At the recent Big 12 Football Media day, K-State's renowned and beloved coach, Bill Snyder, was cautiously optimistic about the upcoming season. For Snyder, this is a rare admission.  But it was quickly countered with a recurring message, "don't take anything for granted." He specifically referred to talent, the opponent, summer workouts, performance levels, and living on past success.  Not only is that good advice for his football team and the frenzy of purple-bleeding fans, but for each of us individually too.  We get too comfortable, too used to winning, and then boom - a North Dakota State team walks on the field and steals a victory, or the person you always counted on leaves (or worse) and you didn't get a chance to tell them how much you appreciated them, and now you are left with a lot of what ifs.

School starts in a few short weeks.  Teachers report sooner than that and Administrators are probably back at work this week.  Stores are loaded with school supplies and kids and parents are eagerly waiting to see how this new year will go.  Snyder's advice to his team "to not take anything for granted" about the upcoming season also applies to educators, students, and parents about the upcoming school year, and really, to all of us about life in general.  We take for granted here in the Kansas that everyone has an opportunity to go to school, that most people can afford school supplies, and that there will be enough quality teachers to staff every classroom.  But recent lessons from the political front have demonstrated to us that if we sit on the sideline, those things we take for granted may just be taken.

Teachers and coaches should not take for granted that what worked (or didn't work) last year will have the same results this year.  In a couple of weeks, a whole new group of students walks through the door or steps on the field.  Sure the faces may be familiar, but life has happened to these students since you last saw them, and those experiences will shape their attitudes, their hopes and dreams, and how they respond to the task of learning.  Bodies change.  Maturity happens (or doesn't) and those same students we last saw in May, have a new set of variables for us to deal with.  We should take the time to listen to what students have to say and what they are not saying.  We should get to know them as people first and students second.  We will need to see them for what they can do this time around and not assume that they will act and perform in the same way we remember.  Most of all, we should challenge them to dig deeper, to ask more questions, and to persevere when learning is hard or obstacles block their path.  We cannot assume or take for granted that they will know how to do any of these things well without our guidance or support.

I had a very good basketball team one season, more than a few years ago, that achieved state rankings and notoriety (levels of team success that our school was unaccustomed to at the time).  The following year, we returned the majority of our varsity players, so expectations were high.  But by the mid-season tournament, we were just a .500 team.  I blamed myself as much as anything because I had allowed them to rest on their laurels because I, as everyone else did, assumed we would just pick up where we left off.  We took winning for granted because we had been successful the year before because we had many of the same players.  But during that tournament we had a meeting of the minds and emerged with a new resolve to no longer take for granted that the success of the past would automatically propel us to success in the future.  We redoubled our efforts in practice, revised some strategies, and changed our attitude from one of entitlement, to one of humility and renewed our sense of purpose.  And that effort, that change in our thinking, produced the results we had expected all along.  But it didn't happen until we stopped taking things for granted and started doing the things we needed to do to  achieve the goals we had set forth.  That is the message Coach Snyder was trying to convey.

Appreciating what we have, the people who are dear to us in our lives, or the people that provide us with needed services is something we should be cognizant of every day.  But many times we fall short.  Taking something or someone for granted happens because we get comfortable.  We get accustomed to "the way things are" or we fail to see what is right before our eyes.  I think of how excited I am to see the sun after several days of rain, and how I miss the rain after weeks of hot dry weather. We do this with people too.  We go about our daily lives and fail to show or tell the people around us how much we appreciate them, need them, and love them.  We assume.  We get busy and distracted.  And we take them for granted.   

So how will we change?  It usually takes a "North Dakota State" moment, or a loss of someone close to us before we wake up and realize what we knew all along.  So purposeful planning, a resolve to not overlook the details, and the commitment to do the work and effort required, is step one.  Step two is to have an attitude of gratitude.  Notice what is all around you:  what you have, nature's gifts to us, and who is important in your life.  And Step three is simply reflected in Nike's slogan - "Just Do It!"  Getting beyond taking things or people for granted requires action on our part.  We can't "hope" it will happen, we must make it happen.

