WATER - #OneWord202 - January 7, 2020

WATER

#OneWord2020

January 7, 2020

By, Michael Earnshaw

@mearnshaw158

In 2019, I chose to forgo resolutions and instead live by the #oneword phenomenon. I was excited about this new approach, but a little apprehensive. How could just one word bring me a fulfilled, joyful, 365 days? 

Throughout the last few weeks of 2018, I contemplated and pondered what #oneword I would hold in my heart throughout my relationship with 2019. This was an elephant sized decision for me, and I didn’t want to pick a word that wasn’t meaningful or brought unattainable goals. It wasn’t until January 8, 2019 that I had my #oneword2019.

The word that I lived by this past year was BELIEVE. Click the word to read it if you haven’t yet. 

I truly BELIEVED that my #oneword2020 would come much easier to me this year. It was now the second time I’d choose to live by #oneword, which basically makes me a semi-pro. To my unbelieving surprise, it was not any easier. In fact, #oneword2020 was much more difficult than I ever would have BELIEVED. 

For 2020, I wanted to choose a word that built off of 2019’s. 2019 was one of my best years professionally and personally. Dreams and goals that I have had since I was a young punk rocker, waxing up parking blocks at the corner bank after hours, grinding, railing, and blunt sliding over that block with our skateboards for hours on end Friday nights. I lived 2019 BELIEVING that I was going to break out of my comfort zone and make an impact in the world. I’m pleased to say that this has happened, but it’s only just the beginning.

WATER. This is my #oneword2020. I chose this word because I simply can’t just BELIEVE what I want to happen anymore. That part is over. Those dreams, those goals, have already begun to blossom. The seeds were planted in 2019. Now it’s time to feed them to watch them grow for years to come. 

WATER brings life. Seeds are planted. Trees, plants, flowers, crops, all need water to bloom into their full potential. Writing, podcasting, speaking are all seeds that begun in 2019. I BELIEVED I could do those, and do those I have very well. Now is the time to WATER those seeds, and witness them expand further, touch more educators than I ever imagined possible. 

WATER is strength. WATER can cut through rock. It can carry the heaviest of semi-trucks like they are weightless. I need to be the strength for my family. I need to advocate for my son, who has special needs. I need to be the protector of my daughter, to guide her to choose the right man that will treat her like the princess she is. I must be strong for my wife, carrying my weight and more so she is not overburdened with carrying our family.

WATER is persistent. It will continually flow if we allow it to. I cannot stop feeding my dreams and goals. I must not build a dam or turn the faucet to “off” when it comes to what I must accomplish personally, familial, and professionally. 

WATER takes on many forms. When the temperature drops, WATER transforms to ice. Heat and we have gas. Depending on the situation it is put in, WATER adapts. I must begin to more fluidly adapt to my situations. I cannot take the same approach with every individual and every conversation I enter. There will be fun situations and conversations as well as ones that are uncomfortable and difficult. To be the leader our staff and students deserve, and more importantly, the husband and father my family deserves, I must adapt and approach each season with the proper form. 

WATER is a symbol of health, of wellness. We must consume it daily to survive. It cleanses our bodies, both internally and externally. I must take my health seriously. I’m turning 40 this year. Long gone are the days when I can eat whatever I want and still think I can perform at a highly efficient level while running marathons, attempting a PR lift in the gym, leading and serving my staff and students, or just being an active dad and husband. It’s time to consume WATER to fuel my drive to reach my goals. 

I’m ecstatic for 2020. I know in every being of my body it is going to make those dreams I haven’t even had yet come true! My body is tingling with excitement just imaging what is to come! 

Or, it may be the 120 oz. of WATER I’ve consumed today. 

Cutting Lines - December 17, 2019

Cutting Lines

By, Michael Earnshaw

December 17, 2019

@mearnshaw158

Ever since my son could begin traversing our earth by his own two feet, we have made it a family tradition to visit the Winter Wonderfest held at Navy Pier. We’ve always loved spending time together, observing the various trees, and enjoying thrills and smiles on the attractions. My kids have now reached the age, and height, where they can enjoy every attraction! Tilt-A-Whirl, Hanggliders, Rock Walls, and even ice skating are what we get to do together, as a family. 

