Mrs. Catoe’s Chronicles

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I finished reading The Excellent 11 almost a month ago, and I have been spacing out my blogs until tonight to finish the book chat.  Wow!  What a powerful message that this book holds.  After visiting the RCA this summer and reading this book along the way (before and after my visit), I see firsthand what this message truly means.  Each chapter began with a quote….Chapter 11 heralds the famous Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”  Truly powerful…Oftentimes, leaders (those who take risks) are viewed as being overzealous or overenthusiastic. I have been accused at times of “overreacting.”  I can understand why someone would say this…but I try to “see the big picture” when I am working to solve a problem.  A very dear colleague of mine, Morgan Lee, shared this quote with me when I became Interim Principal last year….”Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.” (Maggie Kuhn)  Well, being
5′2″, I sometimes feel that I have to speak loudly so that people will listen.  We, as educators, must be resilient to all of the challenges that come our way in our profession.  We are truly at the mercy of legislation, taxes, etc., but we truly can make a difference if maintain our “focus on your students” (p. 241).  As we begin a new school year tomorrow, I am sure that we will face many obstacles and challenges.  However, we must not get bogged down in the administrivia of the daily grind.  Instead, we must “remember that the work they (teachers) are doing is changing lives, and in many cases they (teachers) have more impact on the children in that classroom than any other person in their lives” (p. 241).  We must be passionate about our work and maintain our hope for the future of these children.  We have a great challenge, but I guarantee that working together and having a little (or a lot of) fun along the way will make us all more resilient to life’s curveballs.

Thanks for reading along with me this summer and chatting - sharing your thoughts, memories, and stories has been insightful to me.  As a matter of fact, my former high school World Geography/AP History/Yearbook Advisor emailed me on Friday.  She was headed back to school, saw a great friend of mine who mentioned my blog, and responded.  Her email recollection of my high school class and friends brought tears to my eyes.  I shared this email with my teachers on Friday to show that we do make a difference….not just in the lives of children, but in the lives of teachers, too.  I printed out a copy of her email and saved it in my “Sunshine File” for days when the times get tough.  Being resilient is the final message that Ron Clark shares….a meaningful and serious one.  I look forward to a great year!

Feeling appreciated in your workplace and home is something of which most people enjoy and thrive.  When you feel appreciated, your motivation to do a good job increases.  This chapter hit home with me as I recalled my teaching days.  I tried desperately to make sure that each and every student felt appreciated, worthy, and respected.  I wanted these children to enjoy coming to my class knowing that I appreciated what they had to offer to my daily instruction.  I feel the same about my faculty and staff at DME. I greatly appreciate their input and trust their opinions as they truly have their fingers on the pulse of our school - our students.  Their feedback helps to guide our daily instructional decisions.  As a matter of fact, I enjoyed our Back To School Professional Development activities yesterday.  They came in yesterday full of excitement…..ready for a great year.  We completed several activities - ice breakers, discussed school data, talked about school safety, and planned professional development for the school year.  All the while I told them how much I appreciated their time, respected their views, and was excited about the new school year. Yes, I know that actions speak louder than words…..That is so true, but I certainly hope that when my career is over that my faculty and staff and those who know me will say that I do show appreciation to those with whom I work.  Believe me, I am so completely blessed to work with this wonderful faculty - We have lots of hard work to do this year, but I hope that at the end of the year in May 2009, teachers will reflect that we had fun while getting our job done!  Welcome back…..On to Chapter 11, the end of our book study.
Get ready….Our students will be back next Monday.

This is obviously my favorite chapter of the book….not because I am the eternal prankster and love to have fun, but what Ron Clark says is so incredibly true.  He writes:  “When dealing with kids, it’s a good idea to attempt to see things from their vantage point and find humor and understanding from their mistakes and embarrassing moments. It’s all about putting things in perspective and realizing that minor frustrations and annoyances that can come from children aren’t worth getting worked up over and making a mountain out of a molehill” (p. 167).  How many times have we heard that molehill analogy?  Well, I sure have….the whole time I was growing up, my parents would tell me this.  As annoyed as I would get with my parents, I know that they were teaching me to not be so uptight about things - to help me “see the humor in mistakes and difficult situations” (p. 169).  When I was teaching I also tried to impart this lesson to my students; I wanted them to have fun in my class while they learned.  Oftentimes, I would sprinkle lots of personal stories and lessons in my teachings so that I could grasp their attention and use these personal messages as a springboard for my academic content.  Then, we would go on to discuss great works of literature, like Macbeth or The Heart of Darkness - not too humorous to discuss - but we would find the irony in the works and characters.  With my own children, I live by this chapter’s message, too.  Having a 10-year-old and a 4-year-old will help keep things in perspective for us.  What is important to me at the time may not be the most important thing to my sons.  So, I have to keep my vantage point on their level and focus on what is important in their lives.  By doing this, we share a common bond and laugh a lot in our house.  Ron reminded me, “When dealing with them, we need to be reminded of what we were like at their age, and how strong the emotions can be, and how the view of the world is completely different….” (p. 172).  Now that is a powerful realization for most parents and for some teachers, too. 

