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. 

***

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.

jigsaw - March 23, 2021

jigsaw

By, Michael Earnshaw

March 23, 2021

@MikeREarnshaw

@PunkClassrooms

fitting everything together
tedious, probably
self-care, definitely
click here
snap there
some fit
those pieces that won’t sit just right
don’t throw away just yet
soon to find where they go
sunset
sunrise
new day
with the last piece, it’s not the end

The Evaluation Mindshift - March 2, 2021

The Evaluation Mindshift

By, Michael Earnshaw

March 2, 2021

@MikeREarnshaw

@PunkClassrooms

March is the month that wraps up “Evaluation Season.” Whether you are tenured or non, on cycle or not, sometime in early/mid March is when teachers’ evaluations needs to be complete and signed off on. There has always been, and unfortunately always will be, the mindset of many educators that evaluations are a “gotcha,” or a hoop that needs to be jumped through. This belief in evaluations will only be ceased if and when administrators begin to prove that they believe in the true meaning behind evaluations: GROWTH. 

We’ve all been in the teacher’s workroom either hearing our colleagues, or maybe even ourselves, breathing a sigh of relief that our evaluation for the year has been completed. This pure scene, that we are all guilty of, proves that it is the belief that evaluations are an act, a performance, that is scheduled once or twice a year, to show a school administrator that you are the most engaging, creative, fun, and top-notch teacher that has blessed our students. There’s nothing wrong with striving to prove those qualities, they are exactly what will help to improve our students’ lives for the long haul. But if those need to be displayed on a scheduled date or two with an administrator, that admin is not fully doing their job correctly. 

A shift in this negative evaluation mindset needs to start with modeling from those completing the evaluation. Principals, assistant principals, deans, and district office administrators are typically those that complete teacher evaluations. It’s precisely these individuals that hold the power to transforming the teacher evaluation landscape for educators everywhere! Here are a few approaches that need to be made to begin a new era. 

• Visit Classrooms Regularly. To truly know what is happening in our classrooms we need to visit them regularly and consistently. How can anyone justify that rating a teacher’s entire school year on one or two officially scheduled dates is fair? Evaluators need to know what happens day in and day out, the good, the bad, and the argyle. These are the days where the magic happens and those unexpected pockets of learning are bursting at the seams! If evaluators are not consistently in classrooms they will miss these moments. Another benefit of getting into classrooms regularly is that it helps to create a comfortable, trusting relationship. The more an evaluator is in a room the more fluid each visit becomes. The air doesn’t stiffen when an evaluator enters if it happens regularly. What happens is that the evaluator becomes another member of the class, an active participant! Try getting into every teacher’s room at least once a week for 10-20 minutes. 

• Positive Post-Its. Never ever just leave a classroom without providing some form of feedback. No matter how many times you’ve visited, no matter how comfortable the teacher has become with you being there, if you leave without providing any feedback it can begin to chip away at the trust you’ve established. These are informal classroom visits, so your feedback does not need to be entered in your online evaluation tool or sent in an email. That makes the purpose of these visits now seem very formalized. Instead, leave a small Post-It note behind. Jot down the amazing and impressive things you observed that teacher doing. This is to help build them up, acknowledge their strengths, and expand on them. Now if there was something extremely detrimental that needs to be addressed that can be done in the online evaluation system or an email. Let the Post-Its always state the positives. 

• The Collaboration Comfort Zone Crushing Crew. The entire point of evaluations is the help promote teacher growth. Evaluators must be a part of this process. Educators are all guilty of sometimes not seeing their true potential. They get comfortable where they’re at, approaching their lessons with what works for THEM. Evaluators must begin to push their teachers out of their comfort zones. Evaluators must model that risk-taking is accepted and encouraged. When evaluators engage in conversations with their teachers where they’re bragging on their strengths and positives, nudging them to leave their comfort zones with new lessons and activities, there is always one question the evaluator must ask, “How can I help?” After that question is asked and answered, it’s imperative that the evaluator follow-through on this. This team approach will build confidence and comfort in continually leaving comfort zones, and more importantly, a trusting and collaborative relationship. 

Imagine the difference our classrooms would look and feel like if both administrators and teachers took advantage of the powerful opportunity of growth with evaluations? This reality is within reach. It will not happen overnight, it will take some time and dedication on the administrator's end, but it will be worth it for everyone involved, especially our kids. 

double vision - February 3, 2021

double vision
By, Michael Earnshaw
February 3, 2021
@MikeREarnshaw
@PunkClassrooms 

destroyed my image
*
mirage
reflected illusions
*
you see
frustration
weakness
letdown
pain
*
i see
focus
strength
accomplishment
love
*
perception 
beholder’s view
*
you see
failure
letdown
waste
nothing
*
we see 
accomplishment
pride
treasure
everything
*
smash
spring away
*
birth your reflection

blink - February 2, 2021

blink

By, Michael Earnshaw

February 2, 2021

@MikeREarnshaw

@PunkClassrooms

sight discontinued at dusk

recharged

or

escaped

darkness cleansing

purify

or 

erase

dawn will erupt the silence

replaying 

Or 

rebirthing 

Sacrifice - February 2, 2021

 Sacrifices

By, Michael Earnshaw

February 1, 2021

@MikeREarnshaw

@PunkClassrooms

Goal setting is imperative if we want to continually improve and move forward. In order to keep our trajectory going, we must set goals, create an action plan, and work to accomplish what we set out to do. Improvement is an ever-moving target, we can’t simply nail our boots to one area and keep shooting our bow from the same spot. Once we hit the target in front of us, our first goal, a new one is set. Sometimes the next target is a lateral move to the left or right, sometimes a farther distance. Regardless, to keep improving ourselves we adjust, move, and plan to hit the next target. 

