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Vicki's Blog

My thoughts on education, improvement, and life itself.  Enjoy!

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Turning #Throwback Thursday into #Transformation Thursday

10/9/2014

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On this #throwbackthursday, I posted pictures on my personal Facebook page this morning to show the transformation of our home since we we moved in 30 years ago. 

We began this journey as a family of 3 in a small bungalow that was once my grandparents' home.  It was familiar and big enough for us, but it had its limitations and drawbacks too.  We dreamed of more closets, space to stretch out and live in, and of course at least one more bathroom. But we made do and lived there quite happily for several years before we added another kid to the mix and decided it was time for change.  Once we took that first step, we have truly enjoyed what we have and where we are, but we are also continually looking at ways to make our home even better.  Once the attitude of improvement gets in your blood, it's hard to not look for ways to make things better.

Our building and remodeling project was the talk of the community for a long time (partially because it took a long time to finish).  It was exciting to see something familiar transformed into something new.  We also turned my grandparents' old farm house into a log house, which also created interest because no one else had done that before.  Now if you drive past our house to the east, and look within our community, there are several houses that have a similar look.
  
Over the years, in anticipation of this large remodeling process, we found "the look" we wanted, and put a great deal of time and effort into finding the best ways to arrange the floor plan, support the existing structure, and meet our goals of increased living and storage space.  Of course that had to be done in an affordable way and utilize the resources that we had available.  Most of the time we could rely on our own abilities, but sometimes we had to ask for help.  Change comes with a price and sometimes that price is simply the expertise (or strong back) of others.


As we worked through the remodeling process, we didn't stop living in the house!  We moved from one area to another; covered up the demolition with plastic floor-to-ceiling curtains, and encouraged people to come visit us, unapologetically, during our mess.  When ideas were put into action, we evaluated them to see if they really would lead us to our goals.  Sometimes we revised them; sometimes we removed them.  When we were tired, we rested for a moment, but ultimately, kept moving forward.  It would have been so easy, many times in fact, to just stop what we were doing and say, "it's good enough."  But we knew we could do better and we pushed ahead, because, as I used to tell my players and students,  good is not good enough when better is possible.

Even now, many years after the project was technically "finished," we are really never done.  We have worked on the landscaping, repaired the roof (thank you hail!), repainted inside, and continue to regularly stain the exterior as well.  New ideas come to mind, so we contemplate what new counter tops would look like or how much a butler's pantry would improve the functionality of the kitchen utilizing some space that isn't really used as much as we once thought it would be.  We look for ways to be more energy efficient to reduce costs and leave a smaller footprint.  We still wish for more closet space (although we have plenty of bathrooms now!) so does that mean that goal was never realized, or is it time to cull some dated items from our closets?


I think about this entire process in terms of education too.  We are often comfortable in classroom or school.  We make do, even though better is possible.  We know change is messy and uncomfortable so we keep doing what we've always done.  But once we make that first change, and we see the transformation that will lead us to new and better ways of teaching and learning, it's hard to stop.  The excitement of a building (or improvement) project breathes new life into what used to be routine.  When we learn new ways to plan and teach, we have to assess them for effectiveness as it pertains to the goal of improving student understanding.  We often need help, and asking for that help or knowing where to find it is a challenge.  Additionally, we have to stay within our budget, as well as look for ways to let go of some of the things we've always done so we don't run out of space in our teaching tool bag (or take away from the limited time we have).  And lastly it is important to recognize that schools don't stop having school during the change process.  We keep teaching and students keep learning while we are putting in new systems designed to improve our effectiveness. When we do dismiss students for a day for teacher work days or professional development, it is an opportunity for those constructing the change to learn, assess, and revise so they can continue to improve and move forward, transforming what was into what it can be.

So take the time on this #throwbackthursday to reflect on and appreciate where you've been, but take those lessons and look forward to bigger and better things.  Life is a series of significant moments and experiences that shape our todays and tomorrows.  


Maybe #throwbackthursday should really be #transformationthursday!  


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Be Royal and Other Teachable Moments for Education

10/1/2014

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PicturePhoto courtesy of Chicago Tribune
Last night, I sat in my living room alternating from anxiety to quiet cheering (my husband had gone to bed!) over the many highs and lows of the wild and wholly Kansas City Royals and Oakland A's play off game.  This morning, I look back on that crazy game and the season that the Royals have had and think about the many teachable moments that classrooms everywhere could be having today whether you're a fan or not (and how could you not be?).