One of the great things about our school is that humor abounds everywhere.  We are all quick to laugh - sometimes at each other….we laugh with the children and teach them to find humor in difficult situations.  There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.  Sometimes, we just can’t see it yet.  But, it takes teamwork to find that silver lining, and that is the power of our grade level teams and the leadership of our team leaders.  I look forward to having more fun this upcoming school year.  I wonder what kind of pie I will get pied with this year?   May I recommend peach filling, Mrs. Thrall?

On to Chapter 9…Common Sense….We are almost finished with our book study and blogging.  How do you plan to incorporate this book in your class?  How will you keep this momentum going?

I have finished reading my book, and I am reflecting over Chapter 7 today on “Confidence.”  I just had the wonderful opportunity to speak with my new teachers during a New Teacher Orientation here at school.  Wow!  What an amazing group of talent in one room - full of energy and ready to go!  They truly are confident and ready to run! 

As I reviewed over the chapter, I underlined some key quotes.  One particular sentence struck a chord with me:  “There are so many individuals out there who have the potential for greatness but never use their abilities for fear of failure or because they don’t believe in themselves” (p. 150).  Believe it or not, I am one of those people.  However, I applaud my faculty and staff to help lift and support me in all of my personal and professional endeavors.  They help me reach goals that I never dreamed imaginable.  My family and friends are also a great cheering section! 

When I attended my Principal’s Induction Class a couple of weeks ago, Morgan Lee posted a quote on the wall while we were doing an activity…It read:  “Remember that we become our conversations.  Our lives eventually look like the people we associate with.  Surround yourself with people who are innovative, passionate, interesting, provocative, caring and doing great things and your life cannot help but get better” (Robin Sharma). When I read this quote, I immediately thought about my faculty and staff!  Wow!  Talk about a powerful testament to our school and our faculty.  I am so looking forward to a wonderful year here at school, and I know that our school’s potential is yet untapped!  We have so much to do, and we have so much more to accomplish!  Anything is possible, and together we can do it!

On to Chapter 8….Humor…my favorite chapter…..especially from me the eternal prankster!

Having consideration for others is key in our society.  How often do we forget to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” before we place blame or scorn someone for something over which he/she may ultimately have no control at that particular point in his/her life?  Ron Clark discusses compassion in schools and does so by building climate in his school.  From the moment I arrived in his school in June, from my greeting by the receptionist and security guard, to the tour from the students, to the presentation in his classroom, the message was the same….compassion and passion for teaching.  He writes, “As teachers we must be aware of the climate of our classrooms and how the students are interacting with one another.  We have to make sure that our students feel safe and comfortable and that they are able to focus on their education.”  One of the most powerful staff development sessions that I ever embarked on was a bus ride.  We all loaded on yellow school buses and traveled the bus route that some of our students do each day.  We were able to see how long the bus ride was, etc.  We don’t know for certain what some of the issues our students bring to the classroom each day, but this bus ride awakened me to this learning experience.  Clark continues, “Once kids understand and realize the feelings and emotions of others, they are much more willing to respect those who are different from them.”  

Also, Clark writes about having compassion for the elderly.  Our school does a wonderful job with performing outreach service learning projects with local nursing homes, etc.  However, this year, I want to take this task one step further.  I want each homeroom to adopt a Grand.  Think about someone in our community who may need a little compassion and “invite” them to your classrooms monthly to eat lunch, volunteer, etc.  “What is important is that through these efforts students begin to realize how the elderly in our society should be honored, appreciated, and respectfully treated.”  

On to Chapter 7……I look forward to your responses and start thinking about your Grand adoptions! 

Chapter 5 of The Excellent 11 says there is…..When I do my daily walkthroughs at school, I ask teachers, “What can I get for you?  What do you need?”  One consistent response each day is “more time.”  Chapter 5 addresses the need for balance in our lives.  I enjoyed the opening paragraph and actually thought about my own son.  Last year, I noticed that he was not reading for pleasure as much as he did in third grade.  After repeated badgering on my behalf, he politely, yet demonstratively responded, “Mom, I have straight A’s.  I play football, basketball, baseball, take guitar lessons, volunteer at church, do my chores, do all my homework, stay with you at school all day, and when I come home, I am tired.”  I just sat there and looked at him.  Well, he is right.  He does work hard in school and in all of his extra-curricular activities.  He is a shining star, and I do ask a lot of him (and expect that, too).  He does read, but picking up a book to read “just because” is not his cup of tea.  So, I backed off.  As Ron Clark noted, “….our children don’t have it easy, either” when it comes to balance in life.  “They are trying to keep up their grades, play sports, be involved with clubs, make friends and fit in, complete their homework, clean their rooms, do their chores, and stay out of trouble” (p. 108).  When I read this paragraph, I reflected upon my own son, and I was glad that he felt that he could respectfully share his concerns with me.  As a “bargain,” we began to read together each night - me a page and then him a page.  And, we read the first Harry Potter novel together of which he took an AR test on and made 90!  I was so proud of him.  We are reading The Call of the Wild right now and playing READO for Mrs. Long for our summer reading assignment.  Doing this reading together has been our balance and has brought us closer together as he “grows up” into a young man. 