Most of us are great at setting goals, planning their attack, and working to accomplish them. Sometimes we impress ourselves and surpass even our own expectations, other times we fall short. Sometimes we hit our goal, but it’s a lackluster finale. I’m not here to give any sage advice on how to always crush your goals beyond your wildest dreams, nor am I here to explain how to not have the letdown finishes. What I am here to do is to share some of my experiences and self-reflection that has helped me to realize either why I did not have the euphoric high after my accomplishment. 

I have had the privilege to run five marathons. I never set out to run five, I thought I was done after my first 26.2 miles in 2013. I had basically set two goals for myself with this race. Honestly, every race I run, whether it’s 26.2 miles or 3.1, my first goal is to finish. No times, no splits, just finish the run. That goal was met with my first marathon in 2013 and every after that. My second goal was to run 26.2 miles in under 4 hours. I finished in 4:02. 

This ate at me. I knew I could finish in under 4:00! So, what did I do? I signed up to run the Chicago Marathon 2014. Just like my training plan from the 2013 marathon, I stuck to a strict(ish) diet, brews by the pool were only indulged in after the week’s long run was complete. Workouts weren’t skipped and were performed with intent. The end result of the 2014 Chicago Marathon...a 3:55 finish! 

The next three marathons I ran all had the same two goals: 1. To finish the race. 2. To finish in under 3:55. In these next three marathons, I reached Goal One but was 0/3 for Goal Two. This caused me frustration, confusion, and anger. I knew I was better than my performances. I was a marathon runner, I’ve done it almost a handful of times before completing my fifth in 2019. So why were my times continually climbing a ladder when in my mind they should have been sliding down like Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas? 

After months of self-reflection, not just on my marathon times and goals with racing, but with ALL of my goals both personally and professionally, I wasn’t invested in them. I didn’t really want to accomplish them. I was setting them because it was what I thought I was supposed to do. I was setting goals on other’s stereotypes and perceptions, not my own.I may not have been invested in my goals, but that didn’t mean I didn’t work hard to reach them. I trained, got in long runs, but there was something missing, something I acknowledged during both the 2013 and 2014 marathons but none of the others. SACRIFICE. 

In the last three marathons I was not willing to sacrifice a social life, comfort foods, pool volleyball, and brews in the sun. This of course had a direct effect on the training runs and workouts I was completing. Instead of training to improve myself I was forcing myself to go through the motions. Since I got out for a few runs this week and I’ve run a marathon or two before I’d be fine. I convinced myself I’d be good and reach my Goal 2. Ok, you got me, I wasn’t convinced, it was just wishful thinking. 

Many times what prevents us from reaching a goal the way we envision is not that we don’t have the work ethic, plan, or support system behind us, it’s that we aren’t willing to sacrifice other aspects of our life. Whenever we set a goal we must not only lay out our plan of attack but also list what sacrifices are we giving up. If we are not willing to live our lives without some aspects that have been with us, is the goal something we should be setting out to journey for?  

helium - January 25, 2021

 helium
By, Michael Earnshaw
January 25, 2021
@MikeREarnshaw
@PunkClassrooms

leaving the party
 string encaged within a grip
such strength for such a delicate hand
nothing will tear it apart 
unthinking, unconsciously, the hand relaxed
or was it
as the sphere takes flight
a lapse in judgment
soaring away
slowly
higher
just out of reach
loss or escapism
regardless the time has expired
are you leaving or not being brought back
farther
take a step 
away
new beginnings

 Reading & Leading

By, Michael Earnshaw

January 20, 2021

@MikeREarnshaw

@PunkClassrooms

“No, it’s only 9:24! We don’t go to bed until 9:30!” was billowing from down the hallway, escaping my son’s room, reverberating off of our hallway walls. As soon as he was done his sister, the sidekick, backed him up. 

“Yeah, we don’t put them away yet, it’s not time.” 

Now it was time for the judge to lay out the final sentence, the one everyone in the courtroom knew was coming. 

“No, I want you asleep at 9:30. The books go away now!” my wife, mom, declared.

You read that convo correctly. We were having a discussion in the Earnshaw household about having my kids put away their books and go to bed. Now if you were to ask me what we were prying out of our kids’ hands before bed two weeks ago it would have been a different blog. Their nights concluded with them setting up shop in my daughter’s room and watching The Simpsons on Hulu. Yes, there were the arguments that they pleaded to let them watch just a few more minutes longer. But these last few weeks my kids have chosen to go back to a habit they had for such a long time, every night before the pandemic hit, reading. 

My routine was thrown off greatly when the pandemic hit. It’s like those cartoons where a character can move the train tracks and the cart containing their nemesis soars right off the edge of a cliff. One of my healthy habits that plummeted to the bottom of that canyon was reading. I read every night before March 16, 2020, and many times throughout the day, especially on the weekends. 

With 2021, I haven’t set resolutions. I haven’t committed to resolutions that I fail at for the past three years. I have adopted the #OneWord phenomenon and have never wanted to glance back! The #OneWord helps to keep me focused and grounded and something to return to once I get off track. For 2021 I have chosen the word PRISM. With living a year with #OneWord I also can set goals to help me improve. One of my goals for 2021 is to read more. I set the goal of reading 12 books for the year, that’s one a month. Starting slow, it’s been a while. You never start a marathon at a full spring. I’m ecstatic to say that today, January 20, I’m about to finish my third book for the year after I’m done writing this blog!

It’s said that we must model what we want to see in others. This holds true if we’re parents, school administrators, teachers, or anyone that wants to make our world a better place. 

Out of nowhere, my son approaches me in the kitchen. I think he’s going to ask for the Game Room remote to play Xbox. Instead, he makes a declarative sentence that is actually interrogative. 

“Mom says you read before bed every night.” 

Again, the sidekick is hidden in the shadows. “He does, I can see his light in my room late at night and hear the pages turn.” 

