I have tried throughout the course of the year to encourage our teachers. I have tried to be more conscious and aware of showing my appreciation for all that they do. I have tried to emphasize, highlight and celebrate the heroic efforts of our teachers. I've encouraged teachers to offer a note of praise after completing FOCUS group walk and talk thrus (FOCUS group walk and talk thrus are when I travel with a group of 3 - 4 teachers and conduct short, pop-in observations and then conduct dialogue with the group about what was just observed in the classroom). I've acknowledged noteworthy efforts by our teachers in my weekly bulletin to faculty and staff. I've tried to continue to recognize students for living out our schools mission statement during monthly morning assemblies. This year, I've even started to invite parents to come and witness the presentation of this Incarnation Inspiration award at our assemblies. I have tried to remain positive and promote that positive energy to the various groups within our school community.
I'm going to continue to try my best with encouraging people!
My fifth goal for the 2012 - 13 school year is to EMPOWER. I have asked students to help with the planning and execution of prayer services (Advent and Grandparents Day). I've had students being the DJ's at two of our school events this year (Family Fun Run and Spring Picnic). I've asked teachers to work in professional learning communities to assist in our efforts to incorporate Understanding by Design into our planning, instruction and assessment. I have attempted to have teachers maintain power and control of their classrooms and/or students by helping to guide them through various issues and problems, as appropriate, instead of solving it for them. I have given our still relatively new Dads Club a bit more autonomy this year. Our School Advisory Board is working toward an alumni event at the end of the school year. People, as a general rule, are reluctant to take on leadership positions. I have tried, though, to offer smaller tasks and more confined time frames to help people feel more empowered.
The sixth goal that I am trying to accomplish this school year is to ENERGIZE. I'd like to think of myself as an energetic and enthusiastic person. I hope that even doing something as silly as trying to compose 40 blogs throughout Lent is somehow energizing. If nothing else, maybe some of the songs that I post are uplifting.
(Cue upbeat jam):
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I have hoped to ELEVATE all that we do at ICS to a level worthy of being a Catholic School. I have tried to stay focused on Christ, realizing that He is the Reason for our school. It is my goal to ensure that always use our mission to inspire life-long learners, challenge individuals to be disciples of Christ and strive to serve others as the lens through which we make decisions, interact, speak, behave and even exist.
If we can't make incarnate His teachings, actions and life then our work is nothing more than toil and our goals are nothing more than earthly.
And all of the other goals I hope to accomplish this year are for nothing, if I don't have love and I don't make real Christ's love to my teachers, my students, their parents and families and our Incarnation community.
It's time to being.
