Gratitude....

Today is the final official work day before the week long Thanksgiving break begins. It is a time that many people ponder what they are thankful and grateful for in their lives. The holiday forces us to have gratitude in the forefront of our minds but it can be so easily forgotten when we move past this holiday season. I remind myself as much as I can that I need to pause and reflect on the many things in my life that I am grateful for and that give me joy. My family is my core and without them I would not be who I am today. I value and appreciate what each person in my family has provided me throughout the years. Every interaction, both positive and negative, have helped to shape the daughter, sister, wife, and mother I am today.

What I do recognize is that life moves fast.....

We are all connected in the interesting framework of our world. We don't always recognize the importance of the moments we have with one another. Think about how much time you spend passing others on the sidewalk, in the store, at work.  Did you make the best of those moments? I know that I could do much more. Just a smile can make a difference.  Every interaction we have creates a ripple in our lives and that ripple carries out and touches others. The decisions we make on how we respond to the interactions we have is what is so important. Do we respond with positivity and spread that light?? Or do we respond with anger or negativity and spread that darkness??

I am truly grateful for where I am at this moment in my life. I am grateful for everyone that has been a part of my life even if only in a minor way. I am grateful to be alive and to have an amazing husband and two beautiful girls. I am grateful for my parents and my siblings and my nieces and nephews. I am grateful for my friends.

The Next Six Weeks

This is an exciting time. We have six more weeks until the end of first semester. Each school has the opportunity to take advantage of this time to work on improving student outcomes. Think about the positive school culture you would have if all of your students passed their classes first semester! Think about how encouraged and motivated each student would be to persevere and try even harder next semester. When we feel success we are more creative, motivated, and energized to keep going.

As school leaders I challenge each of you to use every minute school is in session for the next six weeks to improve outcomes for ALL of your students. Final semester grades are permanent and despite what any student might say, they are important to them and impact their futures.  Don't wait for students to fail!! Progress reports were done last Friday, use those to identify students that need targeted help and respond NOW so that each student has an opportunity to show what he/she is capable of. Don't discount anyone, each student can improve.  However, students can't do it alone. Struggling students need caring adults to respond and support them to overcome any barriers in the way.

Each secondary admin responded to a reflection prompt at yesterday's level meeting. "In September you completed an LCAP Gap Analysis to determine if your SPSA was in alignment with the LCAP, in October you reviewed progress report grades and MAP results to determine student needs and develop your actions. It is now November and you have six more weeks until the close of First Semester. Please reflect on your progress of your actions you identified in September and October. Are there any changes you need to make for November to improve your student outcomes?" Don't let that be a moment that passes you by. Take what you said to heart and use it to fuel your actions for the next six weeks. Trust me, your students will be grateful that you did!!

We must graduate every FSUSD student and ensure that they leave FSUSD college and career ready!  Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!!

Defeat, Support, and Being a Caring Adult...

I have written blog posts in the past regarding "failing forward." I do believe at my core that we learn from our failures.  I also do believe that we become more and more resilient to adversity as we encounter new challenges along our journey of life.

However, despite the ease of of writing and talking about failing forward and being resilient, there is a different feeling of angst when someone you love dearly is handed a major blow or let down.  In some ways it is harder  to see your loved ones go through heartbreak as you have no control over the situations and yet you want nothing but happiness for them.  I believe our role as adults is to provide encouragement, stability, and love through the difficult times.  I am blessed to have two girls that I can support and love through their many trials life will bring their way.

Let's all pause for a moment and think about all the students that will walk through our doors today and tomorrow.  What potential heartbreak or adversity did they endure the day/night before?  Did they have the luxury of having a caring, loving adult in their home to provide them reassurance, love, and support? Some of our students would be able to answer yes, but others are not so lucky and are reliant on themselves to get through the challenging times.  Please think about each of your students INDIVIDUALLY as you welcome them to school each day. Take the time to Know Their Face, Know Their Name, and Know Their Story.  It is our OBLIGATION and our mission to support EVERY student.  We must treat ALL students with Respect and Dignity. We also have the obligation to support them, meet their needs, and ensure they leave our schools better than when they entered.

We must not forget our work and our purpose. We are here for the STUDENTS!!

Teamwork and Communication

You can learn a lot from spending time watching youth soccer games. I am super proud of my daughter and her select team. They won this past weekend's Halloween Tournament in Folsom. But, I think we ALL can learn a lot from team sports.