“Yeah, I do. Reading is good for you, it makes you smarter and it helps me to wind down and sleep good,” was how I replied. 

This unexpected conversation happened about two weeks ago. It was that night, and every night since then, that my kids have been choosing to read before bed. 

My wife and I have had numerous conversations the past few months about how our kids have not been reading and collaboratively problem solved  how we can get them to get back into it. We pleaded, stressed the importance, even bribed at some point, but it didn’t go anywhere. What our kids needed was a model. 

I never set out to model the importance of reading to my kids, I just wanted to better myself. Even when we choose for our personal interests, whether that’s positive activities or negative, others are watching, even if you don’t realize it. 

What do you want to see in others? Start making sure you are doing the same. 

Chewing on Rocks - January 18, 2021

 Chewing on Rocks

By, Michael Earnshaw

January 18, 2021

@MikeREarnshaw

@PunkClassrooms

“Today, I had a kid eat a rock during snack.” 

“What, no way? What did you say?”

“You’re kidding, a 5th grader legit ate a rock?”

“Yeah, I told them that they will be seeing that rock again.” 

And the attendees in the virtual meeting all shared a laugh. Even those that still had themselves “Muted” were seen in their Brady Bunch-esque square shedding a tear from the hysterics. 

At our school, our students are still learning remotely and since Thanksgiving 2020 our staff has been working from home. This has both its ups and downs. This blog isn’t about delving into the never ending debate of remote vs. in-person. This blog is to remind us to laugh. 

For the first quarter and some weeks of our 2020/2021 school year our classrooms were occupied by the teacher and paraprofessionals whose names were on the placard outside the door. Teaching happened in the front of each classroom, each staff member creating their own NASA-like station to engage our students who seemed galaxies away. Things were going great, everyone was in a good groove. We were able to stop by one another’s room, socially distanced and masked up, to have those crucial, 120-second conversations that are game-changers for educators. You know what I’m talking about, that hallway banter that happens when switching classes or walking your homeroom to their Special’s Class. We were even able to start holding Tuesday Town Hall meetings. These were 30-minute informal staff meetings where our Assistant Principal and I were able to give updates and info on anything new and also for staff to ask questions or share tips and strategies that would benefit others. These were not mandatory, but we did have about 90% of our staff show up. With all of the distance we had to put between ourselves with the pandemic these weekly gatherings helped to make us feel like a staff again, united, and committed to bettering our students. 

Positive Covid-19 numbers were rampantly rising in our area. With the positivity rate on the rise in Chicagoland, our Superintendent and School Board made the decision to allow staff to work from home following Thanksgiving for one week. This was to help prevent the spreading of Covid-19 amongst our staff. There was no way to police any staff from traveling or getting together with others despite what the top doctors were recommending. One week of work from home passed and numbers did not get any better. Another week of WFH was granted, and then again until winter break, and here we are now, January 18, 2021, and we’re still working from our living rooms, kitchen tables, and home offices. 

During these remote weeks we still instituted our Town Halls, but it wasn’t the same. Nearly all of our staff showed up to these, but something was missing. Everyone logged into our Zoom at the scheduled time and our Assistant Principal and I basically read off bullet points, something we vowed to never do in a live staff meeting so why would it be acceptable now? Once we were done we asked if anyone had questions or anything else, but no one ever did. 

I’ve struggled to feel connected with our staff during this time, you can read about it here, and I began holding our Town Halls three times a week. Now you may be thinking, “Mike, if you didn’t have much info to share weekly how could you possibly fill three days?” Well, these meetings aren’t so much to deliver info but to spend time with each other. I began rephrasing how I asked if anyone had anything else. Instead of, “Does anyone have anything?” I began asking, “What’s something positive you’d like to share?” or “What’s a highlight of your day?”

The reasoning behind the change in questions was to open conversations, to get some dialogue going. I have always believed that relationships are first, not only with teachers and students but everyone, including administrator and staff as well as staff and staff. With the very bland style of meetings we were having it went against everything I believe a staff meeting should be. Being virtual we are very limited, but we can still smile and laugh. 

No matter what our situation, we can always smile and laugh. 

Being an educator is a whirlwind of emotions on a daily basis, and the climate today with the Covid-19 pandemic does not make anything easier. Educators are working harder than ever, longer days that are taking time away from their own families. If I can’t get our staff up, moving, and partaking in team building activities like we do during in-person staff meetings (more about these in my upcoming book, shameless plug) we needed to share those smiles we were lacking. Creating laughter by sharing those funny stories we always say, “We should write a book about a day in the life of a teacher, no one would ever believe what we experience!” is just what we needed. 

And that was our entire Town Hall. We talked about that 5th grader eating a rock for a snack, and then the weirdest things we have all eaten! Did this conversation have anything to do with education? No, it didn’t...but then again, it did. Education is all about relationships. 

PRISM - #OneWord2021 - January 6, 2021

 PRISM 
#OneWord2021
By, Michael Earnshaw
January 6, 2021
@MikeREarnshaw

PRISM - noun - a glass or other transparent object in prism form, especially one that is triangular with refracting surfaces at an acute angle with each other and that separates white light into a spectrum of colors.

2021 will be my third year adopting the #OneWord approach to improving myself throughout the 365 days rather than setting unrealistic resolutions. For my #OneWord 2019, I went with BELIEVE and left my comfort zones, both personally and professionally, more so than I ever even dreamed! If it wasn’t for BELIEVING, I would never have begun writing and sharing it with the world, speaking at educational conferences, or talking about two of my loves, Punk Rock and Education with my brother Josh Buckley on our podcast Punk Rock Classrooms. By living 2019 through the word BELIEVE I was able to move myself to be the husband, father, educator, leader, and the person I knew I was destined to be but had always lacked the confidence to get there. 

