The Director's Cut: Perseverance....Never Give Up....Push Yourself Further Than You Think Possible......

Webster's dictionary defines PERSEVERANCE as, "continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition: steadfastness." We not only need to develop perseverance in our students, but we need to continue to always persevere ourselves. It is in challenging times that we are forced to look deep inside ourselves and find the inner drive and passion to rise above the struggles, see the silver lining at the end, and push without looking back to reach the positive outcome.

Our Varsity Football players can attest to this! On Friday, the game against Armijo seemed like it was in the bag for us. Then, the tables turned and we were no longer in the lead and time was running out. The players did not give up. They continued to run their plays and look for an opportunity to overcome the opponent. That opportunity presented itself and we scored another touchdown. But, then Armijo, with a minute on the clock, was within 10 yards of their end zone and had possession of the ball. The Falcon Defense held strong and made the win happen. These young men have continued to train every week harder than the week before despite previous losses. They visualize the win in sight and continue to drive to make it happen. Let's have our Falcon Football Players be our inspiration this week. Just as they did not give up on the field Friday night, we cannot give up on our daily endeavors to make change, impact lives, and educate students!! Keep the bar HIGH!!

Check out this Youtube video: A great overview of key strategies for improving teaching and learning in schools and in the classroom, with successful examples of each: Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, Integrated Studies, Cooperative Learning, Comprehensive Assessment, Emotional Intelligence, Teacher Preparation, Parent Involvement, Community Partners, and Maximizing Resources.