of my beliefs and it is what drives me forward in my role as a lead learner.

All skills need to be taught. Kids don't automatically learn to say please and thank you, we have to teach them these things, and hopefully they become more proficient and adept at using them in new situations over time. I actually believe that this is true of all learning! But if we think there is an easy or direct path from instruction to mastery, then we have got it all wrong from the very beginning.

Learning requires the acquisition of new skill(s) and the development of the imagination, and so does instruction. Our teaching must require intentional planning of the steps and skills necessary to understand a new concept, but this is not just done directly if our goal is to gain a lasting and deep understanding. It must also be done in concert with and through the implementation of imaginative processes. This is important when we are considering the types of experiences we put kids through.

At our school, we have been focusing on daily routines that help students towards independence (and through making connections with others). But how exactly? This is my main question right now. How do we do this, and how do we know that it's having a positive impact? I will offer that it is through the use of specific strategies and tools, and by developing an imaginative mindset for learning. (I will have to unpack and explore this further in other posts, but there is a thread through my earlier posts from my classroom experiences). 

I believe that we need to further explore the structures, strategies and interactions that support the development of the imagination in learning. UDL, self-regulation programs like the Zones of Regulation, Daily 5 Literacy routines, Numeracy Cafe routines, executive functioning visual schedules, circle and calendar times...these are all examples of the good work that can support learning towards independence, but I believe we can go even deeper. 

If we ask ourselves not only what the goal is, but also what the specific steps are, then we can observe how this is working. This also opens our eyes to see how accessible learning is for all learners, and will help to lay down clear pathways for all learners towards a deeper understanding and development.

My hope as a lead learner is always that, although this may look slightly different in each classroom environment, there will be more consistency across a school, and therefore result in more collaborative conversations and planning for all learners. At our school specifically we say that teamwork, kindness and respect are the values that guide us in all our actions and decisions, and that "together we are stronger". I believe this to be very true, and all I will add to this is that when we change up our routines to make them better, we need to have grace for ourselves, and continue to have fun, take some risk and use our imaginations for the benefit of all.

Running out of ideas? Be grateful!

Running out of ideas?...not exactly. Getting up earlier everyday (today it was 4 AM) to fit in my running has also allowed me more time to reflect more and prepare for the day ahead instead of just "hitting the ground running".

Sometimes, like today, I am finding that it isn't always a thesis of thoughts that consumes me, instead running is helping me to filter out all the noise and distraction to focus in on what's most important. So today my heart and mind are filled with gratitude for the people in my life who encourage me, challenge me, and stick with me when I get stuck in the muck! Gratitude is what moves me forward today!

Running down memory lane

We had a rare "day off" today in our school district. Guess what I did with my extra time? Yes, I went out for a run! But it wasn't just about the run, and it's never actually just about the run! This is a journey I am on towards health, and that includes my mental health. Today I decided to put in a few extra miles (22 kilometers actually) because I had the time. I decided to run by one of my previous homes in another nearby city, and along the way I let my mind wander across many memories of my childhood and youth, and I connected again with who I am and what I believe about myself.

When I was younger I really loved to play sports! And from an early age I started playing tennis with my family, entering tournaments, and this continued onto school teams. I still play today whenever I get the chance. I also joined soccer at an early age and ended up playing for over 30 years on a variety of teams. Through the years I also joined community baseball and hockey teams, and played volleyball and basketball during my school days as well. There were ups and downs with all those sports, but to be honest I never cared if we won or lost, I just cared about how it felt to play to the best of my abilities. I enjoyed learning any new activity and the feel of the game, and I always challenged myself to get better every day.

As I ran today I thought back to the joys and experiences of practicing and perfecting my basketball moves at the hoop at my house, and there were countless hours of repetitions of hitting a tennis or soccer ball against a wall in just the right way at just the right moment. The personal satisfaction that I experienced in those moments was something that no one saw, and there was no immediate external feedback for me. I was just alone with my thoughts and in those times I could fail and fail and fail, and... I got better. I'm not saying you should be isolated in life, we need others along the way! But what I am sharing is that it's important to have a positive mindset and encourage yourself as you learn. I would tell myself, "Don't give up! You can do it!" and these are still the things I tell myself today!

