In continuum of Move Your Bus, Part II: How to Accelerate Realize you are not entitled to this job, ch 20 Clark explains that we are a nation that has been built by people with tremendous work ethic, people who weren’t afraid of a challenge (Clark, p. 104). However, nowadays, people in the workplace have shown that appreciation should be expected, no matter the performance or contribution. They firmly believe they deserve this or that. They believe they are entitled to it. Once the mind-set is there, the work ethic of those individuals starts to decline. Do you agree? My question is this: what has led us to this entitled state of being? Clark believes the answer lies in the way we are raising and educating our children in America. Picture this: You’re a child in the 21st century surrounded by technology, innovation, competition, and (I hate to say it) greed. You're a child that has the newest iPhone and the hottest toy on the market (I'll take a Peppa Pig, please!). You're a child that typically receives all that is wanted, and you are living a very carefree, privileged childhood. Now picture this: You’re a child born in the 20th century, living in a small home, working at a young age to help support your family, and often find yourself taking care of your siblings while Mom and Dad are working long days. You work and you're appreciative of what you earn and have been given. This shows in your work ethic and personal life: you values, etc. Disclaimer: I do not mean to categorize anyone, make assumptions, or create stereotypes with these two scenarios. My purpose is this to emulate that there is a distinct divide by how these two children are raised. So, what do YOU notice about these two *fictional* scenarios? The first child seems to have been given a lot. In my mind, that child is fortunate and should be grateful for all that he/she has been given. But maybe that's not the case. I am looking at this from the outside in. Clark demonstrates that this child (or these children) are simply given too much. When this happens, the children receive all of these elaborate materials/experiences without having to work for them, in turn, expecting things for nothing. So how does this relate to the working world? I am a total 90's chick (N'sync groupie, hey!). My parents did not hand everything to me on a silver platter, and maybe yours did not either. But maybe you did receive a lot. I certainly am not writing to pinpoint anyone or contradict beliefs and opinions. Regardless of what you have experienced, I do believe Clark shows validity in his claim that there is exponential growth in children of the 21st century and their perception of their entitlement, in general. You have to do more than just show up to be rewarded. Work to earn actual recognition and praise, because nothing is promised of you (Clark, 107). AGREED. Be Credible, CH 21Life: endless to-do lists, countless demands, and only 24 hours in a day. Hmph. How can we possibly live up to all of these expectations and deliver them efficiently? Clark demands that we honor our commitments and don’t make commitments we can’t keep. *Insert promotion of personal blog here* This past holiday season, I wrote a post regarding 'Best Yes' choices and how to survive an overwhelmed schedule. Feel free to reach out and I will gladly send the link your way. My to-do lists, hopes for my professional life, and personal commitments often times feel so demanding. Am I the only educator that feels this way? I am assured, I am not; I can actually hear the "MHM" from inside your head in agreeance. I hear my commitments actually screaming at me if I decide to look the other way for a few short moments, And yes, teachers do have lives outside of the classroom. Sometimes I find myself pushing some commitments aside because I prioritize other commitments. Clark has taught me that maintaining credibility correlates to establishing accountability in our work and personal lives. When we pile too much on our plate, we are allowing ourselves to fall short of our best work. Clark states that when we do fall short, we can remain credible by taking responsibility for our mistakes and finding ways to correct any errors you make. Take that statement with a grain of salt. That is not a ‘get out of jail free’ card. We want to ensure that mistakes are not reoccurring events in our work. Pay Attention to Details, CH 22Did you realize I did not open this blog with a warm welcome? An inviting note that I am so glad you are here reading with me? Bloggers, I excluded that for a reason, specifically to make a point that little details and warmth matter, as Ron Clark has pointed out in Chapter 22: Pay Attention to Details. So, let's try this again. *Begin intro to post* Congratulations! You’ve made it safely to our next bus stop. Welcome, friends, to Miss K’s classroom! I’m glad you’re here and I welcome your thoughts, ideas, and collaboration. If you missed the last blog post from my colleague, Leah O'Donnell, you can find the link here. If this is the very first post you’re reading, I invite you to my previous Move Your Bus post that will give you the link to where we began with Colleen Noffsinger. Let’s get ‘running!’ *End intro to post* I like to think of myself as a warm, inviting person and I was itching to include that personality into the intro of my post. Some of you may have even thought, “Wow, she just dove right on in. No hesitations at all.” Clark states that runners are always asking themselves: “What can we do to make this a little bit better?” Finding ways to uplift people by fine-tuning all the little details to make the experience warmer and more inviting. First impressions are everything. We’ve been hearing this saying all our lives, especially when going on a job interview, meeting our students’ parents for the first time, or even going on a first date. It’s a common statement; because it is accurate to say that presentation matters. This takes me back to my colleague’s post, Ginny Burdett, about dressing to impress. Presentation is key and we need to remember that – not only with how we look – but how we teach, how we interact, and how we ‘sell our product.’ I don’t mean to focus on the physical presentation (i.e. newsletters and anchor charts are crafted to perfection), but what sets Runners apart from everyone else is realizing that “small things can be important, can demonstrate respect or a work ethic, just as much as larger things do.” (Clark, 116). Potholes and Roadblocks Living in Chicago we experience bad weather, construction, and those glorious potholes from those glorious snowplows that roll through the streets every December-February. Think about that one time you were driving your car and that glorious pothole appears out of NOWHERE and you close your eyes for a brief second (brief solely because your car is still in drive...) and you think, “Please don’t have a flat, please don’t have a flat.” Welp, you have a flat. That pothole has now allowed you from getting to work on time and has caused a major roadblock in your schedule. Every day we encounter potholes and roadblocks, and most of these ‘potholes’ and ‘roadblocks’ occur off the road. Clark emphasizes on these unfortunate events that cast themselves in our happiest of days. He does a great job articulating what Runners do to avoid these blocks in our lives:
Beep, beep! It looks like we’ll be quickly arriving to our next stop, but the ride will continue! Don’t forget to continue on our journey with Angela Gonzales' post on Monday, February 22, 2016 as she reflects on "How to Map the Route."
Thank you all for joining me for Ch. 20-22. I had FUN! Please do not hesitate to comment directly below or through the Contact Me page. I VALUE your thoughts, opinions, and collaboration. Happy bus-ing!
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Being the primary teacher that I am, here's a viewing of Part 1 of the inspiration behind this page/post: If you're anything like my first graders, brain breaks are a necessity and there's nothing wrong with a 10AM dance party in our "bubble space." So, interesting choice of song, Miss Kaczmarek. Yes, my class "likes to move it" and get our wiggles out. *Wiggles are out* We've learned from above that animals can 'move it.' And so can kids. So can you and I. Did you know busses move, too? But, 'busses' can only be moved by you and I. Being a part of the empowering and innovative district that I am (Berwyn South District 100), I have the opportunity to be a part of a traveling blog PD. Have you heard of such a thing? We are utilizing our digital market and social media to enrich our passions with eductators in our district, some of which I have never met. Yet, we're in it together. How it works: You read correctly: it's a traveling blog! This #D100BloggerPD is centralized around Move Your Bus by Ron Clark. There are 13 educators across our district participating, each of which have been assigned a section of Move Your Bus. You will get the first, most efficient Move Your Bus 101 crash course from Colleen Noffsinger. She does an immaculate job setting the scene for what's to come in #D100BloggerPD. The first blog post written by Colleen can be found here. From her site, you can continue to follow the path of our travels and participate WITH us in our study. Share you thoughts, reflections, and (most importantly) your 'ah-ha' moments. We're excited to have you along, so hurry onto our bus! It's a ride you won't want to miss. |
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December 2016
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