The first lesson is Never Give Up.  Persevere.  Find a way.  All season long, the Royals have been streaky, finding ways to climb atop the Central Division of the American League, only to slide and have to regain their momentum.   In games, they found ways to claw back and beat teams that thought they had a win sewed up.   Never giving up requires a belief in yourself and a willingness to continue to look for answers after recognizing that what you were doing wasn't working.  It also means moving past mistakes, whether they be player throwing errors or managerial strategic errors.  Tuesday night's game was no exception.  A base running blunder shut down an early rally.  Swinging at pitches far out of the strike zone on a regular basis demonstrated their own anxiety as they tried to make the comeback happen with every pitch.  And then there was that first pitching change that had us all scratching our heads.  How many times have we given up as students, or in relationships, or at work because we let the obstacles overshadow the fact we had the ability to dig down a little deeper and still achieve the goal?  How many times have we made an adjustment that just didn't work, so we stopped trying to find more solutions and instead just said, "Oh well," and let it go?  Not the Royals.

The second lesson is Utilize Your Strengths.  All season long (and last night during the national broadcast) we heard about how the Royals aren't home run hitters... in fact the worst team in Major League Baseball.  Yet we found a way to win 89 regular season games, so there had to be some sort of talent there.  They call it the small ball game.  Dinking and doinking hits (as Rex Huddler the Royals TV commentator would say) and running wild on the base paths.  We don't seem to possess natural power but we can run, and run we did all season long (leading the Majors in stolen bases).  Last night alone the Royals had 7 stolen bases and 5 in the nail-biting last few innings!  The A's designated hitter hit 2 home runs last night, accounting for 5 runs.  And they lost.  So power isn't always the answer.  The key is to take advantage of your strengths to minimize your weaknesses.  If a student isn't a great test taker, then be the best writer, analyst, or discussion leader possible.  Learn the material in ways that you understand it thoroughly and can apply it.  Then every now and then you'll hit that test out of the ball park, but in between times, you are still winning games in different ways.

The third lesson is teamwork.  We accomplish a lot more when we work with others rather than trying to do everything ourselves.  No one has all the answers all of the time.  While last night's game ended with one player getting the winning hit, it was the team and their loyal, maniacal fans that kept the possibilities of a win alive all night long even when the scoreboard showed it might be an early exit to the first post season appearance in 29 years.  You could see the players encouraging each other and planning strategy.  The fans were on their feet, doing their part cheering wildly and chanting, "Let's go Roy-als!" over and over.  They rallied together and won together, and had they lost, they would have lost together too.  They own their mistakes and give credit to others when they succeed.  They feed off each other and the energy generated by the roaring crowd.  Relationships matter on and off the field, in and out of the classroom, and in the work place.  You have each other's back.  You try out new ideas and help find ways to succeed together.  You celebrate successes and  encourage and comfort when things aren't going well.  It's easy to support a consistent winner.  It's the sign of a true commitment to show unconditional love and support through the droughts and disappointments of "close but no cigars."  And in the end that belief, camaraderie, and support gives us the tools and the motivation to persevere and emerge as winners. 

Post Game Thoughts.  In the world of education and politics we can learn a lot from the Royals win last night, and the journey that got them this far.  There have been disagreements over strategies and performances, and calls from fans for the ouster of the manager or for players to be traded, but in the end, the boys in blue band together everyday and play the game.  Success doesn't happen overnight.  The last 2 years they have utilized their strengths and put together winning seasons after the owner was finally willing to put some money into obtaining and retaining the talent that is needed to make the goal of winning easier to accomplish.  With our political fights polarizing our populace and making it difficult for schools to do what they need to do to effectively provide the best education possible for our students, teachers go to work every day and play the game.  They utilize their dwindling resources to the best of their ability, working for a win each and every day.  But we recognize that this is a team effort and one that comes with the need to obtain and retain the best educators and provide them with the necessary tools and resources.  Most of all, educators need all of our SUPPORT to cheer them on, work with them and not against them.  When we support education the way we support our favorite teams, the final score will show a win for our kids and that's what really matters.  Be Royal!

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    Author

    Vicki Bechard, 
    Owner and Lead Consultant

    I express myself best when I write, even though most who know me think I talk quite a bit!  

    I'm an educator first and foremost whether my students are kids, teachers, or my own children and grandchildren.  

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