It’s ok to cheer for someone you don’t know

Last night my friends, family and I had the pleasure of cheering on the runners at the 10 mile Blessing of the Fleet road race. It’s one of my absolute favorite road races to run of all time! I can tell you exactly where the water stops are, where people cheer the loudest, where people play music on the front lawn, and were people spray you with their hoses. It was an awesome experience for me to be on the flipside of the event and cheer on the runners and walkers along the path of their 10 mile race with my daughters.

We saw lots of smiles, friendly faces, friendly waves, and heard some occasional thank you’s. My younger daughters and I watch the faces of grit, determination, perseverance, and pride as the stream of runners and walkers filtered by us one by one. We were located at mile nine, so I understood deeply how each and every single one of them might have been feeling. Almost to the finish!!! Some people wore shirts that represented their gyms or shirts in honor of loved ones. You better believe we acknowledged those runners and what was written on their shirt! For some, it might have been there “why.”

Towards the end of the race, the cleanup crew started to come out and clean the streets littered with plastic cups, paper cups, shot cups, and occasional beer cans. The crowds died down and you could hear a soft hum from the finish line in the distance. Many of the spectators had started cleaning up the beach chairs scattered on their front lawns and trickled back into their homes. It was getting dark but we still waited… I waited as runners and walkers slowly trekked by on their journey to finish the race. My daughters and I waited in the dark until the last runners came by. We shouted just as loud as we did at the beginning a race, than we did at the end of the race. We stuck out our arms a little further to give high-fives of encouragement and strength. The smiles spread across their faces behind the tears of pain and determination were what made our evening the best night ever! Last night was about connecting with perfect strangers and cheering them on for the hard working individuals they were, and not places they were in…which was pretty darn awesome in our eyes!

*Its ok to cheer for someone you don’t know. Maybe someday they will return the favor when it’s needed most.

The girls cheering on the runners.

I didn’t get my dream job.

I didn’t get my dream job.

It absolutely crushed me.

I have worked incredibly hard this year to become a better educator. I took graduate courses to learn more about Dyslexia, I joined a state level advisory board, and I participated in various committees throughout my district and beyond. I spent countless late nights working on paperwork. I was committed, determined, and focused on a goal.

My work life came to a screeching halt when I found out I didn’t get the job I had hoped for…dreamed about…and been longing for.

I’ve carefully picked up the shattered pieces of me, and here’s what I’ve noticed:

⁃ Acknowledge the bumps in the road and twists the road may take along your journey. Your goal may seem further out of reach, but it’s not…embrace the struggle.

⁃ Step back and reflect…it doesn’t mean you’re going backwards. Take some time to reflect, reevaluate and recharge your batteries.

⁃ Lean in…when I was riding the bitter bus, I leaned in closer towards my family. Looking back, I realized we all needed that more than ever. My work may feel like it’s 24-7 but it doesn’t have to be.

⁃ Create messages of hope and encouragement in your everyday experiences. Tuck them into your heart and keep them close.

⁃ Sometimes your journey may take longer than expected and the path may be filled with obstacles along the way…Don’t Give Up Hope. You got this!!!

I’m just a….

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation where either you or the person talking has said “I’m just a _____.”?

I found myself in that moment this past week. I’m currently enrolled in a program working towards a graduate certificate in dyslexia knowledge and practice.

The driving forces behind enrolling in these classes are because I constantly find myself in pursuit of becoming a better educator. I admit feeling “not worthy” when compared to a reading specialist or speech and language pathologist when it comes to knowledge in the area of dyslexia.

I want to learn about the early warning signs related to reading and language difficulties which can possibly lead to dyslexia. I hope to work closely with students and their families in order to support each child and close gaps that may occur. I hope to empower students to become strong advocates for themselves, to build their confidence, and for them to know and feel that they are amazing individuals who can achieve the goals they create for themselves. These may seem like lofty goals, but I know I WILL achieve them in the future.

So where do I begin?

