Thrive in Unfavorable Conditions - July 9, 2025

Thrive in Unfavorable Conditions

In my last blog, Peaks and Valleys, I mentioned how Chicagoland has been experiencing a heat wave these past weeks of summer. This has made for some very unfavorable temps for runners training for the Chicago Marathon on October 12, 2025. As I look at my lawn, and basically everyone’s in the neighborhood, it’s brown and hasn’t really moved any closer to the sun in about two weeks. When I place my foot on it, there is a brittleness I can feel through my eardrums and I immediately think how this is not the yard I would have gotten grass stains from as a kid. The only things that seem to be growing are the unattractive weeds and crabgrass that thrive in these unfavorably parched conditions. 

As I finished my four-miler I walked to the side of my house and saw something that clutched my eye. Five vibrant pink roses, close together, high above any of the weeds making their statement, declared their dominance. It was an amazing sight, not something I was expecting, but needed. 

These five roses don’t care that the current spiced temperatures are not what they typically thrive in. It doesn’t matter to them that they are lacking the proper amount of hydration to prosper. These five roses agreed to use teamwork and said, “Screw it, we’re not going dormant, let’s show everyone and everything how beautiful and strong we are together.” 

Throughout life, we all will find ourselves in a drought, gasping for water to quench our thirst and find shelter from the temperatures that are draining the moisture out of our bodies. We will find ourselves slowing, crawling, and dragging our bodies against the sharp, crisp blades of grass. Our mind will begin to tell us that it’s no use, just give up, stop clawing at the Earth, trying to move forward. It’s during these times we must think of the five pink roses. We must find and rely on our team, knowing they bring strength when we may not feel it inside. Together, we will rise up and stand strong and thrive despite the unfavorable circumstances we may find ourselves in. We must remember that it’s not the environment surrounding us that determines our growth, but ourselves. 

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Pick up my book, The Educulture Cookbook: Recipes & Dishes to Positively Transform Classroom & School Culture with EduMatch Publishing.

Peaks & Valleys - July 1, 2025

 Peaks & Valleys

A few weeks ago I kicked off my official training for the Chicago Marathon which will take place on Sunday, October 12, 2025. This will be my 8th running of Chicago, and one thing that I have learned is that no two runs are ever the same. 

Chicagoland, much like the rest of the country, has been experiencing a heat wave these last few weeks. Even with lacing up and getting out the door by 6:00 am, the humidity is disgusting, leaving you feeling like you’re running endraped in a wet blanket. This heat and humidity will naturally force a runner to take a slower pace most times. Every once in a while I’ll finish a run through Hell’s Furnace, glance down at my watch to have my sweat filled eyeballs jump out of my skull while my jaw dives like it’s wearing concrete filled boots towards the ground to see a pace I was not expecting. Then the next day, pretty much the same temps and humidity, a pace slower than a turtle crossing a four-lane road. 

Many of my runs have been of the latter mentioned. What I’ve noticed while I’m grinding through them, whether it’s a three-miler or a nine, there is always a pattern. I feel great and am grateful to get to run every day. Then my legs will feel heavy, my lungs searching for a good, deep breath, sweat engulfing my body, my mind asking me if this is even worth it and reminding me that I didn’t hydrate properly, I ate too much junk, I’m getting too old for this running thing. Then, I’ll be back to enjoying the time on my feet in the neighborhood, again sharing gratitude that I am able to and get to run. 

These phases of my runs, they always differ. Sometimes I’ll be in the euphoric, blessed state for 90% of the run, while other times I’m in the pain cave for a majority of the time my feet are pitter-pattering against the warm concrete. These different phases, I call them my peaks and valleys. The highs are when I’m at the peak, soaring above everything else, overlooking the beauty of this world. The lows, those are when I’m in the valley, fighting through the trenches when all I can see is dirt and shadows, fighting the inner dialogue in my head. 

