My Friends Look Out for Me Like Family - October 2, 2019

My Friends Look Out for Me Like Family 

By, Michael Earnshaw 

October 2, 2019

@mearnshaw158 

 

Growing up I never truly felt like I belonged. I had friends, we hung out, had good times, but I always felt like an outcast. 

 Sports were out of the question. I tried baseball. T-ball in kindergarten, did ok until coach pitch began. 1st grade I played Little League. I can sum up that season with a comment from one of the umpires. I was trembling as I approached home plate, mentally preparing myself for my best statue impersonation while a 6-year-old through fire towards me, just like when Mario gets a hold of the orange flower. As I creepily began to take my position, secretly wishing that my sloth-like movements would take so long the game got called, the umpire shockingly eyes me as if I'm an all-star and bellows, “Aren’t you the kid that always gets hit?” Yes, that’s me, would you like me to autograph this ball that’s about to impact my shoulder? My parents believed in my baseball career so much they signed me up for T-ball in second grade. Yes, a second grader playing T-ball with Kindergarten students. Yes, I again hit off the T the first half of the season and yes, again, I could not hit off the coach.  

I was smart, but not smart enough for the advanced classes. I was right in the middle of the mix. Most of my classes were made up of you guessed it, athletes. Nothing against them, but we just didn’t relate and once conversations began about sports, uuuggghhh... 

Drama? Nope. If you looked up “Stage Fright” in a dictionary I’d be there sharing a smile from ear to ear and a big “Thumbs up!”  

There were always two things I could rely on after going through each day of middle school like this: my skateboard and punk rock music.  

Skating and punk always elevated me to another place. I could be myself, express myself in my way, and put a genuine smile on my face. If it wasn’t for skateboarding and punk rock bands like Rancid, Voodoo Glow Skulls, NOFX, and Progagandhi, I would not be who I am today.  

High school was when things began to turn around. I was finally in a melting pot with so many more personalities and individuals than what my small middle school provided. I was able to find a crew that felt like me. We were able to bond together for hours in an empty parking lot, grinding over and over on that waxed up parking block, or kickflipping over the small set of cracked stairs connecting the neighboring paint store lot.  

Once we hit 16, yep, driving! There wasn’t a Friday or Saturday night where we weren’t at a punk show in a neighboring town or Chicago! The camaraderie was strong and when we entered the venue for the night we all knew that nothing or nobody could take away the sweat, tears, and memories we were creating.  

This crew was more than a group we went to shows with. If someone needed a ride to work or home, we dropped what we were doing and got them there. Someone was short on cash? No worries, I’ll cover your Taco Hell this time, you get mine next. Relationship problems? I’ll be there in 10 and we’ll go grab some new music and cruise around. Need a place to crash for the night? Don’t worry, my couch is always open. We looked out for each other like family. We had our core circle of friends, and it extended out to the world just as a family tree does.  

Education is no different. No matter what your role is, you need a crew, or as we now call it, a PLN, Professional Learning Network. No one person has all the answers. No one person is an expert in every field or situation that arises in education. No one person can give their all for kids every single day and not start to get stressed out or have a strain on their heart from the stories and lives that many of our students are now coming to us with.  

If you are an educator that “clocks” in from 8-3, eats by yourself, doesn’t lean on colleagues for advice and/or support or offer any to the whole, chances are you will have a miserable career and may not even stay in it. We are all in this game for the same reason, to better the lives of our children, to bring them confidence, to help them realize their own strengths, and to set goals to help others and change the world. We cannot do this alone. We must unite and help each other along the way.  

Here’s some tips and tricks to build your PLN and help you along your journey:  

1. 1. Get to school 10 minutes earlier than normal or stay 10 minutes later. Don’t just hunker down in your classroom or office. Walk around, see who else is in the building and strike up a conversation. Talk about school, your successes and struggles this year. Talk about life. Build a relationship. Relationships are key to changing lives.  
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2. 2. In meetings when it’s time to collaborate, do not team up with those you always work with and socialize with. Find that colleague you give a smile to every day but never have truly gotten to know. Work with others that are not directly tied to your specialty. Administrators, assign groups, just as teachers do for students. One technique I do is pass out a playing card to every staff member as they enter a meeting. We then pair up by numbers, suits, or colors.  
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3. 3. Get connected on social media! Believe it or not, there are educators across the world looking for support and excited to provide some! By working with others not directly in our circle gets us fresh ideas, new perspectives, and a reinvigorating push we sometimes desperately need. It wasn’t until I fully embraced Twitter that I grew as an educator, leader, and individual. I have met so many amazing people and built true, strong friendships. I know that I could not do this without their support. We all have amazing strengths and stories to share, tell them before someone else does.  
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Embrace the strengths you hold. When a member of your crew, your PLN, is struggling in that arena, help them out. When someone is down, pick them back up. Iron sharpens iron, we are stronger together. Education is not about egos. This game isn’t for us, it’s for our children and for all our futures. If we truly want to create a better world we must unite and fight the good fight together.  

