It's never too late to be what you might have been....

Jan 23, 2009

It's never too late to be what you might have been.---George Elliot

The Bottom Line In the end, the world can take away everything BUT what one knows.

Many times in my half-century analysis of what it means and what I have learned by surviving fifty years on this earth, I have also experienced the times that I term the “What Ifs” and “I can’t do that—it’s too late…”

I have accepted a few things like never being able to complete a triple axel – and landing it with cleaning the floor with my rear. Or, a triple somersault pike dive off of a 10-meter springboard is not going to happen. I’d have to want to put on a bathing suit first! Not!

I have ‘learned’ that flying off my grandfather’s chicken coop into mud that was really manure is not something one wants to do a second time. I have ‘learned’ to judge the content of a person by their heart and not their façade. I have ‘learned’ that it’s easier to laugh than it is to cry—and it burns off more calories.

I have ‘accepted’ that life has consequences that must be studied before jumping off the cliff of life without a bungee cord of faith attached. I have ‘accepted’ that I can’t change the entire world but I can change my itsy bitsy corner of it. I have ‘accepted’ that some people are immobile and inflexible in their thinking even if it causes them to sink more deeply in the quicksand pool they’re wading in.

I have come to ‘understand’ my negatives and work on turning them into my positives. I have come to ‘understand’ my limitations and work on enhancing my abilities.

I have been accepted into graduate school to earn a Master’s of Science in Education degree scheduled to be completed by December of 2003. Why???

I figured out ‘it’s NOT too late’ to learn enough to accept the challenge of running a school that balances academics and athletics as both can serve the ability of students to achieve an above average education in the public schools of this country.

What mental earthquake motivated this change of a life course?

Self-Initiative.

Self-initiative is an absolute talent all educators must possess in order to diagnose the specific needs to be addressed to enable the students, teachers, and the school community to move forward. Best practices are best implemented through communication with all stakeholders. Find out what everyone is about!

Everyone learns different concepts and abilities on different timetables. Delivering education using a homogenized formula is not logical - educators must take the risk of trying new methods! This is accomplished by establishing the ability to examine school performance, the curriculum, the school population in order to create or improve curriculum, implement better methods, nurture self-concepts, initiate new 21st century coursework and do whatever it takes. Ergo, initiative is one of the best practices to better serve all stakeholders.

Funding, testing, and lack of community involvement in schools are three of the most critical areas detrimentally affecting students’ abilities to perform. Funding and testing systems could be adjudicated if there was more community involvement in schools.

Several ways to identify community interest are inclusive of property taxes, numbers of parents involved in Parent-Teacher-Student organizations, parent attendance at Parent/Teacher Conferences, disciplinary processes, community attendance at school board meetings, mentoring programs, after school programs, and community spirit exhibited at athletic/academic competitions.

Schools who do not enjoy positive community interdiction are fighting to deliver education to students in an environment where few adults really care about the quality of instruction, student performance, school facilities, parent/student involvement in the educational process, and community attitude towards the school.

To battle negativity, educators must prove the viability of skills students need to aspire to higher career levels. One way to hook the parents is to hook the kids; however, that is not always a guarantee because not all parents truly take an interest in their student’s performance.

Another project includes sending students out to established community volunteer programs proving to the community that there are more positive students than they thought. Student achievement must be reported in the school newspaper and published inside the local paper.

This allows parents/community to easily discover what is going on in the schools. With more parental involvement, student’s aspirations rise because people will meet the level of expectations/standards required. Now solving other problems becomes doable because communication has increased. Within the school system, the concept of volunteerism is easier to promote because of personal involvement by administrators. The key reason for any educator to be a volunteer is that it demonstrates the importance of putting effort in giving back to the community.

It also tells the community that educators are valuable and resourceful plus it allows people to see educators as regular people who care about the state of the community along with espousing the need for the community to share its’ expertise inside the schools. Networks forged can lead to a connection to help all school stakeholders and show the community it is valuable and does have a voice in the educational system. This philosophy can be integrated into any school setting. The world is full of potholes ergo to better survive, people should keep a life toolbox. The primary tools are self-esteem, common sense, communication, initiative, experience, and a copy of the “Golden Rules.”

Having strong values uplifts Self-Esteem making it the beacon that allows better Common Sense application when making life decisions. Communication is important to gauge ‘real’ life, but it is also constructive to communicate the purpose of the system. The Initiative tool helps everyone to think beyond the box and Experience enhances the ability to take logical leaps of faith towards achieving dreams.

If a student claims the ultimate dream is to be a professional athlete, it is encouraged because who has the right to be the judge / jury of the dream? One may be cognizant of the odds, but encourage a student to also incorporate a Plan B and maybe a Plan C because life is uncertain and it is prudent to always leave open other life paths and opportunities.

Lastly, practicing the “Golden Rules” is essential. If one must hide an activity, it is not the right thing. But, if one can share the activity with all, the best decision was made.

In the end, the world can take away everything BUT what one knows. If educational administrations practiced these ideas the school becomes successful because everyone cares about what they are doing.

Once people care, quality results follow. What did I find out? I care enough to trod the path a Master’s degree puts people through in order to earn the title of Principal.

Maybe I also figured out that I have spent so much time on the “Visitor’s” side of the desk that I would prefer to try out the “Home” team’s side.

I can promise you one thing: I will never tell a kid to drop out of school because I don’t want to deal with the problems they act out at school. Rather, I will find out what the problem is. The student and I will work for a solution with the promise of a high school diploma the hot dog—the condiments ‘may’ be Miss K. doing the “Thou Shalt Not Whine” tap dance.

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