Soccer is such a TEAM effort. It is essential that each player is skilled in his/her position but is also adaptable and able to sub in for a player in a different position when needed. Each player understands the rules of the game and learns the most effective way to capitalize on one another's strengths. Additionally, they adapt their plays on the field to respond to the other team. One element that is critical is COMMUNICATION. On the field it is a necessity that the players communicate with each other to announce if they are open for a pass, if a player is behind them about to approach the ball, or if their teammate is getting close to an off sides call. It all works beautifully when both TEAMWORK and COMMUNICATION are synced.

Were you making a mental analogy between the soccer field and the work that you do in your department and/or school? We each must hone and refine our craft in our immediate position, but we also must be well versed in our FSUSD policies and procedures so that we can "sub" in and help out the larger team when needed. We must adapt and adjust according to our students needs and without a doubt we must continually and effectively communicate so that we can truly work as a TEAM unit!! We each play a role in the success and/or failures of FSUSD. Let's focus on ensuring a WIN for our students. That WIN is graduating high school!! We can do this! We must do this! #TOGETHER

We must graduate every FSUSD student and ensure that they leave FSUSD college and career ready!  Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!!

Being Intentional At the End of Each Day...

I have been able to spend some more time reading When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink. I am excited to share another excerpt from the book that has so much relevance in our field of education.

Chapter Five is entitled, "Time Hackers Handbook" and has a section titled "Four Areas Where You Can Create Better Endings" one of the areas that I want to share with you is: The Workday.  Below is a direct excerpt from the book on page 172.

The Workday

When the workday ends, many of us want to tear away-- to pick up children, race home to prepare dinner, or just beeline to the nearest bar.  But the science of endings suggests that instead of fleeing we're better off reserving the final five minutes of work for a few small deliberate actions that bring the day to a fulfilling close.  Begin by taking two or three minutes to write down what you accomplished since the morning.  Making progress is the single largest day-to-day motivator on the job.  But without tracking our "dones," we often don't know whether we're progressing.  Ending the day by recording what you've achieved can encode the entire day more positively. (Testimonial: I've been doing this for four years and I swear by the practice.  On good days, the exercise delivers feelings of completion; on bad days, it often shows me I got more done than I suspected.) 

Now use the other two or three minutes to lay out your plan for the following day.  This will help close the door on today and energize you for tomorrow.

Bonus: If you've go an extra minute left, send someone--anyone-- a thank you e-mail.  I mentioned in chapter 2 that gratitude is a powerful restorative.  It's an equally powerful form of elevation.


😍I think this practice could help me a lot!!  I am committing to making it part of my way to close each of my work days. I will do a progress check in a month to see what impact it is having on me.-KW

Remember how important your words and actions are on all those that you interact with!

We must graduate every FSUSD student and ensure that they leave FSUSD college and career ready!  Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!!

Take Time to Reflect

I encourage everyone to take some time to reflect on their past month of work and look at your actions and your words and determine if you have been LEADING or MANAGING. True leadership is such an important element to the success of a school, business, home, etc. Your work will contain elements of management, but in the absence of leadership, managing work will maintain status quo and ensure things happen as they always have. If you want fundamental change and improvement, you need both leadership and elements of management.  There is a difference between leadership and management. Leadership entails establishing a clear vision, sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly, and providing the information, knowledge and methods to realize that vision. Management is a set of principles relating to the functions of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling, and the applications of these principles in harnessing physical, financial, human and informational resources efficiently and effectively to achieve organizational goals. 

As the leader of your campus, ask yourself these two questions:

1. What is the vision or direction I am setting for my school?

2. How am I spearheading that vision or direction?

Pay It Forward...Kindness

I posted this post originally on January 22, 2017. It seemed like a good time to repost this message.

A smile, a kind word, a helping hand; all acts of kindness. How impactful can one positive act be? You may or may not be surprised to find out that kindness can be LIFE CHANGING!  A happiness researcher, Sean Anchor, found that if you perform random acts of kindness for two minutes a day for twenty-one days, you can actually retrain your brain to be more positive. The Power of Kindness Article

Sean Anchor also argues that happiness inspires us to be more productive.  The more kindness you sow, your mindset will shift to live and lead a happier life. See his Ted Talk here:

Jamil Zaki, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford writes about the Kindness Contagion.  He explains that when someone carries out a single act of kindness, three people benefit.  The person doing the act, the person receiving and anyone who witnesses the act.  He goes on to state that a single act of kindness can spread faster than a virus.  Kindness Contagion Article

Here are a few inspirational videos to help spread the message of Paying it Forward!!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!! 