Building off the momentum from 2019, 2020 started off amazing! I was flowing through the first few months, just like the word I had chosen to live by, WATER. I was able to break down even more barriers that stood in my way to make me better and stronger to help inspire others to work together to change our world for the better. By adopting WATER as my #OneWord2020 I was able to accomplish a goal that I have had since elementary school, to have a book of my own published. In January of 2020, I am proud to say that I was able to sign a contract with Edumatch and will be able to share the EduCulture Cookbook: Recipes and Dishes to Positively Transform School and Classroom Culture in the Spring/Summer of 2021! 

Everything was on track for 2020 to be one of my best years yet! WATER was freely flowing and I was living my best life until a dam was built out of nowhere. The WATER was stopped and everything in my life began to overflow and flood out in every aspect. At first, I felt that the Covid-19 Pandemic was to blame for building a dam that was stopping my positive flow, but after months of living through a non-stop flood, I realized that it was me that had built the dam. 

I was seeing the world through one lens. Everything that was happening, school shutdowns, quarantines, no toilet paper on the shelves, I only saw the negative in every situation. This had a horrible effect on me to be the leader my staff and students deserve, the husband my wife chose to spend the rest of her life with, and most importantly, the strong father my kids needed. My self-care slowly declined. Runs and weight lifting sessions were sporadic, I’d be lucky to get in two a week. Diet, I guess if you mean eating everything and anything I wanted. I wasn’t reading, wasn’t connecting with my crew, my PLN, and spending way too much time just zoning out in front of the TV every night with nothing good fueling my body. 

Whenever something went wrong at home or school it wasn’t my fault, it had to be someone else’s. All of the goals I had set for the year were put on hold because the Pandemic wasn’t allowing me to reach them. I became depressed and self-destructive but of course, it wasn’t my fault, there just wasn’t any other way, it’s because of the Pandemic, right? 

I only saw the world, my world, through my eyes. 

I chose the word PRISM for my #OneWord2021 because I now understand that everything I mentioned above was because of me. I chose to use the Pandemic as an excuse. I wasn’t taking responsibility for my actions and took the easy way out. It took many months living through this to understand I was the cause of my own struggles, but I am grateful to have found see the light from a different lens. 

I chose the word PRISM because of the simple, yet awe-inspiring job they do. PRISMS bring in one bland ray of light, one view, one perspective, but project a plethora of beauty, colors, and a rainbow of amazement out of the other side. PRISMS help us to see more than what is there, other perspectives, alternate avenues. PRISMS help us to see that there’s more than meets the eye, that there is light in the darkness, beauty in catastrophe. 

PRISMS help us to see that there is so much to be grateful for even amidst our world being flipped upside down. 

I will live 2021 looking for the light when everything around me is dark and bland. I will continue to BELIEVE and flow like WATER, and that will lead me to the rainbows that surround us all of the time. I will stop only seeing my ray of light, I will listen more than I speak. I will show gratitude daily because there is so much beauty that has come out of this pandemic and to truly move forward we mustn’t revert to how things were.

I will see the beauty in every situation. 

I will see the beauty in others. 

I will see the beauty in myself. 

Bedtime Stories - November 4, 2020

Bedtime Stories

By, Michael Earnshaw

@MikeREarnshaw

November 4, 2020

In the Earnshaw household, there are two camps when it comes to sleeping, heavy and light. First, my son and I are in the heavyweight division. Once our heads hit the pillow, eyelids close, we’re in a mini-hibernation until the morning hours appear. We don’t need much sleep, both of us are always the first two up in the house, but that may be because throughout the night we don’t wake. My wife and daughter, on the other hand, they’re in the light division. They fall asleep fast, but any little creak, whisper, or slight breeze electrifies their eyelids open! Unfortunately for me, I endure a lot of shakes, yells, and yes, even punches, to wake me before my natural biorhythm clock would allow. Now I know what you’re thinking, are you really complaining that your poor wife and daughter wake you when they’re scared at night? C’mon, I’m not that bad of a husband and father, so yes, yes I am complaining that I am awoken by their fears. Oh stop it, you know you would be too. Now it’s my time to redeem myself. Many nights I do get up and sleepily stumble throughout our house, checking every door and window to make sure they’re locked. I check the basement, both the finished living area and the spooky unfinished part that still has ceiling lights that come to life via a string. I check closets, underneath beds, and even behind shower curtains. I’ve learned throughout the years that they know, somehow, they just know if I lie and tell them I’ve searched everywhere. Now, I check everything and everywhere. After that, they are back to sleep and all is quiet again. There are some nights though, that instead of rising from my bed like a zombie taking their first steps, I ascend my head a few inches off my pillow, make sure my good ear is facing the doorway, and listen. I then tell them in my best Tom Waits voice that everything is fine, just go back to bed. And I do. The morning after these nights are always a hoot. My wife or daughter, or both, do the shuffle into the kitchen that I should have done a few hours earlier when they were scared. I’ll always ask, “How’d you sleep?” 10/10 times on these mornings I’m told, “Not good. I was scared, you should’ve checked for us!” Now, why am I telling you this? Do you care about what happens during the moonlit hours at our home? My guess is no, but let me explain why, if you’re an educator, you’ll want to. Those nights that I don’t check things out, I’m not helping my wife or daughter. I’m just moving on with my plans of getting 5 to 6 hours of sleep, and I get it sans the 2 minutes I said everything was fine. What about them? Do they get the same quality sleep they deserve? Nope. They are up, tossing and turning, listening for whatever originally awoke them, and many more sounds! Education is the same. Many times we reach all of our kids, checking on them, making sure they have complete comprehension of the material and concepts being taught before moving on. We do this because we know that education builds upon itself. If a student doesn’t have a grasp of the material, they will begin a spiral of being lost in lessons as the class progresses. This is why we have RTI tiered interventions, 504 plans, and IEPs. But do educators always ensure every kid has that understanding every time? Let’s be honest here, no, sometimes the world has turned and left someone there (who doesn’t love a classic Weezer reference?) I’m guilty of it. I’ve done it as a teacher and yes, I’ve done it as a principal. Why? Because it’s easier. It’s easier to move on. It’s easier for us to stay comfortable and get to where we set our plans to go. It’s easier, but it isn’t fair. I became an educator to inspire others to know their strengths, own their weaknesses, not to fear asking others for help, believe in the power of collaboration, and be determined to change our world for the better. I made this my personal mission for every student, teacher, and individual I have the honor of serving. My mission will not be met if I don’t get out of bed for every single one of them. It’s our duty to propel every student along on their educational journey. There will be times it is hard, frustrating, and uncomfortable, many times for us. We can’t make that an excuse. We must help every child, every time. The next time my wife or daughter need me to scan the house while the rest of the world is sleeping, well, I will. I made a promise to protect them long before I joined hands in marriage and brought my beautiful daughter into this world. Oh, my son? He’s sleeping.