I’m a big believer in teachable moments. There are always opportunities that as parents we can teach our students about life. We can teach them about how to make good choices, spread kindness, and display empathy to others. Here’s a past blog I wrote about teaching my daughter about kindness.

Today was our annual trip to the Winter Wonderfest. We were already downtown for a doctor’s appointment for my son, so we decided to take the entire day and go early as a family, hoping to avoid the crowds. It wasn’t too bad, there were a few field trips, but it was mostly families with young kids. This left the “big” rides pretty open, usually only needing to wait a turn or two during the first hour and a half. 

After about two hours had passed in this man-made magical wonderland, crowds were now forming. Ride waits were now hitting the three to four turn rotation. Especially for “The Windchill”. “The Windchill” is the ride were thrill seekers sit in a row. The seat is attached to what resembles a large clock arm. The arm begins swinging upwards clockwise and then back counterclockwise. Eventually it will pick up enough momentum to make a complete 360 degree rotation. This rotation happens in the same direction roughly three times before beginning in the opposite direction for another three rotations again. 

My daughter was done and decided she was going to sit with mom while my son and I rode one last time. We patiently waited through four ride rotations. We were finally next, with only three young riders ahead of us and many behind. 

“Just go on through. Go under the chain. Stand right there.” were directions being given by someone standing in my vicinity. 

Before I could turn to see who was speaking these declarative sentences, there was a kid, no more than five years old, slowing going underneath the white plastic chain that creates a waiting line for the riders. This child would stick his legs under, then duck to push his head to our side, but then retreat. 

“Go on, just go up there!” was the next command given. 

I watched, confused by what was happening, and before my mind could process this scenario, he was right behind me, his small toes pushing through the soles of his shoes to hug my heel. The ride engineer opened the gate to let us in. This kid now tried to rush past my son. I put out my arm and said, “No, we’re first.” For my son, who has severe ADHD, to wait as long as he did, no one was going to take his end seat or get on before him that didn’t wait. 

This kid got on the same ride rotation as us. I enjoyed my ride with my son, hearing his laughter and seeing his smile, arms up, holding onto nothing the entire time. 

After we got off and reunited with my wife and daughter my mind began working. 

How can we, as educators, compete with the teachable moments that parents are providing to their kids?

Many parents are doing an amazing job despite the demands and responsibilities they are faced with. But unfortunately, there are some that will teach their child to cut to the front of the line, despite everything they learn from us in school. 

Do we just throw our hands up and not even take on that fight? No, absolutely not. We must continue to teach our expectations not only for school, but for life every chance we get with our students. We can only hope that our lessons will have a lasting impact and when our students are parents themselves, they will teach the right lesson to their children. 

NKOTB - November 12, 2019

NKOTB 

By, Michael Earnshaw 

@mearnshaw158 

November 12, 2019 

I’ll never forget the look on Mom’s face that crisp, fall evening. I had been sprinting around the house, chasing my sisters while my father concluded his day by viewing his favorite television shows through closed eyelids. Mom broke through the threshold of our front door, still sporting her black slacks and magenta, flowered patterned shirt, hidden by her long, tan, trench coat. Her oversized purse plummeted onto the end of our ovaled kitchen table. Ebony, our black lab, stopped chasing after us kids to greet mom, her blatantly obvious favorite family member.  

“Well, how’d it go? What’d she say about me?” I inquired.  

A deep, long sigh escaped from Mom’s lips. I figured she was exhausted from another long day downtown.  

“You need to start wearing different pants to school Mike,” is all she said as she stared at the kitchen floor tile directly in front of the one I was residing on.  

She then slowly floated to the stove where the leftover dinner that my sisters, dad, and I ingested sat cold and somewhat hardened in a pan.  

Confusion overtook my 9-year-old brain.  

“What do you mean I need to wear new pants? What did she say about my grades?”  

I already knew the answer to my questions. Grades, great, all A’s. Each year of my schooling, which at this point in my short life would make report card #17, were always A’s. Behavior, perfect, the model student every teacher dreamed about at night. I participated, but not over the top in your face participation. I had my best friends but was also friendly with everyone in class. I included whomever wanted to play “Kick the Snapple Cap” at recess and never complained when groups were assigned. I was THE student teachers wanted. At least I thought.  