The reason why I have also always connected with running is because it's always been about challenging myself, setting goals, and pushing myself further. I never cared what anyone else was doing or what they want me to do. I remember in junior high having to do the twelve minute run, the dreaded twelve minute run. All my friends knew that when the whistle blew, I was all business. They would still try to tease me by running ahead and joking with me, but I would just get into my rhythm and clear my mind, and yes eventually pass them and lap them. I was always chasing the school record just to see if I could do it, and by the end of the twelve minutes I had given it everything I had, and I was exhausted! I never did beat the record that I'm aware of, but that experience has always stuck with me.

Today while running, I thought back to the hours I would run up the steep, seemingly endless hills by my home in a more remote area (a different one that the one I visited today). There was really no reason to do it, no one was watching, there was nothing I was training for, and there was no external reward waiting for me at the end. I just wanted to experience what it felt like to push myself and see if I could do it. And it was grueling! But I loved to be away from all the noise and regular routines, and it was re-energizing!

When I got married and we started our family, I continued to play on soccer and hockey teams, and I continued to run - but less. Life takes over a bit, but I also just didn't make that a priority in my life, and there were some periods of time where I stopped altogether. All through my graduate studies, many years later (almost 20 years after I graduated high school), I tried to run again, and when I did it was always the best way I cleared my head. It was how I wrote most of my university papers and it helped me to organize my thoughts and begin blogging!

So when I think back to those memories about my childhood playing sports, and running as a teenager and adult, it reminds me not just of who I was, but of who I AM! Running, right now in my life, is that experience which connects me to who I am, and makes me better in my body and my mind! There are plenty of moments where it's hard and I have to push through. When I start to think "I can't", I just keep going and turn it into "I can" and "I just haven't yet!" I have never run a marathon before, so when I have to do one in just eleven weeks it will be a completely new challenge; but I just know I will be able to do it because it's in my DNA and core beliefs about who I am. I believe that I'm a long distance runner because I have always just wanted to be out there running and have found joy in doing it, but I can't say that I am a marathon runner...not yet! It's not about the medal or what people will say to me; it's about the personal journey to get there, and the experience of accomplishing what I set out to do!

Challenge yourself to do something that connects you back to who you are! You were created uniquely and have something to offer to this world, which is why it's important to share your journey with others; but you also have so much more to offer yourself! Reward yourself by spending time doing the things that you love, encourage yourself, and don't let anything get in the way of pursuing your health and well-being...and turn your "can'ts" into "not yets"!

The "to do list" just might ruin your day

Some days there are competing priorities for our time and attention...okay that's almost every day isn't it? Today was already one of those days, before it even began. I was tired, it's garbage day, lunches to make, a newsletter to write, an important meeting to attend, a day of work, what will be for dinner, driving the kids to their activities... The list is long and I just felt like crawling back into bed, but I didn't. Instead, I got up, had my coffee, got ready, and hit the gym.

While I was running on the treadmill, all those things of the day ahead were cluttering my mind and I had a hard time focusing. But running isn't just about my body getting in shape, it's about reconditioning my mind, so that's exactly what I did. I pushed all those "things" out of my head and I just focused on the moment. I'm training for a marathon and I can't get off track. I won't let other things steal my moments, because this is too important for my health, and then, I found my calm.

Today there are lots of things that will compete for your attention and even try to steal your joy. Don't let that happen! Okay, put out the garbage on the curb, but do you have to be at that meeting? Can you pick up dinner tonight? That's what I'm going to do today because I asked myself a couple of simple questions that helped me focus on what's important: "Where do I really need to be? Who do I need to be with and who really needs me today?" As soon as I re-framed my day I knew exactly what I needed to do, and more importantly who I needed to be with!

Some days you just need a break from the "to do list" and you need to reset your priorities, make it a "who with list" and go and make it happen!

Running out of time?

If you asked most people what's the answer to the question, "What do you need more of?" it's pretty consistently the same response - TIME.

"There's never enough time in the day!" "I just don't have time for that." "I wish I had more time and then I would." There's a lot of excuses centered or dependent on time, but they are just that, excuses. Life gets busy though doesn't it, but I wonder if we are the ones that make it busy though?