I have high hopes for the upcoming school year.  There is nothing greater than the optimism and excitement that greets every teacher and student on the first day of school.   It is up to us to ensure that we leave no stone unturned, no job undone as we work toward success both in and out of the classroom.  Assume nothing.  Plan purposefully and do what needs to be done.  As an exclamation point to this idea, I'll leave you with one last thought from Coach Snyder's interview, 

"I know what we have capabilities of being and whether or not we can reach that level or not is dependent upon a lot of things, and the biggest thing is not taking anything for granted." 

Today is my birthday and I am blessed to have been showered with countless (although you can count if you want to) birthday wishes posted to my timeline (as is the custom on Facebook), traditional cards, and e-cards too.  But one post today encouraged me to "Have a Happy Birthday and Blog On!"  I thought about that birthday greeting, and decided I would do just that!

I love to blog about others, issues, education, and things that inspire me, but while I love to tell a good story, blogging about me is not something that comes easy to me, or a subject that I would imagine most people would want to read about.  But today's my birthday, so I am taking this opportunity to say some things that are near and dear to my heart.

I could talk about the things I love to do, the passions I have for the teams I cheer for, the places I love to visit, or the place I call home.  But today I will focus on the intangibles...those things you really can't measure or touch in terms of how they make you feel.  As the saying goes, the best things in life are not things.

I am blessed by a wonderful life.  I have a husband of 35 years, children, and parents that love me and support me in all that I do.  I am also loved and surrounded by siblings, in-laws and extended family.  But no one plucks my heart strings quite like my grandsons.  They bring a smile to my face and a warmth to my heart that is unequaled.  I am interested in things they do that I never thought were interesting before.  I want to come to their rescue if there is a problem, and have found strength and patience I never knew I had as a result of being bestowed with the title of "grandma."  Once when my oldest grandson slammed his fingers in the sliding door of my daughter's van at a KSU football game, I carried all 50 pounds of him to the ER at the hospital that was conveniently located across from the stadium, but still quite a distance from where we were.  On a normal day, I can barely carry in the bag of potassium for our water softener from the garage 20 feet into the house.  Yet on that day I carried him without a thought, and I wasn't even tired until I put him down.   The youngest grandson often greets me, running at full speed to give me a big hug, saying, "Graaaannndddddmmmaaa!" Whose heart would not melt at that greeting? Those boys inspire me to feel more and do more than I ever thought I could.

I am a collector of many things - blue glass, Santas, and moose to name a few, but I also collect "friend" items and quotes because friendship is important to me in ways many do not understand.  A quote by Vincent Van Gogh kind of sums it up for me:
“Close friends are truly life's treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone.”

Friends improve the quality of one's life and I am lucky to have many really good friends who make me laugh, and who appreciate and support me for who I am and what I aspire to do.  They have enriched me both personally and professionally, and some have helped me achieve my dreams of owning my own business and making a difference in the lives of others.  I am also fortunate to have a few very dear friends who I can rely on for just about anything.  Their love and support get me through the trying times, provide me the opportunity to get things off my chest and experience gales of laughter.  No matter the distance between us, we still get each other.  Mostly we can just share the everyday things without any fanfare or pretense.  I have enjoyed a week of lunches and good times to celebrate "my day," but in reality, it is just friends being friends.

I have also been blessed to have a career in education that has been fulfilling and continues to provide me ways to feel relevant and engaged in life.  I have made countless friends and acquaintances because of my educational experiences.  I love the interaction with students no matter what their age, seeing them grow and gain new understanding before my eyes.  This week I have had the additional blessing to be reminded by some former students, now adults, that I did make a difference in their lives along the way. I am humbled and grateful that they take the time to share this with me.  It is also endearing that some still call me "coach" despite the years that have passed.  I have so many fond memories of the times spent in the gym or at the track. Those are bonds sealed by sweat and tears and will never be forgotten.