As I was running 6 this morning, I was out of the valley pretty quick, only lasting a minute or two in there. As I was summiting the peak, inching towards the end of my run, I asked myself why I thought every run always ends at a peak and not a valley? Looking back throughout my life, I could not remember one single run that ended in a valley. As I was finishing, about to stand on that peak today, hands in the air and a smile covering my face, I realized why. The valleys that are traveled through during a run, they’re just a path to get to the peak. We need the valleys, they are a necessity to travel from peak to peak. By finishing a run, by completing the mileage that was stated to run for that day, we fight through those valleys. By not staying in the valley shows our character, our determination, our drive to keep fighting, knowing that the valley we’re currently in is only a path, a route, and not our destination. 

The next time you’re on a run and find yourself in a valley, remember it’s only temporary. Don’t stop, keep moving forward and you will find that peak. And if you’re not a runner, still remember this, because I’m not talking about running here. 

***

Pick up my book, The Educulture Cookbook: Recipes & Dishes to Positively Transform Classroom & School Culture with EduMatch Publishing.

Stress Management: Doing What you Don't Want to Do to Feel Better - June 2, 2025

“I just feel like I’m on edge! Everything and everyone just irritates me to no end! I feel like I’m going to blow! This is the worst year!” 

“You say this every May, Mike. Every year.” 

“No I don’t, this year is different!” 

Through chuckles, “No it’s not, you said this and were in the same state last year.” 

“I’m not even doing the things I enjoy. I’m not speaking, I’m not podcasting, I’m not writing, I’m not doing anything.” 

“Well, why not?”

This was a convo I had with a very good friend the other week. And she’s not wrong, I do get overwhelmed, fed up, and irritated every May while we’re trying to wind down the school year and student behavior seems to take the opposite approach and rise up. But it was the simple question she asked me, “Well, why not?” stopped me dead in my rant. Why am I not doing what I love, what helps to serve as my outlet? Why am I not being disciplined and finding the time to lift weights or run each day? Why am I not sitting down and just writing, something I used to do every day. Some days great blogs and even a book came out of it, others were just a way to escape and regroup. The answer, because taking care of ourselves, in the midst of chaos, stress, and sometimes disorder, is hard. It’s not as simple as just practicing self care. We need to have discipline to administer self care to ourselves. 

To engage in activities that bring us joy, that clear our minds, and feed into a positive mindset and outlook, we need to have discipline. It almost seems counterintuitive, we need to do what we don’t want to do to feel better, to have a stronger, more positive mindset. But it’s true. To get out of a dark place we must do hard things. Hard things are the light that we are searching for. We need to do the things we don’t have the motivation for to be in a much better state physically, emotionally, and mentally. 

Since that simple question was posed to me, I’ve once again begun embracing and forcing myself to do the hard things I was avoiding, knowing damn well the entire time that those “things” were what I needed. Here’s a brief breakdown: 

• Journal 1 page every day

• Get in movement, lifting, running, or walking for 30 minutes every day

• Read 10 pages a day

• Write 300 words per day

• Submit proposals for speaking opportunities at upcoming educational conferences

These simple things, while looking at them seem easy and don’t require a lot of effort, actually do. When we become overwhelmed, stressed, and frustrated, these simple tasks are nearly impossible to do. It’s much easier to not put forth the effort, the discipline, to complete them and instead resort to bingeing television, eating crappy foods, having a few too many alcoholic beverages, and not doing anything to work towards truly taking care of ourselves. 

What I can tell you, from personal experience, is that when we put forth the discipline to complete the tasks and activities we know we should to take care of ourselves, something shifts inside of us. Some of those feelings of despair, they leave, and instead pride, confidence, and hope begin to set in. The key is, in order to keep those positive feelings in place, we need to be disciplined to continue, each and every day, to complete those self-care tasks. When we do, productivity will rise and opportunities we were not even expecting will be present. 

I know it’s hard, trust me I know. I’ve been there, more times than I’d like to admit. But also trust me on knowing that it will be worth it. I’m putting discipline over motivation going forward, come along, we got this.  

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Pick up my book, The Educulture Cookbook: Recipes & Dishes to Positively Transform Classroom & School Culture with EduMatch Publishing.

Muted: Get into a Fight Every Morning to Become a Better Leader

Muted: Get into a Fight Every Morning to Become a Better Leader

March 20, 2025

“After fighting, everything else in your life got the volume turned down.” 