Visualization to Actualization

We all have goals and dreams we aspire to. The ability to see what it will look like when that goal or dreams is realized can be a powerful tool. As leaders of each of your campuses, you are striving for improvement to reach an "ideal" school that you have envisioned. Have you thought about each and every aspect of what that will look and sound like? I encourage you to take some mindful time and space to visualize each of your goals. See what it looks, sounds, and feels like. Then, begin to incorporate that image into how you plan your actions and support/coaching for your team members. Help those on your team to also "see" the goal. If everyone has an image and an understanding of what they are working towards, they will be able to reference the current reality to the goal.

Here are a few articles that can help you with this practice of visualization to actualization.

Tony Robbins, "Goal Visualization"

Psychology Today, "Visualize to Actualize"

Dan Remon, "Visualization leads to Actualization"

Enthusiasm, Zest, and Gusto

On Friday morning while doing my daily meditation, the focus of the session was on enthusiasm; being intentional about approaching the day with enthusiasm and joy. It was a good message and a good reminder that our mindset can have such an impact on how we see and approach our work. Our mindset can make a situation better or worse, simply by what we are thinking. There were a few challenges that came my way during the course of the day on Friday. Instead of just getting annoyed or irritated by them, I attempted to use a sense of excitement to tackle the challenges. I was not 100% successful, but I did have a more positive outlook than I would have typically.  This will most definitely be some conscious work for me, but it could have such an impactful effect on the day to day.

It wasn't just my morning meditation program that recently emphasized the importance of enthusiasm it was also a common thread through much of the conversations shared during the Student Advisory Council on Wednesday of last week. Student voices are again letting us know that they want to have classes in high school that are relevant and meaningful to the many paths that they may take after high school.  Just imagine how amazing our schools could be if each and every one of us approached our daily work with ZEST and GUSTO.  Just imagine how amazing our schools could be if we approached our planning with enthusiasm and excitement. It is possible, and in order for it to become a staple of our organization, we each need to believe in our work, believe in each other, and make no excuses. I am honored to be able to work in FSUSD because I have the opportunity to be a part of a larger mission, vision, and goal to make the learning experiences for ALL of our students TK-12 as innovative, meaningful, and productive as they possibly can be. There is no room for complacency!

Taking Time for Yourself

It is always good to have the reminder that you need to take time for yourself. Things can get intense and stressful and each of us deals with that stress differently. Something that we can all benefit from is some quiet reflective time. Even during the course of the work day if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or experiencing anxiety, it is okay to take a moment to reground yourself and hit a reset. Here are a few great visuals that can help as you quiet your mind and take a moment to be reflective.

WHEN: The Science Behind Timing by: Daniel Pink

In case you are not aware, I am a huge fan of Daniel Pink. He is an author of several books including the New York Times bestsellers, Drive, To Sell is Human, and a Whole New Mind. Pink’s TED Talk on the science of motivation is one of the 10 most-watched TED Talks of all time, with more than 20 million views. His RSA Animate video about the ideas in his book, Drive, has collected more than 14 million views. I am currently reading his newest book, WHEN The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. All of Pink's books have applications in the work that we do in education. I am intrigued by his newest book and the potential positive implications if we implement some of his ideas.

His newest book takes a look at scientific "secrets" of the best timing to help you be as successful as possible in areas of work, school, and home. Pink talks about the hidden patterns of our everyday lives. Analyzing research and patterns across the globe, there is a pattern in our everyday life where our positive mood rises, dips, and rises again. In the same way, our processing of certain types of tasks can be greatly influenced by the time of day that we are tackling them. In When The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Pink highlights three conclusions: "First, our cognitive abilities do not remain static over the course of a day. During the sixteen or so hours we're awake, they change often in a regular, foreseeable manner. We are smarter, faster, dimmer, slower, more creative in some parts of the day than others." "Second, these daily fluctuations are more extreme than we realize." "Third, how we do depends on what we're doing." (Pink, 22)