Mom contemplated her response for a while. It probably took so long because she was also trying to heat up her dinner with some Jedi force, simply looking down at her food on the stove through the same closed eyes dad was taking in his stories on the Lay-Z-Boy.  

“Mike, I don’t know, she says your pants make you look like you have no money and as you get older, you’ll get mixed into the wrong crowd because of how you dress.” These words filled our kitchen air, sounding rehearsed and forced. At 9 years old I knew that Mom didn’t even believe what she was saying, that by me wearing jeans with holes in them had no bearing on my future.  

It’s probably time to explain these jeans. I was in 4th grade. I had finally discovered music. So many of the guys my age were listening to and starting to resemble Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Poison, and Motley Crue. We had something much cooler than mullets, we had the rat tail! I was proud of mine. It had taken awhile to grow. It hung about halfway down my back and was kept in a tight braid with a red rubber band. I never needed to wear long sleeves because my right wrist was layered in friendship bracelets, keeping my forearm cozy. Every night before bed I tightened them up as insurance they didn’t fall off throughout my slumber. One morning I awoke to a blue hand, teaching me a lesson in what it means to cut off circulation.  

While I was proud of my rat tail and rope bracelets, it was my jeans. From right above the knee rappelling all the way to my ankles were holes.  

Remember those metal bands I mentioned above, well I was not going for that look. Instead, Danny, Donnie, Joey, Johnathon, and Jordan were my heroes in 4th grade. I dreamed about being the 6th member. Once accepted, I would truly be the New Kid on the Block! 

“So, mom, why can’t I wear my jeans? I love these, they’re cool?” I pleaded.  

With another unconvincing sigh, Mom responded with words that she didn’t own, “Mike, the teachers are talking about the way you dress. You just have to look more like the other kids. You have that one pair of pants with no holes you can wear tomorrow. I’ll get you more this weekend.”  

That was it. It was the death of my holey NKOTB jeans, but the birth of realizing what it meant to be judged for how one looks or dresses.  

At just 9 years old, a straight A, well-behaved student, was already being labeled as a kid who “would go down the wrong path.” Mom also explained that my teacher, and the other staff at my elementary school, know that when I get into Jr. High and High School, that if I continue to dress the way I do, the “bad” kids are going to suck me into their evil clans.  

Just writing out this story, this story that changed my life forever, anger is filling my veins. I can feel my brow furrowing, my lips straightening, and the heavy breaths leaving my nasal cavity. I am a firm believer in accepting others for who they are, flaws, strengths, oddities, and individualities! We are all beautiful human beings with so much to offer this world. Nothing world changing has ever been accomplished by following the status quo. Nothing world changing has ever been accomplished by creating cookie cutter lemmings.  

I finished the school year with a chip on my shoulder. For the first time in my life, I did not view my teacher as one of the most important adults in my life. I no longer looked up to them, hanging on their every word, yearning to learn from them. I still made my straight A’s and behaved, I knew how to play what is now an antiquated game, but that relationship we had was broken.  

Our relationship, the relationship educators strive to make with their students, had a broken link. I now knew that this teacher didn’t truly believe in me. They didn’t believe that I could overcome the peer pressure I would face as I got older. They didn’t believe that I could express myself, look and dress differently than my peers, and still succeed academically and socially.  

We are here to help guide our students to believe in themselves, embrace their strengths and weaknesses, own their successes and failures, and make choices to be better tomorrow than they are today. We are here to help create world changers. Had this teacher gone about informing Mom about her concerns in a different manner could our relationship have been saved? More than likely. We need to remember that it takes a lot of work to create a trusting relationship, especially with students. Unfortunately, it takes the strike of a feather to break it.  

Remember who your students are, human beings. Remember who your students’ families are, human beings. Find the right approach to address your concerns to them. Find the approach that will strengthen that relationship in the long run, displaying your true concern and care for them. It’s possible, and it’s what is needed to help build world-changing students.  

Let’s Go!  

• Describe a time that you passed judgement on the future of a child without having substantial proof that that would be their path.  
• Explain what happened to the relationship between you, the student, and possibly the family.  
• Reflect on how you could have approached your concerns in a different light.