This quote comes from one of my favorite books and movies, Fight Club. Fight Club was the first novel by Chuck Palahniuk. If you’ve never read it, I highly recommend it as there are so many parallels and lessons that apply to life, to make us stronger mentally, ready to become the best versions of ourselves to serve others. I’ve been wanting to do a study comparing the lessons explored in Fight Club to those with education, and this blog may be the first in a series. Who knows, the first rule is, “We don’t talk about Fight Club.” 

The opening quote of this blog is spoken by the narrator, in the movie played by Edward Norton, and he is stating that after being in a fight, after giving your all, your blood, sweat, and tears, all of the little things in life that used to bring about anger, annoyance, frustration, and sadness, well, they don’t seem to bring those feelings onto you anymore. After being in a fight, win or lose, you’ve proven to yourself how strong you are, mentally and physically. You’ve proven to yourself that you can endure hard, painful, and difficult times, and still stand back up, and move forward. Fighting, doing something hard, testing yourself and the limits you thought you had on yourself, were all just shattered by you. 

Now I’m not recommending we all go out, join an underground fight club, channel our inner Tyler Durden, and walk around bandaged, bloodied, and bruised. But the opening quote, it is one that I have adopted into my life and strive to practice everyday. And those days that I do live by it, are some of the best days I experience when everything else gets muted.

Most weekday mornings my alarm goes off at 4:45 A.M. For no matter how many years I’ve been setting it for that time, I never am excited to just jump out of bed and begin wrestling the day. In all honesty, every time I contemplate not hitting “Snooze,” but resetting it and staying in my warm, cozy, comfortable bed. I’m happy to admit that there are more days than not where I DO get up at that 4:45 AM alarm. I know that if I don’t, I won’t get in my fight for the day, and then everything that comes my way as an elementary school principal will have the volume at full blast. 

Once I’m up I begin prepping for my fight. I drink some electrolytes and down a cup of coffee. I’m not the type of fighter to enter the ring without a little caffeine boost. After those are consumed I get into my daily fight. I know that it will be tough, that one cup of coffee may not have been enough, but it will have to do, as the first round bell is about to ring. 

Fighting is all about movement, and that’s exactly what I do. Running anywhere from 4 miles or more. Lifting weights. Going for a ride on the Peloton. It sometimes depends on the weather (I do live in Chicagoland) or if I’m training for a race, but these mornings, my fight is to get in at least 30 minutes of movement. Almost every morning, I’m proud to say my fight goes into extra rounds.

I’ve noticed through informal tracking with journaling that the days I got into that fight before most of the world was up, my writing and reflection was much more positive. When my amazing admin assistants call me on the radio that an upset parent is waiting, or a classroom needs an administrator for assistance, or any of the other unplanned situations a principal experiences on a day to day basis, I’m not phased by them. I’m actually excited and more eager to take on that test as I have already taken on my toughest challenge for the day, first thing. That fight that I put myself into during those early hours, nothing will be harder than that. And guess what, I’m still standing. I’m still breathing. I’m still here.

Turning the volume down and everything in life doesn’t mean we ignore it or don’t put stock into its importance. That upset parent, they need to be heard and reassured we are a team and doing what is best for their child. That student that is disrupting the learning for others needs to be removed and talked with to find the reason behind their behaviors and taught appropriate coping techniques. But by putting ourselves through hard things, getting into a fight, on purpose, of our own accord, each day, it makes those day to day trials, where we serve others, easier to handle. 

I know the first and second rule is we don’t talk about it, but it truly comes down to taking care of ourselves first to be the best for those we serve. 

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Pick up my book, The Educulture Cookbook: Recipes & Dishes to Positively Transform Classroom & School Culture with EduMatch Publishing.

Birdbox: Beginning the School Year Blindfolded - February 26, 2025

 

“Uuummm…why do we need a blindfold for the back to school faculty meeting?”

I could see the fear and terror in her eyes as she asked. A sinister feeling began bubbling up throughout my body, fermenting in my gut. My legs became shaky with excitement. I knew that I had her, the anticipation, the trepidation, was eating at her, and as much as she was looking forward to the start of our 24/25 school year, she was dreading those first hours together. 