I was fascinated to read about the implications the timing of day has on standardized test results. Pink references research compiled by Harvard's Francesca Gino and two Danish researchers where they looked at four years of test results for two million Danish children and the time of day the students took the test. Students that took the test later in the day did score significantly lower than the students that tested earlier in the day. However, Pink notes that researchers identified a way to help reduce the negative impact of testing later in the day. "Taking a test in the afternoon without a break [before the test] produces scores that are equivalent to spending less time in school each year and having parents with lower incomes and less education. But taking the same test after a twenty-to thirty-minute break leads to scores that are equivalent to students spending three additional weeks in the classroom and having somewhat wealthier and better-educated parents. And the benefits were the greatest for the low-performing students." (Pink, 57)  

I am excited to continue to read the rest of this book and identify some strategies that I can implement to improve my and my fellow colleague's work lives. I can't help but think about the timing of most of our staff meetings, late in the day typically around 3:00, when according to self reported scales referenced in the book, people report as the lowest point in the day for enjoying themselves, less warm towards other people, and are the most unhappy. That does not sound the like the most ideal time to get together and discuss challenging topics. However, if the meeting kicks off with a physical activity or "break" it could help to reset the individuals in the room. Something to think about for sure. 

Motivation and Challenge

I have to say that this weekend was a great one. For the first time in a long time I refrained from checking email, sending email, and doing any work related activities until late Monday. I spent time with my family and friends and I was truly present in the time I spent with them. It was a good reminder for me that keeping balance in our work and personal life will actually make us stronger in those areas! 

Now, for this week's blog focus; motivation and challenge. I see motivation and challenge as two key areas for success in our lives. Twitter is still my go to for connecting with professionals and learning and sharing. It is also an avenue for challenge and motivation for me. Thanks to teachers like Kristen Soulsby, Shareen Choy, and Ruben Lerma and administrators like Steve Trotter, Rebecca Dinwiddie, Kristen Cherry, and Larissa Sherrod I feel more compelled to get out and run and to push myself harder than I had been. It is quite amazing how a few small words and some pictures can be so compelling to get someone to move, but it has. It is so encouraging and rewarding to see others partaking in challenges and pushing themselves even further than they thought possible. We are supporting and motivating each other and it is makes the challenges so much more doable. This can and is so easily transferable to the classroom as well.

Here is a challenge I think everyone can get involved in. Straight from Dr. Rob Martinez on Twitter: "The school year is young, and I implore you to take on this #Educator Challenge! If you are part of the educational system that serves our 6.2 million students in California, then you have a responsibility to act in ways that connect, engage, and tell those in your world that you notice their efforts, their kindness, and them!"  

#Doit! #LeadWithResilience! #togetherwegrow #togetherwelearn#togetherwelead #juntoscrecemos#juntosapredemos #juntoslideramos#liderconresiliencia

Remember how important your words and actions are on all those that you interact with!

We must graduate every FSUSD student and ensure that they leave FSUSD college and career ready!  Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!!

Know Their Name, Know Their Face, Know Their Story

It is so important to Know Their Name, Know Their Face, and Know Their Story. All of us have different life experiences that make us who we are. No one path is better than the other. The reality is that we all come to the "table" with a different understanding based on our experiences. As educators we must honor each of our students' life stories/experiences by understanding them and responding accordingly. EVERY student is valuable. EVERY student CAN be successful. We must not allow our preconceived notions or misconceptions to overshadow a student's potential. Most people do have a bias and that is based on their experiences. That does not automatically equate to a bad situation. In order to move forward in a progressive manner, every educator must be able to look inward and recognize what his/her biases are. Once those are recognized, then each educator can ask himself/herself the question of why and how to respond to those biases. If we ignore the lens that we see the world through we are doing ourselves and those around us an injustice. One cannot discount his/her reality. That is what makes us unique. It is once we appreciate that our reality is NOT the same as the person standing next to us that we can then begin to be the most effective. Approaching students, staff, and everyone that we interact with from a place of understanding and inquiry allows for give and take. These are some of the equitable approaches  we need to ensure are in play in our classrooms and schools.

Are you ready to be that visionary making the changes needed for our students? Whether we want to see a physical, mental or systemic change... it takes time. Most of us, myself included, can be impatient waiting for the transformation to take place. However, if we want the transformation to be lasting and with positive results we must be patient, persevere, and continue to make strides towards that goal.