Prison Break Pie - April 29, 2020

Prison Break Pie

From the upcoming book: The EduCulture Cookbook: Recipes to Transform School & Classroom Culture

By, Michael Earnshaw

@EduChefEarnshaw

Prison sentences are never that bad at first. Like any new situation we’re thrown into, whether it’s of our own accord or not, there’s that awkwardness that permeates throughout our air. The glares from every set of eyes as you enter your new “home” for whatever period of time you’ve been sentenced, heckles from others who have already taken up residence, believing that you don’t have what it takes to make it in the “joint”, taunts and threats shouted and echoed as you slumber through the bland, cold, gray halls for the first time to remind you that no matter what status you believe you hold, you’re at the bottom of the food chain. Others have been residents long before you, and many will remain after you make it out, if you make it out. After you make it through this initiation though, it’s actually kind of pleasant.

Many school administrators would fare well, and actually enjoy time in the “clink”. It is a very structured facility, where your daily routines run like clockwork. Every morning your cell door, as well as every other in the prison, unlock and open at the same time in unison. You step out, greet everyone within your vicinity with a smile and nod, and then head to breakfast. Here, you get your coffee, spend some time socializing with the same individuals you do every morning. Each day the conversation is different, but it’s the same. Basically, you’re just biding time until you’re back in your small four walls.

After your coffee break you make it back to your cell. The door is open, but you don’t have the freedom to just leave, or at least that’s what you believe. You spend the next few hours reading, writing, and doing what you have convinced yourself that you are supposed to be doing during these morning hours. You’re spending time with yourself “catching up” on what you think needs to get done.

Before lunch hits is when you get to make your rounds. A brief stroll to get another cup of watered down Joe, a step outside in the courtyard to get a little bit of sunshine. Maybe a quick workout or pickup game of basketball. Within the blink of an eye, you’re back in your cell, acting as if the reading and writing has built up to catastrophic proportions while you were out.

You get in another hour or so, thinking you’ve made some headway, and then return to the Mess Hall. Lunch is quick, bland, and unsatisfying. Some days you’ll completely skip the meals because they not only look, but smell worse than any meme you could find on public school meals served to kids from the 80’s.

After lunch there’s more down time reading and writing. It never seems to end. No matter how many hours you dedicate to these time consuming tasks there’s always more. In all honesty, it’s been self-created. This is what you feel you need to do with your new role. It’s what we’ve seen portrayed in television shows and movies. You’ll share some of your pieces with others, but many times they don’t want to take the time, or they feel as if they are drowning in work themselves. You’ll get a reply from some, others you need to hunt down and ask a few times face to face. At the end of the day you can put away your journal and books and relax a little.

During the later hours of the day you have some dinner with friends, watch some meaningless shows on television, and wind down for the night. Before “Light’s Out” you may read a little bit for pleasure, dreaming of better days. Then you’ll close your eyes just to wake up and do it all over again tomorrow. Like clockwork.

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I lost three years doing this after I was sentenced. Like everyone inside, it wasn’t my fault. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end for me. Each day that passed I began to get inside of my own head. That was the worst part, knowing that this would be my life for the next 20 or so years...unless I broke out. I told myself that was my only option for clarity, for sanity.

The funny thing about prisons is not that you are locked inside with a strict structure and routine. That’s fine. The true prison is your own mind, your own thoughts. That’s where the agony and anguish lies. Thinking how tomorrow, and the tomorrow after that will be the same as today. Our minds are the prisons that we cannot escape. I needed to break out, it was the only solution if I was going to make it where my actions had brought me.

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The prison I described above was one which I had chosen for myself. It was my goal to become a building principal. Since I had begun coursework for my Master’s in Educational Administration I fell in love with leading and inspiring a staff. When I began the program I was only doing it for the credentials and to get a bump on the teaching salary schedule. Quickly I realized the much larger impact I could have in education and touch many more lives of students by leading a building.

I was fortunate to earn the title of Assistant Principal for a two year run. This wasn’t much different than my time as a classroom teacher. I was in classrooms daily, building relationships with staff and students. I was able to work hand in hand with others and positively change the lives of over 300 students, which was much more than the 90 I had as a middle-school ELA teacher.

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The principalship is a different monster. Nothing could have prepared me for all of the behind the scenes paperwork and minutiae that accompanies the leader of a school. At first I did my best to get out and build relationships. Since I was a child I have always known the key to changing the world is meaningful, trusting, and sincere relationships. But as my first year as an elementary building principal began to unfold into the later months I was finding myself spending more time in my prison cell.

The paperwork was overwhelming. There always seemed to be something else that needed to be completed and submitted to my supervisors. I also saw the amount of emails that my fellow principals were sending to their staff on a daily basis. They were all much more seasoned than I was, and I believed that to be effective I needed to follow their suit.