As a sly half smile began to rise towards my right ear, I finally responded as I saw beads of sweat begin to form on her suntanned brow. 

“Because. Are you scared?” 

After she let out a deep sigh, threw her hands up to the sky and then back towards the ground, she said with a hesitant, nervous laugh, “No, I just don’t know why we would need a blindfold for a faculty meeting!” 

*

Being an elementary school principal for the past thirteen years, I’ve always viewed faculty meetings as an opportunity to engage our staff with lessons that were out of the box, collaborative, and FUN! I know I can’t stand it, when I literally can’t stand because I’m bolted to a seat, in a meeting that lasts hours, so why would I ever expect that from the amazing educators I get to serve daily? While all of the activities I provide at our monthly faculty meetings are geared towards our staff and whatever topic we are diving into that day; data analysis, discussing hot topics in education, or problem solving, my goal is to use an activity that will engage them, making them forget they are spending a contractual hour or two after school, and find a way to make the activity their own and bring it back to their students. 

A successful faculty meeting begins days, sometimes weeks before it actually happens. Like any harvest, the seeds need to be planted and time needs to pass. Two weeks before our back to school faculty meeting was to take place, I sent out our “Welcome Back” email to staff. In it, I mentioned that for our faculty meeting portion of Institute Day One, all staff needed to bring a blindfold, and if someone didn’t bring one, I would provide one. That’s it, nothing more and nothing less to explain. One responsibility for Opening Day, bring your own blindfold. 

*

Opening Day for the 24/25 School Year has finally arrived! The day began with our entire district meeting in the middle school gym for an opening address from our superintendent, district admin, and keynote speaker. Throughout the morning, before everything kicked off and everyone was mingling, many staff came up to me and referenced the need for a blindfold. Each time, that sly half-smile would begin to raise towards my right ear. Each time it was brought up, I always responded the same. I would look towards the ground, then slowly lift my head up, stopping when our eyes met and locked. “You’ll see.” 

After a morning together at our district’s middle school, everyone grabbed a box lunch provided from our gracious board of education, and had about an hour to eat and get back to our campus. Once I got back to our building, I sprinted to my office and scarfed down my sandwich and chips like a stray dog who is enjoying their first meal in their newly adopted forever home. As I walked to our LRC (Learning Resource Center) I had a little skip in my step and a smile that reached from ear to ear. I love our faculty meetings. I love the anticipation leading up to them, the fun, friendly tension as everyone tries to come up with their own solution as to what we are going to be doing. 

As staff began to file into the room they were greeted by smiles and a mix of the top ‘90’s alternative hits playing. I noticed that some staff had scarves and headbands, while others had sleeping masks, and yet some had no hint of bringing a blindfold. After running through the welcome back spiel, introduction of new staff, my personal goals for the school year, I stopped, looked over the playing field for my hyped up activity, and asked, “Does everyone have a blindfold?”

Many reluctantly said they did, in which I replied with a puzzled look on my face as my eyebrows resembled Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s famous look from the squared circle, “Really, cuz I don’t see everyone having one.” 

At that point, almost everyone that did not have their blindfold in plain sight reached into the deep abyss of their purse, pocket, or portfolio and produced a blindfold. Only two staff admitted they did not have one. That sinister, half smile began rising towards my right ear, and I showed them what I would provide for a blindfold, a white, cotton mask provided by the government when students and staff returned back from the Pandemic. If you’re wondering what it looked like, imagine a female sanitary napkin that can wrap around your ears to be held to your face. One staff member quickly lept from their seat and flew out of the LRC, only to return within seconds with what could be used as a blindfold. 

“Alright, I need everyone to get into the group based on the number of their playing cards. I’ve mixed two decks together so we will have some groups of more than four. Find a table or area your group can get around to work collaboratively. And bring nothing but your blindfold with.” After stating the instructions like the host of a reality game show, I gave staff about 72 seconds to get to their area of their choosing. Once I saw groups claim their space, I walked over and placed a string of yarn on their playing area. Once everyone had their turf, I continued with the instructions. 