Finally I know that without my faith in God that none of this would be possible.  The life I live is part of a plan that I cannot begin to fathom.  I know I'm here to make a difference some how, some way.  I know that people cross our paths and situations happen that seem insignificant at the time, but alter the course of our lives.  I know that I often plan and hope for things that never happen and while I am disappointed, I know that there is a reason - something bigger in the grand scheme of things - that I just don't see yet.  But when I look back later, I will see why something did or didn't happen and the result of that action.  I believe God supports me when I can't do it alone, but also has a sense of humor and winks at me to let me know He's with me.  I have a wooden cross hanging above my desk - a gift from one of those dear friends - that says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."   I love this and what it represents.  And it is from Proverbs (3: 5-6), my favorite book in the Bible, because it's full of God's locker room slogans for life!

My wish for you as my birthday comes to a close, is that you identify and celebrate the blessings in your life.  Find the good; focus on the silver lining, and see what a difference it makes in your life so that you may make a difference in the lives of others.  Enjoy your year - I know I will!

This past month I have been a total busy bee!  The last 3 weeks in particular have been a non-stop whirlwind of activity.  And it wasn't just busy work - that dreaded school term! Much of my time was focused on adult learning that will lead to improved student learning...or at least that is the plan.  

Just as the bees bring nectar from the flowers to the hive to create honey, the educators I have been with during the last 3 weeks will take their new knowledge and skills back to their own classrooms to make a difference in the learning of their students. But as we have learned in my Baker University curriculum course, new knowledge and skills do not necessarily translate into effective implementation.  We have to plan with the end in mind - backwards design seems to work best - so that we provide clear goals, room for inquiry, a plan for assessment, and quality, focused learning experiences to effectively achieve the goal.  But it doesn't matter what we are planning, whether it's our summer vacation, the holiday cookout, adding onto our church, or crafting legislative action, having a vision as to what the result will be must come first or we will unlikely have the end product that we desire! Bees are not random or hope to create honey.  They are on a mission, know what the outcome will be, and DO create honey!

Being busy doesn't mean the goal will be achieved effectively either.  Bees never seem to stop working, buzzing around their hive in a flurry of activity. Their work is purposeful.  They aren't just buzzing to be buzzing.  They are creating honey and each bee has a role to play in that process.  Planning for learning, or any other significant endeavor, also requires careful planning, clearly stated expectations, and fulfillment of the roles and tasks needed to achieve the goal.  When I go to the store each week, it is imperative that I have a list, otherwise I may not come home with the items I really need, or I end up buying things I didn't really need (or already have on hand).  Purposeful planning sets up effective doing!

Which brings us to another lesson from the bees:  one can accomplish a lot more when we work together.  Rarely do you see a hive with only individual bees randomly flying around.  More often than not, you see a thriving, buzzing group of bees busily working at their assigned task.  As I listened and watched the participants in our workshops during the last 2 weeks, I saw a lot of buzzing as they discussed and collaborated to learn as much as possible so they could implement this new learning.  Even as they were mulling over ideas, they were eager to share their new understandings with those in the class and take back to share with their colleagues.  My husband and I would have never been able to remodel our house and transform it from a farm house to a log house without a collaborative working relationship.  As I've noted in previous blogs - he has the ability to take our ideas and make them reality.  Whenever we work together on a project, we utilize each other's strengths to spark ideas, reflect on and revise our plans, and ultimately get the job done.  It is so much easier when we ask for help, or include others in our planning and implementation.  Rarely do any of us have all the answers or all the tools needed to accomplish a task well!  

Bees are persistent too.  The new buzz word in education today is to develop grit. A lot of us lost that skill some time ago when technological advances made life much easier.  But bees can be our inspiration as they continue to find sources of nectar, even if it's a dry year and the flowers aren't blooming like they usually do.  They are focused on the end result and they continue to work until the job is done.  In education, one way to practice and achieve the trait of "grit" is through project based learning.  This involves so much more than just studying or doing research and then writing or answering questions about it.  It involves real world (authentic) application of knowledge and skills to produce a project of value and one that demonstrates true understanding.  It took us nearly 10 years to remodel our house and make the transformation complete.  But persistence won out over limited funds and the temptation to take a break and never start up again.  We started with the end in mind, and found ways to overcome the obstacles and achieve the desired result.  Even today, we still tweak that final product to make it even better.  But then that's another topic for another day!

And now I must get busy.... grading projects awaits!