Staying Positive

An outlook on school, work, or life in general can really make or break an experience. A friend sent me a picture today that included the saying, "Don't let negative and toxic people rent space in your head. Raise the rent and kick them out."  This is good advice. As a teacher and administrator, I have made decisions that cannot make all parties happy.

When it comes down to the final test, it is trying to keep the student's best interest at heart (sometimes within the financial limitations). For me, it is not about answering the question of who will I make happy, angry, or not effect at all; it's all about answering back to myself and being able to live with the choices that I make.  I would by lying if I said that people's onions didn't matter. People in my line of work have hurt my spirit from time to time. A student who makes a sometimes life-changing mistake, a parent that speaks ill out in the community, or even a staff member that disagrees with every initiative are all hurtful to me even after almost 20 years in the profession. However, it's not about me.

What I do is try and help students obtain the skills and experiences to make them the most successful for the next step in their lives. That means pushing not only them but also their teachers to make
sure that the students are having the best educational experience possible. This is always a work in progress and listening to and receiving feedback are essential. With this, however, is going to come some negatively--some valid and some not-so valid, but it is my job to sift through that to help guide my decisions and practices.

I am passionate and a fighter for what I believe is right. I care about the students and staff I serve. I am not perfect and have a lot of work cut out for me, but I lead with love, respect, and positvity. While negativity may come and visit from time to time like unwelcome company, there is not room for rent. Being an educator and leader is difficult in this age. The profession has lost a great deal of the prestige and respect that it once came with; however, the payoff in a student's face or assisting him or her with a successful future is the best fuel for any endeavor.

Keep trying, lead by example. The profession needs to be vaccinated with positivity.