The new year of school is a good time to recallibrate. It is a time to think about who you are and what you do. As I prepared for the new school year, I found myself rifling through a box of old photos--photos that reminded me of so many good times and good choices. So as I think of recallibration today, I am thinking of these questions:
- Do the people I surround myself with help me to be the best person, parent, and teacher that I can be?
- Does the way I use time translate into good living?
- Does the way I spend money support what I believe to be good parenting, teaching, and living?
- How do I use words in ways that demonstrate who I am and what I believe in?
- Do I make time to demonstrate respect for those I live and work with as well as those I support and look to for leadership and learning in the greater community?
To live intentionally with good values and good vision is worth our time and thought. Today in the news we saw great sadness and troubles related to many who made bad, self-serving choices--choices that brought their lives down and also negatively affected so many lives around them. While none of us are perfect and not without our shortcomings, most of us try to live good lives that are mindful of the people and places we impact every day.
As I think more on this, I realize I want to foster more meaningful and enjoyable family times. I want to do what I can to create a happy, positive, and productive learning environment for my students and colleagues, and I want to contribute to the greater community in ways that I'm able to.
With regard to the problems and challenges that arise, I want to look for the promise in those problems. For example recently an issue with negative impact arose in the professional sphere--it wasn't an issue, I believe, that was intentional, but instead an issue that was never truly looked at with the respect and depth it deserved. Hence rather than chastise or demean those involved, I believe we can look to deal with the situation with better process. We need to step back, re-look at the way we approach the situation, and make better.
So as I recallibrate for a positive year ahead, I'm thinking of the ways that I can be positively intentional about the people I live and work with, the initiatives I get involved in, the work I do, and the special, enjoyable events I'm involved in. Onward.