“Who has seen the movie Birdbox with Sandra Bullock on Netflix? Can someone who has seen it please give an elevator trailer for those who haven’t?” After being provided the synopsis of Birdbox from one of our social workers, the spotlight was back on me. 

“So what we’re going to do is everyone is going to put their blindfolds on and as a team, I need each group to create a perfect square, a box, while blindfolded. Once you think you have it, get my attention and I will come by to get a picture and assess your progress. Everyone got it? Blindfolds on!  Now go!”

Each group quickly got to work. Some dove right into beginning to create their box, while others talked about their approach and strategy. As I scaffolded the room, checking on everyone’s progress, not one person seemed to be cheating by not using their blindfold correctly. 

The ‘90’s alternative hits were silenced and the air now permeated with laughter. Teamwork was abundant as every group wanted to create the perfect box. Many of the groups called out my name to signify they were complete while others just yelled with laughter. One group all through their hands up into the sky, only to have their box fall apart into a circular-rectangular-squiggly shape. “You don’t have a box anymore once you let go! What were you thinking?” I got out through my own laughter, which only was fuel to enhance theirs louder and heartier. 

*

The Birdbox activity served the purpose of creating a fun, engaging, and friendly competitive atmosphere while building teamwork with staff that may not normally work with one another. We also discussed that while every group essentially completed the Birdbox challenge, some had more perfect squares than others, some took longer to reach their end goal, every group took a different approach, and each individual had a crucial role in Birdbox where each team needed to rely on and trust their members. 

When you take the blindfold off it sounds pretty similar to what ingredients lead to a successful classroom. 

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Pick up my book, The Educulture Cookbook: Recipes & Dishes to Positively Transform Classroom & School Culture with EduMatch Publishing.

Predictable: Predictable Habits for an Unpredictable Life - 1/29/25

 

The other night, I was reading, for the second go around, Atomic Habits by James Clear. If you’re not familiar with Clear’s work, especially this book, I highly recommend you pick it up and give it a gander. It’s an easy read, especially for the topic, which discusses our habits, both good and bad, and Clear provides strategies to either help build or eliminate based on our goals. As I was saying, this is my second reading of this book, one of the few books that I will re-read. If you’re wondering why I’m re-reading it, I’ve felt that since my last consumption of it, over two years ago, I have been struggling to build new, positive habits in my life. Atomic Habits helped me in the past and I have no doubts that it will once again. 

As I was reading and highlighting key takeaways, my wife looked over at me and asked, “What are you reading now?” About a week prior, I finished my first book of 2025, Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk. Fight Club is another book I have re-read. In fact, for the past five years, it has been the very book I read to kick off each new year. I look over my left shoulder, holding my blue highlighter between the index and middle finger in my right hand like a cigarette, and respond, “Atomic Habits. It’s about strategies to build positive habits and eliminate bad ones.” With her book resting on her lap, she slowly began turning her head to look forward, away from me, picks up her book, shakes her head and says, “Didn’t you already read that? You’re so predictable,” and continued to bury herself back into her book. 

I’ve contemplated this comment, “You’re so predictable,” for the past few days and realized that is exactly what I want with what goals I’m striving for. In order to build positive habits, we need to be predictable. Some may feel that being predictable leads to a boring life, no spontaneity, but I disagree. I feel that being predictable is a key ingredient for an exciting life, a life made of crushing goals and living in what many only have as dreams. 

James Clear obviously says it much better than me, he is the “Habit Expert,” but basically, creating positive habits won’t happen by simply wishing them into existence. We can say all we want of what we want to do, what we want to accomplish, but unless we put the work forth those wants are just daydreams. Positive habits need to be built into our lives with cues, support, a shift in mindset, and habit stacking. Again, I’m not going to try and explain the process and benefits of Atomic Habits, so please pick up the book and give it a read yourself, you won’t be disappointed. 