If we see something about ourselves, our classroom, or our school that we don't like we need to face it. We need to take a good look at what it is we are challenged with. We must determine what we could do differently to potentially bring about the change we want. Keeping in mind that the genesis of the change we desire must be rooted in positivity. Once you are committed to the transformation you must begin to adjust your habits you have become accustomed to. We all know Albert Einstein's famous quote, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Don't forget the WHY of what drives our work. We are doing this for EVERY one of our students in our district. We are doing this to engage our students so that they are empowered to be the change agents of the future. We are doing this so that students are excited to go to school. We CANNOT allow mediocrity. We must not make EXCUSES! Don't let your budget constraints get in your way. Think of ways to maximize the dollars that you have. Don't let negative staff get in your way. Think of ways to tap into everyone's strengths and have them be a part of the process and ensure they understand the WHY. We CANNOT be complacent. If you see something going well then share it and encourage others to see the benefits. If something is going wrong then address it and determine an action plan to make corrections, don't allow it to fester. 

We can use our challenges and struggles to develop our passions and to push us to improve. 

We MUST commit to spreading the message of self worth and importance. As every child walks across the threshold of our classrooms each and every day we MUST tell our students they are valued, they are important, they are needed. We must use our positive words to overcome any existing self doubt. WE must help them handle negative thoughts and in turn it will help them gain more confidence in who they are.

We MUST not give up on any of our students!! We must empower! We must BELIEVE that anything is possible. We MUST NOT make any excuses. Provide HOPE!

We CAN change the reality around us. We can commit with positive intention to reinforce the actions and behaviors that we want to see in our colleagues, our students, and ultimately our society. We must highlight and showcase the strengths of our peers and our students. We must mend any mistrust and replace it with open and honest communication. Don't be afraid to have those that you are leading come out from the shadows and shine bright. True leaders are able to create more leaders and empower those that they lead to be the absolute best they can be.

Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, and Empower

One of the best parts of the new school year is the feeling of hitting the re-set button. It is a brand new school year which means it is an opportunity to be a new you. It is the time to reorganize your files, clean out your closet, review your goals, and re-evaluate your perspective on life.  It is a fresh start.

I want all of us to make the best out of every interaction with every employee, parent, and student. I know that I only truly have "today" to make the best first impression or attempt to solve any problems that may exist. I know that if I don't take risks I won't know what my true potential is. I will continue to motivate each of you to push yourselves further than you think possible. I will continue to support you in new endeavors in your educational careers. I will not rest and be complacent with anyone that complains or makes excuses. I will praise the problem solvers and innovative thinkers. I will rally together the team builders and thinkers among you.

This will be an AMAZING 2019-2020!! I can confidently say that because WE create our destiny. As the FSUSD Family WE WILL make 2019-2020 one the best school years!

Take a minute and smile right now. It will make you feel better and will brighten the moment of anyone that catches a glimpse of you. 

As you welcome your staff back to work next week, think about the message you are sending them when you first see one another. How about starting a positive chain reaction? For those of you that were not able to make it to Great Beginnings on Friday, let me explain how we welcomed the new teachers to FSUSD. All district and site admin lined the front breezeway and created a cheering line. As each employee walked through the doors they were greeted with cheers, claps, and high fives. They walked down the line and were showered with appreciation.  The smiles were bright and some people were unsure of what to do or how to react. They were not expecting a welcome of this kind. The board room filled quickly with the hundreds of new teachers. What had the enthusiastic welcome done? It had created an environment where people felt wanted, appreciated, and yes, loved. That feeling propelled the individuals to be more in the moment and let down their guard. It set the stage for a very productive day. What if we did this with our students and staff?

Take a moment to think about a positive chain reaction. Engaging in one positive action for another can cause a ripple effect. What if all of our #FSUSD students and staff were greeted on Monday to cheers of appreciation that they were on campus? What if we showered them with HOPE and LOVE? What if we focused on the HEART before the HEAD every day with ALL of our students and staff?

One of our goals: To graduate every FSUSD senior and to ensure that they leave FSUSD college and career ready!!! The steps to get our students to this end goal do not have to look like a cookie cutter educational experience. If something isn't working, let's not keep doing it that way and instead find an alternative that DOES work. If something IS working, let's continue to move in that direction. We need to continue to share good ideas. We need to continue to collaborate. We need to continue to be risk takers with the students' success as our guiding force. What excites and inspires you? Find that inspiration and led it DRIVE you!!!