Sugar, We're Going Down! - September 23, 2019

Sugar, We’re Going Down! 

By, Michael Earnshaw 

September 23, 2019 

@mearnshaw158 

“I’ll miss you. Wish me luck. I love you,” was scrolled across the bottom of my phone screen. Within seconds my left, calloused thumb punched “Send” as if it was the last time and my message was delivered. I closed my eyelids, tilted my head down, and held Derek’s sweating hand.  

Derek was mumbling under his breath. The words were jumbled and not making any sense. “Lunch...announcements...playground...volunteers...scores...Danielson...Karate Kid.” There was no rhyme or reason to the whispers he produced. I slowly cracked open my left eye to see the beads of sweat transcending down his brow. I’m sure the tears were welled up behind his eyelids, just waiting to break through the levy.  

“Please grant me the grace to make it through this. I promise I will change my ways. There is so much left for me to accomplish, this can’t be it today?” Paula stated out loud, not caring if the rest of us were followers of her higher being.  

Kristen wouldn’t join in holding any hands. Instead, hers were thrown in the air as she shrieked, “Well, if this is what it is let’s just get it over with! Make it quick!” Her hands then plummeted down back at her sides. I wasn’t sure if that was a prayer or declaration.  

“Alright, this is your captain,” overtook the prayers, mumbles, and whimpers from us. The captain continued, “Let’s get started. Agenda item #1” 

The unfortunate reality is that far too many administration and faculty meetings take off for flight this way for many of the passengers. It’s not uncommon for leaders hosting meetings to take up hours of valuable time on discussions that don’t need to happen or accomplish anything. Many times these style of meetings, ones where it’s full of agenda items and discussion, quickly turn into a session of complaining instead of problem solving. This does not work towards reaching any school’s vision or mission.  

Educators need to continually be problem solving to ensure our students are receiving the best learning experiences possible. Our goal is to create critical thinkers, problem solvers, that are confident in their own strengths and not ashamed to rely on others where they may need growth. Our students will leave our schools knowing empathy, the power of collaboration, and confidence to leave their comfort zones and embrace failure.  

How will any of this be accomplished by sitting around a table complaining, staring at bullet points on paper?  

The answer is it won’t. If we are leading a meeting, and chances are if you are reading this you either already do or will be in the near future, there are many techniques to put in place to ensure you are empowering your audience to become reinvigorated and ready to engage and propel our students to the next level.  

1. Create a meeting agenda with only 5 items or less. Anything extra share via email, phone, or face to face visit.  

2. Each item and activity should be able to be adapted and brought back to the classroom or school for students to learn from and enjoy. 

3. Collaboration is key. Don’t just talk to the audience and then ask them to reply. Get up, break into teams, move around, and collaborate with those one normally doesn’t.  

4. What hands on activities could go for each item? Can an agenda item be taken outside? Can food, dance, music, charades, or a game be incorporated to cover a topic?  

5. Ask yourself if the agenda lends itself to movement, laughter, smiles, and teamwork? If not, find ways that it does.  

6. There is no six, remember? We stop at 5. Look back to Agenda Item #1. 

We don’t expect our kids to learn sitting in rows hours on end listening to lectures anymore. Why would we treat adults any different? Working to change the lives of our students every day, to help make a change in the world is exhausting. It can be the equivalent of running a marathon every day of the week. No adult is going to be focused and enjoy spending a few hours after school listening to us ramble on about data and policies, cursing their eyes with an ugly PowerPoint.  

Reviewing an article read? Speed Dating. 

Discussing intervention blocks? Teams create puzzle pieces and then have fellow teams put them together to understand their plan. 

Facing an issue one can’t find a solution for? Play “Struggle Island” on the playground. Staff forms a circle and someone stands in the middle and reads a problem. Those facing that issue step back to signify “drowning in the waters.” Those still on the island have a solution and share out what’s worked for them.  

Want to create random groups? Give everyone a playing card as they walk in.  

Sharing a love of children’s literature? Create Literature-O-Lanterns and then place them in the LRC or Media Center.  

There is a plethora of activities that may sound “childish” to do with staff. That just means it will be that more engaging and fun! Get out of your comfort zone, enjoy what you do, and create a meaningful, engaging, collaborative, and memorable meeting.  

With the right activities put in place you will be that captain your passengers clap for after flight!