I felt like I was Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Three years had passed, three years I would never get back. Three years that I don’t feel I was the best leader for my staff, or more importantly, our students. I was miserable. I was depressed. I began contemplating my choices and if there was any other career field I could enter with the credentials and skill sets I had. This was not why I had entered education. This was not why I had worked so hard to become a building principal. I told myself that I could not spend any more years trapped inside my cell, making phone calls, replying to emails, and creating and submitting meaningless documents. I declared I had two choices:

End it all and leave the field of education.
Break out of my cell and lead how I had always believed in my heart.

Year three ended and I had taken a lot of vacation days during the months of June and July to self-reflect, find myself, and plan my escape. My heart was telling me that I was destined to change the lives of many, and that serving as a principal was what I needed to do. I wasn’t done yet.

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I realized that many of the paperwork tasks I thought I needed to complete daily were just enemies I created in my mind. I knew that in order for me to be free and live out my vision of changing the world I needed to get back to forming relationships. I needed to get out of my front office and spend as much time as I could in the hallways and classrooms amongst our amazing staff and inspiring students. Many ideas were formulated in my brain, but there was only one that I knew would be the perfect solution. Once she entered my mind I knew there was no other path to take to break out of my prison. Adina would be my savior!

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Close your eyes and imagine being the only one in your school. It’s silent, no noise is polluting the clean air of the hallways. Then, with the snap of your fingers, you hear plastic wheels rolling over the tiles of the hallway. It’s loud, the “thud, thud, thud” takes over and pushes out whatever peaceful thoughts were dancing in your head.

“Uuummm...what is that? It’s so loud!” was what everyone had asked the first time they met Adina.

A smile always grew across my face before I answered. “This is Adina, my mobile desk!”

“That’s cool, but what about your office?” questioned many.

“The school is my office,” was the only explanation they needed.

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I know I may sound like a broken Rancid record, but to me, relationships are everything. To truly make a difference in the lives of others, and the bigger picture of changing the world, we must have relationships. I’ve spent my entire career, sans the first three years as a principal, putting relationships first. It served me well and many lives were transformed. It’s time to do that again.

After many plans and ideas, it hit me that the best way to get back into the hallways and classrooms, and still get all of my work done, was to get a mobile desk. She’s nothing fancy, a section to place my laptop, a little cabinet for pens and pencils, #KINDNESS bands to pass out to students, and jeans passes for staff. There’s also a section to place my skateboard and display what books I’m currently reading for all to see.

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The first few weeks that Adina was with me was a learning curve for some. Classes would exit their room for a bathroom break or a Special’s class and there we were, working at an intersection of hallways. When I needed to satisfy that hunger of the excitement that fills a classroom we could easily roll into any of our choosing and spend time working and being visible and part of the learning.

“I need to talk to you...uuummm...are you in your office? asked a teacher as I was in the middle of the hallway.

“Yeah, this is my office. What’s up?” was my response.

She then took a step forward, breaking through the invisible threshold to have a conversation.

As time went on staff and students understood my new concept and became comfortable talking and working together with me anywhere in the school. Of course if there was a confidential conversation that needed to be had we would step inside a closed door room, but these were few and far between.

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Besides connecting with others and building relationships, I noticed many positive changes that came with the addition of Adina, many that I hadn’t even imagined when we began our dance together.

My inbox had significantly  less emails. I was no longer receiving small fires that were requesting my extinguishing. Being available and visible I was able to take care of these flames well before they erupted into a full blown blaze.
Student behavior improved. With being nearby at all times I could hear if there was a disruption brewing inside of a classroom. A student walking out of a classroom in anger or frustration, no problem. I was right there.
I knew what was happening in our classrooms. I knew the lessons and content being taught, and I was invited to be a participant of these lessons much more frequently. If something amazing was taking place and I wasn’t invited, I just crashed it!

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It’s been nearly two years and Adina and I are still together. Students love her and have given us personalized decorations to clothe her in. If it wasn’t for her I’d either be miserable, locked inside of my prison of an office or have left education completely. Had that happened I would  still be miserable and just  contained in a cubicle.

You don’t have to serve a life sentence stuck inside of your office. Find someone, or something, that will break you out and show you the beauty of the landscape freedom that lays before you. For me, that was Adina, and I am forever grateful.

When Pigs Fly. The Time is Now! - March 31, 2020

When Pigs Fly. The Time is Now!

By, Michael Earnshaw

March 31, 2020

@EduChefEarnshaw

I think it’s safe to say that the World has been thrown out of their comfort zone. It’s been weeks now where what we considered our “daily lives” is long gone, and there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the graffiti decorated tunnel. Many are working from home. Those that are still working have extremely different conditions, or even roles and tasks than what they were expecting when hired on. Schools are closed across our country and teachers, students, and parents and guardians are tasked with delivering instruction and keeping a loving relationship going. Streets are empty, store shelves barren, and many of us have not had any face to face contact with anyone else than those we reside with. Many of us can’t even see the border of our comfort zone anymore.

This blog is not going to focus on the dreary world many of us are now stuck in. Instead, I want us to look at the gift that this pandemic has granted almost all of us with. Yes, you read that right. There is a silver lining in all of this and we have much to be grateful for. Too many times have I heard individuals utter the phrase, “I don’t have the time.” This phrase usually comes after a discussion about taking care of or doing something for ourselves or learning a new skill.

Guess what, we now can no longer say, “I don’t have the time.”

With “Social Distancing” in effect for what seems like an ever moving target, we have more time than ever imaginable. 

Yes, many of us have our own kids at home that we need to assist and guide through “ELearning” or “Remote Learning”. We are holding “Office Hours” while we work from home. Let’s be honest and realistic. Do you still only have the same amount of time for yourself as you did back in February? I’m going to bet that the answer is “No.”