By being predictable, I know what habits throughout my day are going to happen. These are habits that I have put in place to reach the goals I have set for myself. Here’s a rough breakdown of a perfect day implementing my habits: 

5:00 Am Wakeup

Hydrate

Coffee

Prayer

Daily Stoic

Journal/reflection

Minimum 30 minutes of movement (lifting, running, or cycling)

Visit 3 classrooms

Complete tasks on my 3 item “To Do” list

Family time

Read

Sleep

These are the non-negotiables that I strive to get done each and every day. Of course, not every day is perfect, but there are definitely more days than not that I accomplish each habit. For the days that I don’t, tomorrow is a new day and I work to be 1% better than the day before. 

Being an elementary principal, husband, and father of a 13 and 16 year old, the times in between my habits are far from predictable. It’s the predictability of my daily habits that keep me grounded, focused, and working towards my goals and prepare me to take on all of the unpredictability of my predictable life. 

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Pick up my book, The Educulture Cookbook: Recipes & Dishes to Positively Transform Classroom & School Culture with EduMatch Publishing.

Start Today - 12/30/24

 

It has been some time since I’ve sat down and put my thoughts to paper, well screen, in the form of a blog. To be honest, it’s been 270 days. I wish I had some great explanation as to why I haven’t been writing. Why I wrote two blogs within two days of each other, submitted one to Teach Better, Time for an Upgrade, and then just sat on the other. The only reasoning I can muster up as to why I haven’t been doing one of my favorite forms of self-care is because I just haven’t been disciplined. Like with any habit, good or bad, the less it is practiced the less it becomes a staple of our lives. That is going to be my goal for 2025: building habits through discipline as to what brings me joy, peace, happiness, and a clear mind. 2025 is going to not only be the year that I get back to being me, but transforming into a new me, the me that I know I can, and should have been, all this time.

Now I know what you’re thinking, I sound like every hopeful individual setting lofty goals for the New Year. I don’t disagree, I do. And you’re thinking, I probably make goals like this this time of year EVERY year, and if they stuck, I wouldn’t be setting the same, or similar goals, every year. And again, you’re correct. But the difference this time, this year, is my mindset. I’m fed up with not doing what makes me happy. I’m exhausted with feeling exhausted, pretending to take care of myself when it’s not even coming close to 70% of the time. I’m done with not living up to my potential and setting a better example for my kids. I’m done with the old Mike, the Mike that has spent the past 44 years half-assing his way through life, getting lucky with giving nearly 70% and reaching some goals. It’s time to be 1% better every day. The boring, disciplined habits, day in and day out, are what are going to lead to goals not only being met, but crushed!

As you can probably figure out from context clues, one of these goals is to get back to blogging. Blogging has always been something I loved, a way to express myself and get my thoughts, feelings, and heart out there. Whether it has to do with topics in education, family issues, running, or just life in general, blogging has always provided me comfort and has been a drug to clear my mind. Like I said earlier, it’s time to not only find myself again, but to sculpt the new and improved me. I appreciate your support and helping to keep me accountable on this journey.

I stopped setting resolutions years ago. I had adopted the “One Word” approach for a few years and then a mantra, where one would find a few words out of a word search-like picture, and those words became the ones to live the year by. You can read or listen to my previous words below.

2019 - BELIEVE

2020 - WATER

2021 - PRISM

2023 - MANTRA (blog)

2023 - MANTRA (podcast)

This year the four words that I found first were, STRENGTH, MONEY, ALIGNMENT, MIRACLES. I was pretty pleased with these words and felt that they suited myself, and my goals, perfectly. So what I’ve decided to do is create four separate blogs, each blog focusing on one of these words. This will be me diving back into the world of blogging, something that I can already feel a weight being lifted off of my shoulders and a fog clearing in my mind as I write this one!

To wrap this one up, our intro, I mentioned before that while this looks and sounds like so many others who dive into the New Year with a candle burning bright, only to have it fizzle out a few weeks later, this isn’t a New Year thing. It just happens to be that time of year. Instead, this is a “it’s been long overdue to make a change to reach your full potential” thing. Hence why we’re starting today, Monday, December 30, 2024.

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Pick up my book, The Educulture Cookbook: Recipes & Dishes to Positively Transform Classroom & School Culture with EduMatch Publishing.