This past week I attended my second class… I admit it is VERY overwhelming. I’m learning a great deal of information….yet I’m coming to grips with the fact that there’s a boatload more for me to learn….because frankly…I’ve never been explicitly taught about dyslexia. Many of the students in my college class are speech and language pathologists or reading specialists. I feel like they have a lot of background knowledge that I do not have… Yet!

In some ways, I can relate to the students in my own elementary school class. I get lost in my thoughts. I have difficulty keeping up with the teachers pace. I’m trying to take down notes as fast as possible and connect it with the readings that I’ve been doing the week before…which makes my brain feel like I’ve been snowplowed by information.

Feeling quite overwhelmed during class last week, I glazed over at the woman who was sitting next to me. I felt a ping of comfort as her facial expression looked quite as perplexed as mine.

She asked me, “Are you a speech and language pathologist?”

I looked at her with a chuckle and said, “I’m just a… teacher.“

My heart instantly flopped when it got slammed by my pitiful response. In that moment, I felt inferior amongst the eduheroes that surrounded me. They seemed like they already knew the information that was being presented. I felt uncomfortable not knowing what the teacher was going to talk about next because I had no idea what she was saying to begin with! I was feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information that my brain was trying to take in. Bump that up a few notches as I tried to reflect on the information alongside the much faster paced students in class. In that moment, I felt like I was “just a teacher” however I know that if the setting were different (like in my own classroom), I would feel different about myself. I would most likely have not made that comment.

So how do we break the mold of “I’m just a _______.” Do I need to find another way to define myself? Do I need to work harder?

What I needed was to take a step back and think about the big picture of where I currently am and where I am heading. We all have to start somewhere. Our attitudes define where we are and where we will go in the future. So before I think about making a comment like that in the future, I’m going to STOP myself. Next time I’m going to say “I am a dedicated and passionate educator.” While giving myself internal high fives and fist bumps…Bam!

The Best Lesson Came from a Student

Last year I introduced genius hour with our fourth-grade classroom. It was a huge success and the students loved every hour… within every Monday… every week of the school year. I learned so much about how children think, communicate, and extend their passions through genius hour projects than I have in my 17 years of teaching.

This year I’m teaching different grade levels. I was asked by a former fourth grade co-teacher if I wouldn’t mind taking a student whose genius hour project was to learn about what it’s like to be a teacher and teach a class. I loved the thought of being on the receiving end of a genius hour project! I was extremely excited about the thought of working with a fourth-grade student. I couldn’t wait to talk to him and help him plan an activity where he can be a teacher. Yippy skippy- happy dance for ME!!! I was interested in gaining his perspective about what it can be like as a student teacher, however the lesson that I learned from him was far greater than his thoughts about being a teacher.

Keith arrived in my classroom with a smile from ear to ear and had about as much pep in his step as I have. We planned out a lesson together and I made it a point to continually ask him to think about his purpose and “Why” throughout each aspect in his lesson. Was this too much I thought? Would he even understand what I was trying to teach him?

The following week I had a surprise for Keith. As he waltzed into the room with that same beautiful smile, I showed him the surprise badge I made, a lesson plan folder, supplies, and positive stickers all for Keith’s lesson. He was thrilled and surprised! What surprised me was that he was even MORE excited to get down to business and begin working with a student. I paired him up with Billy, a first grader who I’ve been working closely with. They somehow knew each other before this encounter which meant neither were nervous. With Keith’s smile and positive outlook…I wouldn’t have been nervous either….

I sat back watching the two boys interact…waiting for my “teachable moment” a moment where I could “intervene” and offer “guidance and support”. I watched…and listened…and watched…and listened….and finally sat back with a smile.

• Keith smiled…a lot.
• He offered choices.
• He was flexible.
• He checked in often.
• He had an idea of the end result but focused more on the steps in order to get there.
• He valued time working alongside the student.
• He praised often.
• He was proud and he told the student how proud he was.