Every day we are in front of our students is an opportunity to create change, empower thought, develop skills, and assist in their progress towards becoming the most successful people they can be. Imagine yourself looking down upon a classroom, envision the teacher as a masterful artist embarking on his/her new day of creation. See the children as works of art, canvases that have been touched by many artists before and are now ready to receive a new layer of influence. Each child is a unique creation that together we are helping to mold and foster.

It is our obligation to teach each and every child. It is our obligation that we do everything we can each and every day to TEACH every student and do everything we can to ENSURE every student is LEARNING and GROWING!!

I am asking that every educator look at EVERY student as a work of art. I am asking that every educator take time with EVERY one of their students to help each of them realize their full POTENTIAL. I am asking that every educator continues to teach from the HEART and recognize that we are OBLIGATED to ensure that ALL students LEARN. I am asking that every educator takes time to reflect on his/her mission and work and find the PASSION that made them decide to become an educator. I am asking that every educator harnesses that PASSION and ENERGY to do everything possible to support each INDIVIDUAL student and NEVER GIVE UP.  We CAN change the cycle. We MUST change the cycle. We must PLAN and EXECUTE. 

Allow yesterday to guide us to do better tomorrow. Allow the mistakes of yesterday to become lessons learned that are our building blocks and foundation for tomorrow. The future is created by each of our decisions and actions today. We design our future by taking charge of the present. We are in this together and are stronger together. I ask that if you are with me on this, take time to commit in writing, share with others, chart your course and let's make it an UNBELIEVABLE 2019-2020 school year. 

We must graduate every FSUSD student and ensure that they leave FSUSD college and career ready!  Inspire, Engage, Excite, Lead, Foster, Create, Empower!!

Continue to be innovative, creative, and a model of excellence!!

Mentors That Have Made a Lasting Impact

On Twitter a week ago Daniel Mikkola posted a tweet that really struck me.  He said and I quote, "Being a mentor doesn't mean to be a guru.  It means making a connection with someone. Being authentic, being an encourager, and being consistent is what our mentees need. Thank you @sdteaching for your powerful keynote."

It is with great pleasure that I introduce my first guest blogger to the Director's Cut, Mr. Daniel Mikkola. He is a national board certified high school math teacher, photographer, and CTE teacher currently at Sem Yeto High School!!

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Thank you Kristen Witt for the introduction and for allowing me to guest blog with you.

What makes a mentor? In the words of Oprah Winfrey,  “A mentor is someone who allows you
to see the hope inside yourself.” Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend an EdTech
Summit and keynote speaker, Eric Cross, spoke on mentorship. He described growing up
without a father and credits the teachers that mentored him for his success. He detailed the
qualities of these Teacher-Mentors: they were authentic, they encouraged him, and they were
consistent. A mentor doesn’t have to be a guru or even an expert. During his keynote, I was
reminded of my own Teacher-Mentors that I credit for my success.

I had the privilege of having both parents while growing up. That is, until high school when we
went through an ugly, drawn-out separation and then a divorce lasting from my Freshman to my
Junior year. Both of my parents are high school graduates who took a class at a community
college but lacked the motivation to finish. They never really talked to me about what
possibilities to explore after high school. My dad provided for us while they were married and
then provided for me after the divorce. He drove the 18-wheelers delivering groceries and he
knew that he wanted better for me, but didn't know how to advise me. Those conversations
came from teachers and projects that I took part in at Armijo High School. I was an AFJROTC
student and college was addressed there; we compared what it would look like going in the
military as enlisted or as a commissioned officer, thank you Major Kardach and Chief McGray. I
remember in my computer class with Mr. Kiesling, we did a project of where we would be in 10
years and how/what we would have to do to get there. In English 9 with Ms. Lyerla, we talked
about what we will be doing 5 years after high school. There was also a College/career class
taught by Mr. Walcott, offered through the business department that I took my 10th-grade year
where we looked at some possible opportunities for life after high school. I remember Mr.
Aronsen, in Chemistry as a Junior, talked about having more opportunities after going to college
than if we took a job straight out of high school. These teachers “mentored” me and provoked
me to imagine my future and what it would look like after high school.

At the time I started high school my grades were great - I had a 3.83 with a B in PE; I had
missed out on a few dress out days. Going through the trying times at home and the long drawn
divorce, my grades plummeted to just below a 2.5. I had another mentor, Steve Allmer, who
spoke words of wisdom to me when I needed it. He was a youth leader at our church and knew
my family situation. His words still stick to me to this day and I pass that along with my students.
He said, “I know what you are going through. And it sucks. But you need to keep your grades
up, because this problem is temporary but your grades will stick with you.” I tell my students the
same thing and share my experience with them - to help them focus or shift their focus.