On a professional level, this chapter hit home with me, too.  As a former English teacher, on page 111, Ron Clark discusses teaching writing.  As a teacher, I loved to teach writing.  This is one aspect of the job that I particularly miss.  I hope to co-teach more this year with some of my teachers - if they will allow me to.  I would love to work with children to help them develop their individual style and voice of writing.  Many of my former students - who are now teachers - I reflect upon their journey as writers. They are magnificent writers - who have grown their craft and intertwined their skills into their careers.  I beam with pride when I see them in action in the classroom passing along their knowledge to their students. 

Finally, I hope that all of you have heeded Clark’s advice this summer and allowed yourself to recharge.  “Recharging is necessary, and it will make us a better teacher and also a better person.”  I have received postcards from many of you who have traveled this summer “recharging” with family and friends.  As for myself, my summer has been a bit different from the days of old.  Working each day this summer has allowed me time to recharge in my role as principal and prepare for the upcoming school year, but I have not had as much time to spend with my children.  Yet, being the eternal summer girl that I am, when I get home from work after 5:00 each day, my second job begins….being a mom.  We pile in the yard with all the neighborhood children playing games, sports, and exercising….then ride the golf cart until the charge runs out each night.  We long for the next sunrise to begin our days all over again.  Finding balance is necessary….for work, for family, and for personal health and state of mind! 

Have a great weekend. On to Chapter 6….Compassion
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Last week I took my rising fifth grader to purchase school supplies over the weekend.  Yes, I know….school is over a month away from starting, but I wanted to get a jump on purchasing these supplies.  I am pleased to announce that we successfully accomplished our goal. We purchased everything on his fifth grade supply list - even the “wish list” items which were requested by teachers.  I wanted to be able to put a price tag on these supplies to share with parents.  I spent $43.97 at Walmart!  And, I think that was pretty good!  Also, I wanted to purchase the “wish list” items - so often teachers spend money out of pocket to purchase these items throughout the year.  I wanted to be able to contribute these items for them at the start of the year.  Finally, I received a flier notifying parents of a Back 2 School Bash to be held on Saturday, August 2, 2008, from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon at the Kershaw County School District Annex (Old Pine Tree Hill Elementary School) in Camden.  At this event, students in Grades K-12 will be able to get school supplies!  Keep this event in mind as you plan your Back to School shopping, and remember - Back to School Registration will be held here at Doby’s Mill Elementary on July 29!  See you then!

Teachers, be sure to keep reading Chapter 5. I will be posting my blog this week on this chapter.

Chapter 4 of The Excellent 11 discusses the importance of reflection. Confucius writes:  “By three methods we may learn wisdom:  First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is bitterest.”  This quote was fitting to begin this chapter - as I read the chapter, I noted times when I have jarred awake at 3:00 a.m. to “think” about the past day’s work.  What I could have done, what I could have said, how I could have reacted, …. all run through my head as I ponder learning from my experiences to work to become a better educator, a better mother, a better wife, a better person. The NCLB push toward accountability urges us toward academic excellence.  We, as educators, continually strive to work to reach the bar that is set - oftentimes very high.  At DME, I feel that bar is our goal, and we work to lift each other and our students to surpass this standard.  However, along the way, I believe that Clark makes excellent points that school is not just about learning the academic “stuff” - we must provide children with other opportunities for extra- and co-curricular activities throughout the year.  These, my friends, are oftentimes the memories that children hold most dear to their hearts as they proceed and finish school.  One of our faculty writings for this upcoming year asks that we reflect and provide advice to next year’s rising fifth graders.  We have so much to share.  I can’t wait to read these writings which won’t be posted until the start of fourth nine weeks, but I will get a hint at them in August as the teachers turn them in from their summer assignments. 

As a matter of fact, speaking of reflection, our beach leadership retreat last week with my grade level chairs was fabulous!  We were very productive; not only did we revise both our math model and our RA schedule for the upcoming school year, reflect on last year’s challenges and successes, and discuss Clark’s The Excellent 11, we even had time to float down the marsh on inner tubes to the ocean twice….and we didn’t lose anyone on the tubes!  That trip was a wonderful team building experience.  It was so uplifting to be with my teachers to think about last year and plan for next year.  Now, I am back at work this week -  putting into motion our plans!  Read on….Chapter 5 “Balance” is next!