This past week I had three different medical appointments, each on separate mornings BEFORE I got to work. I also had numerous meetings before and after school almost every day. I kept up my morning runs too and I felt pretty proud of myself as I sat in my office on Friday afternoon and reflected back over the week, when a parent walked right in and before I could even say hi they said to me, "I just want to let you know that you've been really busy," and after a short exchange they walked out. What would your response be? The funny thing is that I had just spent an hour with their child giving him a much needed break and we worked together on something in the school. I will be honest, at the moment this parent had shared this I first thought to myself, damn straight I've been busy, do you have any idea what I've done just to be here every day and how much I've given?! The truth is, what this parent was reflecting to me is something I think we all need to hear once and awhile...stop being so busy and take a breathe, be present!

When we get to work what are we expecting, to have more time for ourselves? That's not how it works. Every job, no matter what it is, is about service. We are there to serve others. So do what you need to do for yourself so that when you get to your job, you are ready to serve and you are ready to give it everything you have!

I get up most week days between 4:30am-4:40am so that I can fit in my runs. And now I seem to be blogging, all before I get ready for the day. Maybe I will need to get up at 4:15am just to have time for the things that are important to me!? My response to that is - WHATEVER IT TAKES!!

I have been playing around with running puns as you can see from the title of this post. But we really never run out of time...

Make time for yourself and the things you love.
Make time for yourself and the people you love.
Make time for yourself so that you will be ready to serve!

Turn your wish into work

I wouldn't say I'm an analytical person by nature, but reflection and connecting with how I feel is, and always has been, an important part of my thinking process. But if all we do is wish that things would happen, then we will never reach our full potential. It takes planning and action to reach our goals.

Our rhythms and patterns can stagnate us or lift us to a higher place! One of the best things I have done over the recent months is get up early and run, particularly on a Monday morning - yes the dreaded beginning of the work week! If I just thought about wanting to be healthy, but I never got out of bed, then I would be stuck in the "I hate Mondays" syndrome. Instead I put my mindset on what I want to achieve, I get up, I put in the work, and I feel so much better for having done so. As a result not only is my body benefiting from this, but so is my mind. I am finding that I have more energy and ability to tackle the challenges ahead every week. By the way, I do this on Friday mornings often too!

So don't just wish things were better, make them better, plan it and put in the necessary work! I'm not letting any obstacles stand in my way...I'm just going to run right by them!

I've run into a problem!

Sometimes we perceive words, statements or questions as negative; when they might not have that connotation at all! This post is titled, "I've run into a problem!" But let me explain....

My last post published in this blog was when I entered into a new position as a vice-principal at a middle school in the Fall of 2014. It felt so foreign to me that I described it like landing on the moon, a distant and unknown place. And just to put some context here, it's been so long that I've opened this blog that I couldn't remember my password or where I wrote that down (maybe one day I'll find it on some sticky note buried in boxes of my old "saved" documents), so I had to go through a series of steps to send a code to another device and retrieve it. I'm sure you have experienced this and you know how that goes.

Anyways, I guess I've been a little busy just figuring out my new role from teacher to administrator, and I've been occupied with all the decisions that I make daily which impact and affect my community. So, yes it has been a challenging journey, and it's been a steep learning curve, but it's not been bad. I'm now celebrating my third year as an elementary school principal (my transition was February 2017), and although I'm still figuring this thing out, I look forward to going to work every day. I'm exactly where I want to be and I'm doing exactly what I want to do.

There are numerous opportunities every day to make a real difference in the lives of students, their families, and the staff I work with. This is the reward of being an educator leader. However, all along the way there are many challenges to navigate and storms to endure; and this can take a mental, emotional and physical toll. September 2018 I hit a personal wall and my health failed. I had been pushing too hard, not taking care of myself, and ignoring what was going on in my body. Since then I've been on a journey towards improving my health and finding the right balance between work, family and my own personal goals. I am now seeing three different specialists, I have changed my diet, and been running consistently now for the past five months (now this post's title comes more into perspective). All of these changes have given me a positive outlook for my life, the work I get to be involved in, and the people I am connected to and who matter to me!

I have come to understand through my running, that I have more capacity to go beyond my limits than I realized. I have also allowed myself to make more time to reflect and be healthy (if you have read my twitter posts, you will have seen this). None of this has happened without sacrifice, commitment, and pure hard work. So I say that when problems come your way, "run into them" and make the changes you need to, and you will come out better on the other side, and you'll be thankful that you did!