Keith exclaimed, “that’s really amazing work Billy. I think you’re an awesome artist. I like how you drew that helicopter and I’m proud of the facts we added to your poster.”

Billy replied, “Really??? All this time I just thought I was weird.”

“You’re super cool Billy and you can do amazing things like this!” (Pointing to poster)

Keith and I ended our day with a positive debrief. I thanked him for the amazing lesson he taught me. He chuckled and asked, “ Do you think I can come back and teach another lesson next week?”

“Absolutely honey…I am already looking forward to it!” I replied smiling ear to ear right back at him.

Embrace Moments

Embrace.

My #OneWord from 2017 was Embrace. I’m struggling to develop my #OneWord for 2018, so I thought perhaps as I reflect upon this past year maybe I’ll spark an idea.

I love to live moment by moment.

This year I forced myself to sit down from time to time to embrace the moments we have with students. As I embraced each moment, I learned to let their learning drive my next steps when teaching. I learned how to embrace my own mistakes and model this through teachable moments and by sharing how I overcame mistakes when I was younger. In return, our students embraced me with their words of encouragement…

I’m beginning to take more time for myself and embrace moments of white space. I’ve embraced the thought of not committing myself to every single amazing opportunity that pops up…but thoughtfully consider each opportunity knowing it’s ok to say no thank you…

I lost a dear friend unexpectedly this past year. There is nothing greater than to be embraced with a hug or listen to kind words spoken by friends and family. If anything, I’ve learned to embrace human beings through words, gestures, and actions, that much more…

Whelp…I admit I’ve googled a few #OneWord ideas and double checked using thesaurus.com. My inner thoughts continue to circle back to the word “Spark.”

Spark creativity.

Spark a new idea.

Spark positivity for others.

Find the spark even in the most difficult moments.

Spark health and happiness within yourself.

Be a spark of hope for those who need it most.

Spark– #OneWord 2018

Skid Marks in the Dirt

Learning how to ride a two wheel bike is a great example of how a child demonstrates grit, perseverance, and goal-setting.

Riding a bike requires practice. The highs and lows are accompanied by bumps and bruises along the way. It can feel down right exhausting. It requires energy and self-motivation.

As a parent it’s a delicate balance between knowing when to let go and knowing when to let them fall and pick themselves back up again. It’s a balance between knowing when to cheer and when to offer a pep-talk.

The day our daughter learned how to ride her two wheel bike is a day I will never forget. Not because I was there to film it…because I watched our daughter achieve her goal completely on her own. Yes, I ran alongside her with sweat dripping down my face, supporting her on her bike. Yes, I helped clip her helmet ever so carefully under her chin every single time, making sure she didn’t get pinched. Yes, I wiped her tears and brushed the stray chunks of hair away from her face. Yes, I chased behind her with a grin on my face as she took off and rode around the neighborhood faster than I could keep up. She did it on her own. I believed in her. She believed in herself.

How do I know? She begged to go outside everyday to ride her bike. She got back on every single time she fell. She told me she was going to do it. And she did. And on that same day…she showed me how to make skid marks in the dirt.

*Believe in kids.

*Cheer for them along the way.

*Smile when you are with them.

*Don’t be afraid to let them go. Your heart might ache. It’s ok. They will learn how to brush themselves off and get back up.

Dear future classroom scholars

Dear future classroom scholars, 
I’m so incredibly excited to meet you. I’ve been waiting to meet you ever since I heard you were coming. I’ve prepared the room for you. I hope you like it. I’ve filled it with books that I cannot wait to crack open and read with you. Im so proud I get to watch you learn and grow. Hopefully you can watch me learn and grow too. I wonder what kinds of things you will be interested in? I wonder if you will love learning just as much as I do. I want you to know I will always be here to support you and I care about you a lot. I hope when you step into our room it feels like home. This is going to be the best year ever! Do you know why? Because you’re a part of my life. ❤️