We’re already out of our comfort zone. We now have that time that we always claimed was missing. Now is the perfect time to do those things that you’ve always wanted to do. Those passion projects, the skill, a new habit or hobby, connecting with that loved one you haven’t spoken to in months or years, Hell, putting down the phone and connecting with those in your own home! Now is the time to do what we have not been doing but knew we should be.

Been wanting to get in better shape, be healthier? You’re more than likely cooking at home a lot more than before. Prepare healthy meals for you and the family. Need fresh air after being locked in the home for hours on end? Set aside time to go for a walk every day. Set a time goal, 30 minutes, or a mile goal. You’ve wanted to run that 5K or Half-Marathon? Dust off those running shoes and start training. You don’t need a race scheduled, you’re doing it for yourself anyways! Those dumbbells that are currently used as door stoppers when you open the windows on a beautiful Spring day, take them in the garage and follow one of the FREE workouts being offered by almost every fitness organization out there. Don’t know where to start? Ask me, I’m more than happy to help guide you.

Have some thoughts or ideas you’ve wanted to share with the world? Start blogging, podcasting, vlogging, or all of them! The tools are out there and they cost literally nothing. I have not once paid for any of my blogs to be posted or our podcasts shared. You have the time to learn and guess what, the world, your audience, has the time to read and listen. Speak your mind, share your thoughts. I guarantee that there are others that are thinking it but like you, are afraid to speak it. What is there to lose? Things are different, do something different that you’ve wanted to.

Do you feel your lessons for students have gotten boring and stale, lost their luster? Get connected on social media. There’s Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, where you can see the amazing lessons others around the world have provided for their students. These are the lessons you’ve been dreaming of doing. While you’re checking out their page don’t just take your own notes and assumptions, send them a DM, ask a question. I guarantee they are dying to connect with others and have conversations about their passions and bring a little normalcy to their lives. They would love to reminisce and share the story of how the smiles and laughter their students brought to fill the classroom during that activity you dream of doing with your students.

The time is now. Don’t look at this shelter in place period as a time to seclude yourself off from the world. Better yourself, expand your mind, spirit and soul. Work towards those secret goals you’ve kept putting off but always knew you needed to do. There is literally an app for EVERYTHING! Search what you want, it’s out there. If it isn’t, search a hashtag on social media and you’ll find someone. Ask. Now’s the time to learn, expand, and connect.

Imagine our world, when all of this is lifted, and we return to our “normal” the difference this world will be if we take advantage of this gift of time we’ve been given and improve our lives. Imagine how much better this world will be when we return to it and have bettered ourselves.

It’s only when we take care of ourselves that we’re any benefit to those we serve. The time is now! 

What's So Funny?

What’s So Funny? 

By, Michael Earnshaw

March 23, 2020

@EduChefEarnshaw

“Can you just pause it? No one can even hear what is going on. You’re laughing too loud!” my wife said with some irritation infecting her voice.

I tried to respond, but I couldn’t even get tangible words out.

My daughter chimed in. “Dad, you’re crying.”

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I have numerous blogs that I have started over the past week and a half. Some of them contain material I may eventually share, but most of them are just rants from someone trying to make sense of everything going on in our world right now with the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these blogs that are quarantined in a “Drafts” folder started off with hope but all quickly turned to fear, anger, and frustration within the blink of an eye. Sound familiar?

It’s frustrating. I have all of this “extra” time on my hands, as do the rest of the world. I’m getting projects done around the house that I have been putting off. I’ve proven to my son that I still am the king at Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Aces Tennis. My daughter has taught me how to make homemade Squishees. But the one goal I had for myself has been escaping me and it’s more frustrating than being stuck inside my home for what seems like an always moving target.

I would have thought that during this time I would have numerous blogs posted and chapter after chapter of my book written. I’ve got many of those B-side blogs, maybe one day to see the light of day in a boxed set collection years down the road. My book. It’s at the same spot as it was before our new “normal” began, like waiting for a pot of water to boil without turning on the flame.

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“Alright everyone, we loved the first one, let’s check out the new ‘Jumanji’ movie,” was what I declared to my family.

My son, who is a perfectionist for numbers and order replied, “Dad, you know it’s actually not the second ‘Jumanji’, it’s the third. The first one was from when you were a kid. Wasn’t that a board game?”

“You’re right! Babe, remember that one, with Robin Williams?” I asked.

“Here we go. Everyone ready?” I asked to save myself a trip in fifteen minutes when someone requested popcorn or water.

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“Mike, seriously, what is so funny? Just stop!” my wife was now demanding with authority.

After 180 seconds of the movie being paused I was finally able to get out some words. “I don’t know, it’s just that seeing The Rock act like he’s Danny DeVito, and Kevin Hart acting like he’s Danny Glover, it’s just hilarious! I can’t help it, it’s so funny.”

And then I began laughing again. Uncontrollably. Eyes shut, hands gripping my bloated stomach from too many quarantine snacks, and tears escaping my eyes again.

“Well guys, this is break time. Refill your water and take a bathroom break,” my wife stated with defeat in her voice.

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We finished the movie as a family. There were more laughs, and they were not only mine filling our living room space. We tucked our kids into bed, said our ritualistic goodnights, and my wife and I sat back on the couch.

We put on the news for more of the same of what we’ve seen. This time the only difference was that the numbers of cases and deaths in Illinois due to COVID-19 kept growing at an exponential rate.

For the first time in almost two weeks, I wasn’t upset, depressed, or confused by the news. I wasn’t even focusing on the numbers and reports they were sharing. Instead, I had ideas for blogs, chapters, and podcast episodes surfing through my mind.