You might be thinking, “What are some ways that I can help mentor someone?” Here are a few
suggestions: With your students you can ask them what they think they will be doing after high
school? You can talk about some colleges that might offer something that they may be
interested in. You can also help them develop a resume that helps give them a more
competitive edge than someone else that may be applying for that job. Having talks about
budgeting or other things that you have encountered in life that they may have not had the
chance to encounter yet.

Peer-to-peer mentorship is important too. You can help a teacher with district tech apps like
Aeries, Illuminate, etc. You can help them with classroom management strategies or lesson
planning.

What are the benefits of being a mentor or a mentee? According to Aston University:

Benefits of being a Mentee

• Gain practical advice, encouragement and support
• Learn from the experiences of others
• Increase your social and academic confidence
• Become more empowered to make decisions
• Develop your communication, study and personal skills
• Develop strategies for dealing with both personal and academic issues
• Identify goals and establish a sense of direction
• Gain valuable insight into the next stage of your career
• Make new friends 

Benefits of being a Mentor

• Improve communication and personal skills
• Develop leadership and management qualities
• Reinforce your own study skills and knowledge of your subject(s)
• Increase your confidence and motivation
• Engage in a volunteering opportunity, valued by employers
• Increase your circle of friends
• Gain recognition for your skills and experience
• Benefit from a sense of fulfillment and personal growth

With all of these benefits to mentorship it should come as no surprise the impact it has on our
students and each other.

I challenge you:

Teachers: Find another teacher who wants knowledge and wisdom that you have and share it
with them. Encourage your students to look to the future; guide their imaginings with your lived
experience and wisdom.

Administrators: Foster teacher leaders on your campus. Encourage teachers to step up and take
the lead. Embolden them to take on projects, speak their minds, share their practices, and lead
committees. Connect and build mentoring relationships with Tier 2 and 3 students on your
campus; don’t forget that your mentorship can make huge impacts on students’ lives.

“Mentoring brings us together - across generation, class, and often race - in a manner
that forces us to acknowledge our interdependence, to appreciate, in Martin Luther King,
Jr.'s words, that 'we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied to a single
garment of destiny.' In this way, mentoring enables us to participate in the essential but
unfinished drama of reinventing community, while reaffirming that there is an important
role for each of us in it.”     -Marc Freedman

What Made You Smile Today????

We often go through our days... taking care of important business, solving problems, planning for the next day, all without taking pause to reflect on something very important. What made you smile? Most importantly, what gave you joy?

I have not written a blog post for almost exactly a full year. I could list a variety of reasons or excuses as to why, but at the heart of it, I wasn't tapped into focusing on those things in my life and in my work that give me joy. I guess one could also say that I wasn't tuned into those things that give me "inspiration."

I am happy to say that an inner joy has risen to the surface again!! It is a light that I need to foster. I accept that there is an ebb and flow in life and at times it takes more effort to find the positives but it is truly during those times that it is more important than ever to keep focused on our true mission. I encourage you to give me a gentle reminder to stay the course if you see me wavering or slipping.

What Made Me Smile Today???

• An email from one of the most caring, inspirational, encouraging, dedicated teachers I have ever known, the one and only, Chris Romo at Fairfield High!! Honestly, it was his email that gave me the boost I needed to once again blog my thoughts. Thank you, Romo. 
• Meeting a 17 year old young lady who left high school for her first semester of her senior year. But, she came in today and she and her aunt are committed to re-enrolling her in school tomorrow morning. She isn't going to slip through the cracks!
• Participating in a facilities meeting and hearing about some of the amazing plans that are in the works for our high schools. These proposed improvements will provide our students with improved facilities that will make them proud to say they were made in FSUSD!
• Spending an hour in the evening with many other members of FSUSD as we focused on our wellness and practiced yoga together. #namaste
• Re-watching the videos of the students that participated last Thursday's Special Olympics Basketball event. The event defines PURE JOY!!
• Coming home to my two beautiful daughters, and without a doubt the man that is the rock of my life, my husband. Tonight we all laughed, blasted music, and danced. It was then after a few hugs that I was ready to sit and write this blog.  

What Made You Smile Today?