Love, 

Mrs. F 

When it happens, you feel happiness beating from your heart

My young daughters and I headed out into the dreary weather for our weekly food shopping trip today. It’s not always easy shopping with children, but it is something that has to be done. Per usual, they packed their purses chock full of doodads and brought their baby dolls along for the ride.
Just as we pulled in to the supermarket, it started to sprinkle. I drove about 8 laps around the parking lot searching for a parking spot fairly close to the entrance. No such luck, but we didn’t mind the sprinkles. My girls had a blast jumping through the puddles. 
My youngest insisted on bringing her baby doll into the store. As she squeezed it into the cup holder attached to the carriage, it got dirty. We averted a crisis and quickly cleaned her up. Baby doll was given a front row seat right by momma in the carriage. 
We stopped to visit the lobsters per usual. We talked about their sizes and made pretend voices like they were talking to each other. As we rounded the corner, we heard a loud “Crash!” from the aisle next to us. Two women shouted, “Glad that wasn’t me!” As I peeked around the corner, a young woman and her father had their heads down as they picked up the boxes of pasta that fell from the shelf. I immediately went over to them and helped clean up. I smiled and told them spilling pasta boxes wasn’t as bad as spilling boxes of Lucky Charms cereal (I admit…I love that cereal!) on your head as you try to grab one box from the highest shelf. They both smiled at me and shared a sincere “Thank you!” As we walked away, I explained to my daughter’s that it’s nice to help people in need and help others look on the bright side. 
Our shopping carriage filled quickly, so by the time we got to the milk aisle, baby doll had to go. I gently placed baby doll into my purse along with the half eaten snacks the girls handed me after telling me they were, “Sooooo hungry!” The girls went to look at the various shades of lipstick while I grabbed items from the last two aisles. 
Phew! We made it to checkout! Zero meltdowns this time and I even resisted the caffeine drink that was staring me down from inside the cooler. The woman in front of me smiled and said, “I like your baby doll.” Hmmm…I totally forgot I had a baby doll hanging outside my purse. Embarrassing! “I saw you in a few aisles and I figured you had kids in the store somewhere. You’re a really good mom.” She proceeded to tell the girls how sweet I was and compliment them on their outfits and manners. I wished her a beautiful afternoon and thanked her for making my day. After she left the girls asked, “Mommy, was that your friend from school?” I replied, “No, just an incredibly kind person. There are a lot of kind people in this world.” 
As we loaded groceries into the back of the car, the girls decided to crawl into the back. Yes, I admit I let them dive over the seats into the front of where they are sitting. I laughed and had fun watching them get stuck. Just as I was finishing up, a couple had approached me and asked to take my carriage. They helped me put the rest of my groceries in the car and said, “We’d be happy to take your cart for you so you don’t have to walk it back in the rain.” I thanked them and told them how sweet they were. The girls asked if I knew them and I replied, “No, just some really kind people. You see, when you do kind things and help other people, good things come back to you. When it happens, it makes you smile and you feel happiness beating from your heart.” 
Just as I turned the ignition, it started to downpour….

When you persevere, press repeat and do it again. Just because you CAN!

Feeling completely weightless, 

waves trickle rain onto your face as it’s kissed by the warm sun,

the energy of the ocean pushes you onto the shore,

your board scratches against the sandy bottom as you come to a halt,

Just close your eyes and smile.

It took almost the entire summer for our youngest daughter to boogie board. I was blessed to watch the moments that led up to this awesome event. Believe me….there were MANY moments.

It has taken her years to build up confidence in order to swim in the ocean without clinging to my leg. Her older sister was able to show her the ropes and encouraged her to swim alongside her. She challenged herself to push through moments when the waves slapped her in the face, while (finally) breaking the habit of not screaming for a towel every time water gets in her eyes. Trusting in us every time we would call out “here comes a wave” with her body facing the shore as her 4-year-old fingertips clutched the board and she held it to her chest. I watched a wave crash over her head, and while I’m yelling “hold onto your board!”….she…let…go. As she took a deep breath and flipped under the water, panic filled my heart and I rushed by her side. She nervously looked up at me and I smiled back. “You did it!!!! Woohooo!” I yelled. Her eyes began to twinkle, a big white smile spread across her cheeks, and she said, “Lets do it again! But this time I’m a gonna hold onto the board.” 