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This is a very weird time for all of us. None of us has ever experienced a pandemic of this magnitude in our lifetime, or will we ever again. It’s important to share with our students and own children that we don’t know the answers either, that we are experiencing this for the first time as well, and that we will still do all we can to keep them safe and protected and reminded they’re loved.

We also must remember to laugh. There was something that changed in me when I laughed in a way I haven’t in months. It was an escape, a release. It was a way for me to enjoy life again, enjoy the company of my family. I was able to be in the moment with them, enjoying a movie, no phones, no news, no warnings and “Shelters in Place” being directed. I was able to enjoy a moment with those closest to me, an escape that I needed more than I knew.

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This is an unsettling time for us all. None of us know what to expect or what is going to happen. It’s ok to be afraid, unsure, and upset. What is not ok is to let those feelings consume you and take you away from the beauty that is still around us.

You have family with you. Put down the phone, turn off the tv, and play a game together. Do household chores together. Be together in the moment.

We have family, staff, and students going through the same as us. Call, Facetime, Zoom, and connect with them. Share stories, tell jokes, reminisce about great memories you’ve had.

This COVID-19 pandemic may have us feeling isolated and shut off from the rest of the world. What it will not do is keep us from uniting, connecting, and loving.

And laughing. We must continue to laugh.

Gym Shorts - February 11, 2020

Gym Shorts

By, Michael Earnshaw

February 11, 2020

@mearnshaw158

I took a “Brain Break” today and allowed a few minutes to tick by as I scrolled through Instagram. Yes, I know, we wouldn’t want our students to take a “Brain Break” by checking social media, but I consider it a little mid-day PD. I stumbled across a quote that got the wheels in my mind spinning. It’s actually attached itself to my mind and keeps reappearing, making me think more and more about its message. Here’s the quote:

sometimes it’s better to just let things be, let ppl go, don’t fight for closure, don’t ask for explanations, don’t chase answers, and don’t expect ppl to understand where you’re coming from. you got to keep fighting for you bc no one got you like you got yourself

Deep, right? I know. Now I can write about 17 blogs based off of this quote, and I just may. Like I said, it keeps nagging me like that mosquito bite in the summer that you thought was finally done itching, until you subconsciously began scratching again like a rare non-de-clawed house cat.

Tonight I’d like to share with you about a pair of running shorts of mine. They’re black and gray, Under Armour. I’ve had them since 2013, the year of my first marathon. They cost about $50, which was more than I’d ever like to pay for a pair of running shorts, but because I was planning on running for 26.2 miles for the first time I wanted to have a quality pair of shorts on my wheels.

The marathon training plan I followed was 18 weeks long. These shorts were purchased about 4 weeks into my training. I wore them for at least one mid-week run, every long run of the training plan, and finally the marathon. They held up and were definitely one of the nicest, most comfortable pairs of running shorts I ever donned on my legs.

Since that marathon in October of 2013 I have run four more full marathons and numerous half-marathons. Training plans have differed. Nutrition plans have differed. Running routes and playlists have differed. There was always one constant...my black and gray Under Armour shorts.

These shorts have been with me for every long run, every official race, and hundreds of lower mileage runs over the years. Until September of 2019.

“I got you something today when I was shopping,” was what my wife said as I helped to unpack the groceries she had just brought home, praying to find some tasty plant based junk food.

I gazed up at her. I was intrigued. “Oh yeah Babe, what’d you get me?”

“These!” and she pulled a solid black pair of running shorts out of a plastic bag.

My lips refused to part, yet a million letter combinations I can’t share in an educational blog were slam dancing in my mind. After a lifetime of 24 seconds passed, I had an inquiry.

“What are those for?”

My wife gave me the look like I’m an idiot. “Uuummm...to run in. Have you seen the shorts you run in, they look like Shredder from Ninja Turtles did your laundry. I just don’t get why you don’t wear the other pairs you have.”

“Because they aren’t the same. I’ve had mine forever. Fine. Alright. I’ll try them out. I guess I could use a new pair. Thanks, I do appreciate it,” and I gave her a kiss.

I did try these shorts out for a run. In fact, our first run together was 15 miles, so we had a good 150 minutes or so to get to know each other. We didn’t need that much time, after about 10 minutes I knew I had made a new friend for many miles to come.

So how does that quote I read on IG, my old worn out running shorts, and education go together? Simple.

Educators need to throw away what doesn’t work. 

Teachers that have been in the game for years have lessons that they have taught to every class they have ever had. They are comfortable with this lesson, they believe it’s their “Go To”. It was a hit, a success, an Oscar winner years ago and every student should be oh so blessed to get to experience it.

I’m sorry to say, not every movie that has won an Oscar still holds up, or ever did. Times change, audiences change, interests change, and the world changes.

My old running shorts were a security blanket, something that I had emotional ties to. I didn’t want to let them go. I thought they were the only pair of shorts that could get me through a multi-digit mile run or race. They aren’t. They’ve had their fair share of runs and it was time to put them away in my dresser and enjoy the comfort of a run with a new pair.

I’ve accepted that it’s alright to get new running shorts frequently. I don’t have to keep wearing the same pair over and over, mile after sweaty mile. I’ve learned to let go of what I was so comfortable with, figuratively and literally, and upgrade with the times. I didn’t realize how ineffective my original pair was until I tried on a new pair. My lower body is so thankful for the switch.

Educators, try new lessons, take new approaches, create new experiences that are out of your comfort zone for your students. Times have changed, students have changed, and now it’s time your lessons change.

All of my new(ish) shorts were dirty the other night I went for a 5 mile run. I grabbed that original pair out of my dresser, excited to relive some memories. Only the memories quickly faded as I realized these shorts were not the same after so many miles. They’ve run their race, past their expiration date. After I got home and ripped them off I vowed that was our last run together. I’m at peace with that. I’m letting go and not questioning why.

Educators, is there a lesson that it’s time to say goodbye to? 

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.