To watch a child overcome her fears and persevere was truly an experience I tucked into my heart and will always cherish. 

Our 4-year-old taught me a lesson that day:

1. Take risks- You never know how far you’ll go unless you take that risk. Even if you fail, get back up and keep trying!

2. Be confident- If you can’t be confident, find someone who will support you and believes in you. 

3. Smile- Enjoy every single moment. Life is so short so why not enjoy the journey. It’s ok to sit back, close your eyes, and just smile.

4. Have fun- Remember what it’s like to be a kid again. Sometimes childhood memories are the best memories, so get out there and go make some new ones.

5. Repeat- Perseverance is not easy, when you accomplish it…press repeat and do it again! Just because you CAN! 

It’s not my goal, but it’s worth the journey

As an adult, I like to set attainable goals for myself and my future. One thing that I love to share with our students is my passion for running, more importantly, running races to raise money for local charities. 

Two months ago, I was approached by the trainer at my gym. She had asked me to help her train to run her first 10 mile road race. My first thought was… my trainer was asking me? I’ve run the race a few times and I have to admit, it’s one of my absolute favorites! However, its been a couple years since I’ve raced. I was slightly nervous about time commitments needed for training (some days it can be quite a challenge to get out of the house with two young children.) Since it is summertime and I’m currently on break from school, I jumped at the idea and agreed to help her achieve her goal to run a 10 mile race. I love helping people train to run and I also love talking while I run. Luckily for me, my trainer doesn’t mind my over abundance of energy and chatter. 

Together, we sketched out an idea for our weekly runs gradually building our endurance to 10 miles. For our first run together, we set a goal to run 4 miles. Well…I tricked her into running almost 6 miles that day. She did awesome!!!! As the weeks went by we checked in often and ran a couple long runs together. The night before our big race she texted me. I thought maybe she was excited or nervous, however, she was in tears because her knee was feeling quite sore. I reassured her we would get through it and I promised not to leave her side throughout the entire race.

 I committed to helping her and I promised to help her along the way. 

The very next day we set out to run the 10 mile roadrace. The weather could not have been more perfect for running, cloudy and cool. There were thousands of runners lined up along the street ready to start. We cheered when the race started and listened as the crowd cheer us on with music from the Rocky IV soundtrack blasting in the background. I talked my trainer through her first 10 mile race. I told her how strong and amazing she looked as she ran, I told her how proud I was, and how we would work hard all the way to the finish line. I believed in her 110% and for 10 miles, I encouraged her and checked in often. I grabbed her hand as we ran through the finish line together and we cheered! It was wonderful! The smile on her face was priceless. 

Helping someone else achieve their goal filled my heart so full it almost burst with pride. I truly enjoyed the journey with her every step of the way. That evening, she sent me a text message. It said, “Thank you soooo much for doing this with me. I cannot tell you how much it meant to me that you didn’t give up on me even though i ran so slow … you’re amazing and a wonderful friend.” My heart could not have been more full. I’m pretty sure it was smiling. 

Here are my 7 takeaways to goal set and/or help someone achieve their goal: 

1. Plan it out- Create a plan that works best for you

2. Invest time- Don’t rush, take your time and enjoy every step of the journey 

3. Stay positive and be your best cheerleader- Sit back and appreciate positive encouragement, even if it’s To: You From: You

4. Be realistic- Set realistic goals in a realistic timeframe and don’t sell yourself short. You got this! 

5. Be proud- Celebrate your accomplishments and the accomplishments of others 

6. Encourage someone to set and accomplish a goal- Use your story to help inspire others. We can all get by with a little help from our friends 

7. Don’t be afraid to push yourself beyond your comfort zone- We need to develop a growth mindset approach for our own goals too